What I Once Knew

Genre: Horror, Thriller, Mystery

A Question To Be Asked

CHAPTER ONE

Something is wrong in my hometown, however I am not sure what it is yet. The Only fact my mother keeps calling me by my old name Roy and immediately fixes it, by calling me again ‘Fred’ with a dozey face and low voice that sounded like she was put into slow mode

“Roy- Fffeerrd” as if something drained her soul out and she couldn’t be able to say my new name.

After she’d do that. Mother would go back to being normal again, counting whatever she was doing, cleaning, cooking, but not only that. My father also has been acting odd lately, he has been quiet for at least a year now. He’d only say ‘Hello, Goodbye, Good morning or yes’ to every conversation we have. Like Last night, when I told him I’d go to Arora’s house to hangout, he said ‘yes’ and the funny thing is, just 4 months ago he made it clear that nobody shall ever go to his boss’s house and especially hangout with his daughter.

Even my friend Masey is acting weird. He’d eat a whole bag of chips and not give me some. Okay, maybe I am lying about that one, since giving some bag of chips isn’t always available at times, but still he’d always share his bag of treats. Zack, my older brother who used to tease me every day about anything, is now complimenting me on everything I do.

‘Wow, Fred. You can fix bikes. How amazing Fred, you can make breakfast for yourself.´ That’s what Zack would say day by day to me. Even when I just pour myself some cereal. Strange, I tell you.

I have a plan to figure out what I should do.

• A, confront my family.
• B, follow them.
• C, confront the whole town.
• D, just ignore it and turn a blind eye.
• E, Runaway.

Clearly, I’m going to confront them. As they say, if you have something bad to say, then say it and if you have something good to say, then don’t say it. I… guess?

In the morning, father sat at the kitchen table reading the newspaper next to the window. This is the perfect opportunity for me to ask.

“Dad, why are you so fat?” I said, as I forgot what I had to truly ask.

“Good morning.” Said father with a plain face.

“Good morning to you, too. I mean, why are you round?” As I gestured my hand into a circle to define his body shape. I don’t know what it was, but my father looked bigger than usual for some reason.

“Yes?” He replied back, making me remember what I had to ask however, out the window in view was the school bus. It was too late for me to say, so I grabbed my bag and ran out the door.

“Hey, Fred! Hurry up, the bus is about to go!” Shouted Daven, my childhood friend, holding the bus door for me.

My knees are getting tired, my bag is heavy, that was pulling me down and I was running out of breath.

“What are you waiting for, kid. You’re wasting our time. Sit down.” Said the bus driver to Daven in a harsh, irritated tone.

“But sir, there’s someone running.” Said Daven as he blocked the door from shutting.

“Sit down. If a kid wanted to be on the bus, they wouldn’t have come late.” Said the bus driver with a disgusted look.

“Now kid, if u don’t sit-” Said the bus driver however, I caught up and threw myself in the bus, falling on Daven as he fell also on the bus driver, shooting his head out the window.

“AAHH!” we shouted. Daven and I got up and hurried to the backseats.

Daven gave me an unsure, worried look and I did the same. Is the bus driver going to kick us out? or-

The bus started to move, then we both sighed out of relief.

In silence, we laughed.

“So, what took too long?” Asked Daven.

“I just called my father fat today and he replied with yes”

“Maybe, your father already knows his fat and it’s a sensitive topic that he just wanted to end the conversation quickly.” Said munching Masey, who was in the front seat. turning back to us. As Masey smacks his mouth, eating his crisp.

“If that’s true he’d say so” I said.

“Come on Fred, my mother also gets tired of saying my name too.” said Daven.

I tell you, my friends are part of it too.

“I don’t know Daven. Fred might be right.” Said Jable, sitting on the left side of us.

“Has the whole town gone mad or something?-” I said

“Na,na. Fred, you’re thinking too much.” said Daven

“ ‘Thinking too much’. I’ll bet you’re just as part of this as Pole from Wind Street.”

“Wow, Fred. I am nothing like that kid. His canoeing snitch with ass for head.”

“Wait, what does canoeing have to do with Pole?” Said Jable

“Will isn’t he canoeing?” Said Daven

“No, where with what and who? We don’t even have a lake or sea here.”  Chris, who thinks he knows it all.

“I don’t know. I just said it cause I just wanted to say something.” said Daven

“Ya, Fred, how could you say that about Daven?”

“Will shouldn’t have said I think too much. I outa don’t”

“I didn’t mean that way. Chris knows what you meant.”

I mean, aren’t friends supposed to agree with everything you say?-

The bus stopped in the middle of nowhere. In the heat of the day, it seemed like a desert.

Now things were getting seemingly clear.