fiction Just Know It Happens

[Elena Ichinomiya]

Is there anything that can beat a bland vibe of sunrise on a new week?

A good vibe?

A warm cup of coffee?

Or tea?

TV shows that aired today?

A new video from your favorite channel? 

After all the shenanigan i've been through, i wish i can turn back time to cherish those corny moment before all of this happen...

---

"Is this administrator office?"
(21: 30)

 

"It is, who might you be?"
(21:30)

 

"Dion Stuart, administrator of Audia Leaflet West Academy"
(21:32)

 

"I'm Elena, administrator of South Ashfield 16 Elementary school. Is there something i can help you with"
(21:32)

 

"No, but i want to tell you something. Perhaps you can take some action since you're outside this region jurisdiction"
(21:33)

"There's cult school at Audia border"
(21:35)

---

It was rainy day at the school. The student and teacher voice can be heard not too far from my office. Its still 3 hours left before the school ends. But with weather like this, the student probably had to wait for their parents to pick them up. Or wait up until the rain easing up. It might don't seems likely, but student in my place are pretty much independent bunch. Me included. Back then, i had to walk almost 2 Kilometer to reach my home. My dad escort me every single morning, but when its time to go home, i had to make the trip back on my own. On foot. Those student probably had similar situation like i used to had. Though hopefully they had bicycle instead of going home on foot. By the time the school ends, every single student came out the gates, bidding goodbyes to their friends. Some would stay since their parent would pick them up. That's pretty much the routine.

But that administrator at the border...she had it rough...

---

"When the school ends, they don't open the gates and let the kids go on their way home. Instead they keep the student around for a bit. Normally the school ends at 12, just like every other school schedule. But they keep them until 15 for some reason that i'm pretty sure no school would ever do this"
(21:50)

 

"Are the school a public or private school?"
(21:51)

 

"Public"
(21:51)

---

That's odd. Public school share similar schedule through Elementary and up to High school. If its private school, i understand since the government rules can be cast aside as essential with exception of study hours must not overdue the limit which is 15:00 (3PM) and the curriculum used. Why this one public school was any different? Not to mention a long strain of study can be bad for a child especially on elementary school. Something doesn't add up. I try to look up for the school detail. What is it again? Right, Audia Leaflet West Academy. But its late now so i go to sleep and look it up next day. Perhaps when i'm at the office. As new day come into light, i help myself browsing some news before i go to school. Honestly, keeping my body sit down for almost 8 hours and looking at nothing but computer make me feel like i'm in a cave. Unknown about everything outside the world. It's funny and ironic considering that i can just browse the news whenever i want. Its not like the other administrator would complaint anyway since its just a news. Until i remember why am i opening the browser in the first place.

So i look up that school. Audia Leaflet West Academy. The search engine seems manage to pinpoint the school location which is pretty much at the border of Audia, just like what the name stated. Then i look up at the government school database to see the school status. Its an active school, but perform much poorly. It has middling credibility which is B at best. School like this usually common at the somewhat isolated area with a number of students that barely reach the minimum quota. But Audia Leaflet West academy is still close to the city inhabitant and had good numbers of student albeit its not much compared to where i work at. How could they be this poorly performed? 

---

"The said extra activity is the one that hold this school back. It's not even part of curriculum. At all. But now that i think about it, some study material curriculum are dated back to 2008"
(20:19)

 

"Is there ever any inspection going at the school?"
(20:20)

 

"Yes. They only send warning to update the curriculum. But not the big picture that happen around the after school. I don't know how they did it, but they manage to hide their agenda in the neat way"
(20:22)

---

So i ask the administrator there what kind of activity that was. She said they gather each student on different classroom. They split up boys and girls on different room. I don't find anything strange on that so i let her talk some more. She said that at the girls only classroom, they were teach to sing. The boys however, got nothing but lecture and sometimes scolding, depend on what teacher they got themselves. But this is where something seems odd. The girls are teach to sing an old national anthem. The boys lecture are filled with nothing but nationalism drive. Or that's what the administrator think. Sometime a motivation to be a better student can be sounds like drive of patriotism, i can get that. But of course, its not going this deep until she talk some more...

About the name they mentioned in their lecture...

