Chapter 6

The rays of sunlight dance on my bare skin. I wince, opening my eyes. I found myself half-kneeling; my left knee is attached on a cemented solid surface; my right knee folds into ninety degrees, stomping my right foot. I hold a bow and arrow positioned like I am ready to hit a target; bow on my left hand; an arrow on my right hand attached to the bow's string, stretching it backwards. There is a one and a half inch wide sling on my right shoulder passing through my chest and ends on my left hip connected to a cylindrical bag.

I try to stand but I cannot make a single move. I use all my force to make even a slightest move that I can do. And again, I fail. I feel like I am being glued or something like that. I roll my eyes to see what surrounds me and to see why am I cannot move. I stop, staring at my skin.

No. This is just a dream. Yes. It is just a dream, Cupid. You just need to wake yourself up.

I close my eyes and open it after a second. It still looks the same. I close and open my eyes once again. But just like the first time, I can still see it. And I close and open my eyes for countless times. I heave. What is this? Why? Is this what my father meant that I cannot move my body, unable to shift? Is this the punishment he's talking about? Is this the way he wants to do to discipline and to make me realize and to make me learn my lesson?

My body turns into a stone, more like a cement with white colored paint – my fair skin complexion, my broad chest, my six pack abs, my jet black hair, my everything. Everything turns into stones. And I guess I look like a statue.

I examine the place, only the front elevation. I am facing on a very familiar bench. It is our favorite bench. I guess I am in a park, in the park where I first met Psyche and the park where I first kill my first victim. I am a statue in the center of a man-made fishpond in a park.

I must think. There must be a way to escape from this. I know it. I really know. But how? In what way? I know my father said that but I can't remember it clearly. All I can remember is the unless, and I forget what follows this word. I need to recall that what he said last night. I really need to. I close my eyes, trying to retain my father's words on my mind.

A drop of water splashes on my cheek. I look down. A girl holds her hands together almost touching her nose and lips, head bows, eyes close, standing straight. She wears a plain pink blouse, a black fitted pants and a stripe of black and white doll pair of doll shoes. A small sling bag hangs on her right shoulder; it reaches the cheek of her booty.

"Please help me find my other half," she mumbles. She tosses a coin.

My body glows the moment the coin touches the crystal clear water. Slowly, I feel my body floats in the air, just above the statue, parting from the immovable figure. In a minute, my feet meets the solid made of pebbles ground.

My eyes are fixed directly to the girl. She swirls her body, turning her back. A heart-shaped thing appears above her head; half was shaded with red and the other half is empty. A short piece of string grows on the tip of her right index finger.

I brush my eyes. What now? I am seeing the red string again and a half-full red heart-shaped thing above her head. I shake my head. Whatever it may be, I don't mind. What is important is that I can barely move all my body parts freely.

I sit above on a short wall, crossing my legs, pushing my hands against the flat surface of the wall. It is the wall that stops the water of the fishpond from spilling; it stands with a height just above my knee. I glance at the horizon, staring at it for a while.

"You failed, Father. I can move," I mutter, slightly chuckling.

The wind blows touches my bare skin. I stand at the top of the wall. Now, I can continue what I've started four days ago. I grin at the thought of seizing another happy ending. I jump on my toes, spreading arms sideward. Softly hopping, I take strides, walking towards my favorite seat.

I notice red strings are scattered everywhere. I pass some of it that blocks my way; just like a ghost it did not make a physical contact. I do not care about it even it creeps my whole being. I don't have time to know what these strings are for.

I sit on our favorite bench, slamming my back against the backrest, resting my arms at the top of the backrest. I twist my head from left to right and right to left, searching for a new prey. These red colored strings are getting into my nerves. I can see it anywhere I look.

I spot a couple in not so far from me. They look sweet, sitting on a checkered clothe placed on the grass field, laughing, cuddling and giggling along with their children. A very long red string rolls around the couple. Its shade of red is darker than the others. And the hearts above their heads are fully painted with red.

I confidently sprint to their direction. I am really sure that I still have my strength to lift any object of any weight since the unable to move failed. I'm sure that my father fails to absorb my strength.

Three steps. I'm just three steps away from the couple, a bow and arrow appear. The bow comes out on my left hand, holding it. The arrow materializes on my right hand; it has a gold pointed edge, it is sharp.

Wondering where it came from, I set the arrow on the cord of the bow; stretching it backwards; targeting the woman. I do not know how it shows up and why it appears on my hand. But, I know I can use it as a weapon to fill myself satisfaction - ending a life.

I point the golden arrow, making sure that I will hit her heart directly. I loosen my hold on the arrow and the cord, expecting the arrow to travel the distance in between. To my surprise, it sticks on the bow.

I cannot feel both of my arms. I try to swing it around; it's not moving; it's stuck. Second after second, I feel like that I'm being paralyzed; slowly spreading throughout my entire body from my arms passing through my shoulders, splitting into two ways; to my neck and upwards; to my chest and downwards. In just a minute, I cannot feel my whole body. I am stoned.

A force from behind pulls me, bringing me back to the top of a post standing at the center of the fishpond, merging to the half-kneeling statue.

What is this? I thought I'm finally free. Why am I back from being a statue?

"I know I look stupid now for believing a superstition that this pond will make a lonely heart's wish come true," a girl's voice utters, throwing a coin on the water. "Please give me a sign," she whispers.

I look at her. She's the same girl who makes a wish before my body separates on the statue. Teardrops are running on her cheeks. I stare at her face. Are humans like this, too desperate to love and to be loved?

I lock my eyes on her. There is something on her; her body glows lightly; the string on her right index finger elongates, slowly. I follow the string as it travels to the opposite direction. At the edge of my vicinity, I see a guy sitting on the wall, leaning forward, his arms rest on his legs, breathing heavily; he was dressed in a gray sweater jacket, its hoodie hangs on his back. The tip of the red string stops few inches away from the back of the guy.

Out of my control, my body rotates; my hands extend the cord of the bow, pointing the arrow on the guy's back. I let it go. The string connects at the tip of the arrow, at the back part of the arrow.

Another arrow appears on my hand. It points the girl on the opposite side of the pond. It peregrinates into the air, hitting the girl's chest.

The guy turns around. The heart-shaped thing above his head suddenly flooded with red. He sprints onto the girl's position. He holds her hands, look at her intently. The girl raises her head, making an eye contact. They smile and walk away together. I stare at them as their bodies getting smaller and smaller as they walk away.

Okay. What's just happen? I smile bitterly. I can't control myself to do that. And I hate it. I hate what I just see. That must end in a tragic way - a tragic ending.

I stare blankly on the direction where the newly bonded couple disappears. I'll make sure that it will never happen again. I'll make their days with pain, convert their laughter into sorrow, and turn their sun into rain.