---

"The songs are odd and felt like its been modified. The students just sing it without thinking much of it, they're clueless after all. But odd song are everywhere. The boys lecture is what put my frown deeper day by day and realize something is off. They lecture the boys with something along the line "If this president still alive you're nothing but a drag in the community" or "Keep this ideal in mind when you step outside the gate". It's creepy, why they teach nationalism in such fashion? And bringing about past president too. We're democratic country, you can't expect loyalism to apply to the past leadership"
(20:55)

"Does every teacher into this stuff?"
(20:56)

"Not everyone, thankfully. But i guess i need to mention this..."
(20:58)

---

Some teacher are allowed to put their names away from being the lecturer. Which mean there's no push or any demand for it in the first place. However should they volunteer, they had to bring their own material. This is pretty much pushing the freedom of speech envelope too far, especially in education as some things are better left unsaid until the student see how the world doing their things. Since there's no material required, you can volunteer and spout any "motivation" to those student. I ask the administrator how those kids taking this lecture. She said either some of them just suck it up. Or just being good old fashion student on boring lecture. Sleeping. But those who pay attention are said to yell the quotes given by their lecturer outside the extra activity time. Which only proof how fragile a young mind can be. Naïve doesn't excuse misconduct. Especially about politic. But thinking back again, i used to have this kind of stuff back in the day. But it was a morning lecture and it only last 5-10 minutes and only once in a week, not everyday for almost 2 hours. 

I ask the administrator again what cause this lecture take that much time if its just sing and praise for 2 hours. If i were one of student and told to sing for 2 hours every single day, i'll be damned if i can talk again for another year. Turn out, this administrator was waiting for me to ask this question. Perhaps to scapegoat me in some way should this question would be their end. Think of it like someone give you perfect idea to rob a bank clean, but they won't join you on the field so if someone ratted them, they can easily point finger and accuse you for forcing them to made that plan. I might overthinking it, perhaps they had no intent to do this. But since i already spout the question, i play along for now.

Day by day, months passed, some change of routine appear. The students seems to be cut in half. Guess they realize lecturing people on a big numbers wouldn't help to deliver the message. I don't know if its a good news or not, but there's some change...

...for the worse

---

"Yeah well, seeing there's a little freedom going on, some teacher did take advantage of that. Some would go as far to open a business of private lesson, for a fee. Which is illegal to do inside the school ground. Things getting out of control"
(21:34)

 

"Did they got caught?"
(21:34)

 

"Technically. Someone drop the ball and it crash into other activity. The push i needed to put an end to this. And i know how. But i can't do this by myself. I'm outnumbered. But you and perhaps other school administrator could do something. Because this has to stop"
(21:40)

---

It was only then when i check the set of rules of education over Audia, that i notice something is not just add up. But messed up. So messed up that i wish i could be there to slam everyone mercilessly. I always keep my temper around especially when it come to work. But i guess it was true when the morality is at stake, professionalism be damned. The school location has been moved elsewhere. The building would be destroyed in the future. However the government in that region make things up to keep this school running despite the permission has been since cut off. They run the school with their "money"...and their rules.

With whatever mean to justify its presence...

---

"This school was a punching bag in this region. A corrupt official let this stupid activity going even though they know this is wrong. I give you this ZIP file. And just in case you're another one of those folks, don't bother to contact me again, i'll change number after this. But i thank you for listening..."

(00:00)

---

The Zip file contain an amateur video recording. Hidden in sloppy angle. I assume this administrator finally put the matter to an end with their own hand. The video was...disturbing...i wish i can talk about it but i feel there's something stuck on my throat when i try to. Its inhumane. Dirty. Pathetic. After all of this, i decide to make an account on free for all media upload. I had to cut the explicit part because they don't appreciate it when it come to minor despite allowing slitting down the throat of someone on their platform. I don't know what to make of it, but i know i would be banned or accused back if i just upload or tell people haphazardly, no one would take action immediately. So i choose to poison the river...and wait...

And...wait...

---

"Was that your doing?"
(11:21)

"I know it"
(11:51)

"Well, because you're the only person i talk to about this. Who else could done that?"
(12:01)

"I'll be moving away from this town since they gonna brush the school clean for real this time. I see a lot of cops at the school ground. And angry parent. I lost my job but i have clean slate so i'll be fine...can you recommend your workplace for me?"
(16:40)

---

Is there anything that can beat the bland vibe of upcoming new week?

...after all i've been seen through?  

 

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.
(c) Elena Ichinomiya 2023

[Elena Ichinomiya]

Most people talk about the liminal space, creating story about it as if it's a living thing or a myth. I am however, have my own fascination toward space that i you most likely see, but didn't pay much mind to it. This fascination of mine has exist since i was young. A space that filled with memory of my own, but also imagination of something so chilling, it end up scaring me to go to bed.

Your own bedroom, with only windows as the light source. Yet you somehow feels like you don't belong there.

Have you ever once in your lifetime see your own bedroom, or your relatives bedroom early in the morning, with the lights in the room still turned off, and the only source of lights is from the windows, and it happen to be a cloudy morning? We've been there. But by putting your perspective in different angle, such as standing in front of the door, you'll see the very same picture i refer above. The room is dark, there's only one source of lights, but it didn't give you any comfort or vibe that tells you today is going to be a good day. Even more so when it turn out to be raining outside. Your room, the only safe haven you have, are now become a very image of isolation and loneliness. It's dark, cold, and it seems like the world don't want you to go out at all. The table feels cold to the touch. The floors feels like an ice that slowly crept to every single nerve beneath your feet. And your bed is no better. The very spot that you love so much no matter how much of a grind your day is, now it feel...ominous thanks to the current predicament. The bed who either become enticing furniture for you to sleep on in the mid-work, or after work, are now inside your mind with different thoughts about it. Maybe the only moment where you can say, "I'm not sleepy" than usual grumbling about how you want to sleep for another minutes.

As you gaze into your bed for another minutes, the poor lightning and the weather, a thoughts suddenly flash into your mind. The bed, that is now illuminated with either blue, or gray, is triggering your imagination. It's as if you feel like those bed wasn't even yours. You're not suppose to sleep there. At the very least, not at the time. Then the sudden imagination change for the worse. The bed, that is slowly grow cold due to the weather, somehow give you an idea, that there's someone who sleep there beside you. But it seems like impossible outcome especially if the bed is a single bed. That's right, you live alone. So you cast that thought aside. Minutes passed and if you still stand in front of your bedroom, you'll notice that sometimes, the view didn't get any better. The blue or gray highlights are now become even more clear to see, revealing the room in its entirety, but not in the way you usually see. Somehow the room feels cold even without any air conditioning on. 

As you gaze your bed one more time, you begin to think, "Who would sleep on a cold bed, in such poorly lit room, and in a cold day like this?". You could point at yourself but regardless, the other thoughts enter your mind. Somehow, you can see yourself sleeping in that cold bed as if nothing happen. Next seconds later, you remember the coldness of your room and it crept up in your mind, that the same person who sleep in that bed...are also cold as ice. You see yourself sleep there, unmoving, even though you convince yourself you're alive. But your mind keep showing you that very picture of you, sleeping under the poorly lit room, unmoving. And at the same time, another thoughts slide in about the monsters under the bed. To be honest, i have questions...

When was the last time you check what's under your bed? Do you remember what's under there? 

You thought nothing of it most of the time, but with current predicament, somehow you feel hesitate to find out. It's as if you don't want to feel those cold floor to crawl to your skin other than your feet. But in all honesty...you just don't want to find out knowing your mind might play trick on you early in the morning. You see many tale about what's under the bed, you thought nothing of it back then but with such atmosphere in the air...you really told yourself it's not worth the trouble, even if it's your own bedroom, a supposed safe haven made for yourself. A space that was made to suit your style. A space that shows your personality. But right now, the room itself feels like judging your emotion. Cold, lonely, fearful. As the thoughts begin to screw up your mind, you thought to yourself. "This very bed...might be my final resting place". A morbid thought begin to enter your mind. As you now see yourself lie on that bed, but the position is like you're in a coffin. You lie there peacefully, Both hands connected, fingers intertwined, eyes closed without any emotion. You lie there...as dead person.

The cold air are now become a second person in that room, whispering the uncanny yet possible outcome of what would happen in the future, in this very room. And only then, you shake your head and utter the words first time in the morning.

"What the hell..."

And just like that, the thoughts disperse, the room turned less hostile, less cold, and feels like nothing special. As you turn on the lights, you take a deep breath of relief. And you wonder if same thing would happen again. Not just for tomorrow, but on the future. Because you're well aware you'll see that very sights for many years to come. You live there, and that's where you sleep, your safe haven.

And maybe one day, those image of you sleeping in this room with exact predicament, without anyone in the room but you, and those bone chilling cold air that slowly crept to every inch of your skin, would become reality...

---

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.
(c) Elena Ichinomiya 2023