First Day of September

It is a typical day for a handsome lad named Keenu Harrington while comfortably playing a Japanese online game, ignoring all the chores he has in his small and not so alluring apartment. On the other part of the country, there is a wimpy geek man watching his favorite series in Netflix, wiping his unstoppable tears coming from his big eyes, Guzman Espinoza… these two men have no idea of what eccentric things are waiting for them.

    Until one day, a lurid and irritating sound coming inside their apartments woke them up. Repugnant aura is wrapping up their bodies and as they opened their eyes, there is a strange feeling. Keenu sat down and ignore the weird morning that day. He acts like a normal teenager as he always is. He plays an energetic music, dance with it and starts to clean the gigantic garbage he has in his room. “GOD!” He shouted as he put his hand on his chest, almost getting a heart attack. There’s a lot of extra-ordinary cockroaches under his bed. These are dark violet which are covering a light shining violet envelope. Opposite with Keenu, Guzman started to dig up what happened. Calling his family, friends and landlady. He got no response and thinks about what might happened. He came back at his room and gets all the possible books which may give answers to his questions. Suddenly a bunch of cockroaches runs into him which makes him collapsed. Slowly opening his eyes, Guzman noticed that there is a blistering envelope on his hand.

GUZMAN’S POINT OF VIEW

I massage my forehead and stares at the envelope. Who the hell is Keenu Harrington and what do I have to do with him? Astounding event in the universe? Is this some sort of pranks that anyone tries to put on me since I am an ugly introverted nerd? Seriously? A horde of nauseating and horrible cockroaches? This is too much.

I put aside the envelope and begins to read information regarding the sudden change of my environment whence people vanished and I am the only one left alone. “This is crazy!” I hastily stand on the top of my table when these disgusting creatures came back and brings the envelope to me. I carefully move until I reached the pesticides and kill these cockroaches. “WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?” I screamed vociferously when these insects rejected the effect of the pesticides and started to fly and forms a word that I never wanted to believe and I will never will— MAGIC.

    An angelic voice echoes in the whole room whispering that I am not alone, that I need to find Keenu Harrington and go together to a place where I can discover everything I am asking for… left me dumbfounded and speechless.

    Guzman run faster as he could to his kitchen and drink a gallon of water. He witnessed a peculiar incident making his body trembling and sweating. It was really a magic, he told himself. Guzman took a deep breath and decided to look for a man named Keenu Harrington. Nonetheless, before he can step out of his house, Guzman fell into an enchanted sleep. Whilst Keenu having no idea what is going on, is still relishing the sound of his chirpy music. Hours have passed and electricity was turned off by an unknown force he cannot see.

    Inside his room, there is a silhouette of a young damsel waiting him to notice her but then, Keenu remain on cleaning, not even giving a glance to the violet envelope beside him that makes the young damsel be furious. Out of anger, she turned the envelope into a knife that catch the attention of Keenu.

KEENU’S POINT OF VIEW

    An envelope transforming into a sharp knife that almost killed me, it was daunting! “Fudge, what do you want?” I asked whatever whom it is that is trying to prank me using this transforming envelope! How they can be fucking so brave to jest around my house? I have been getting a lot of pranks for the past few weeks because I know that I have been an asshole for my entire life but this one is too absurd.

    “You are not brave enough as you claimed.” I was stunned by just hearing this innocent voice vilifying my personality— wait, is she daft? What is she trying to say, that I am scared, a weak man trying to pretend to be valiant? “For Pete’s sake!” I run to my newly bought vase by a famous online Japanese player, trying to save it from falling but I failed. Rage initiates on my face as I saw thin rope wrapping in various things in my home and things endlessly fall and break. “You need to stop this before I find you,” I utter these words slowly so she can fully understand. I am not the type of man who will fight back a weak girl, besides maybe this girl has a crush on me but because I am handsome and popular, I will never glance at her, not even for a second.

    “Don’t make a fool of yourself. I am done with you.” I felt her breathe under my ears as she laughed frantically. This is too senseless. Something is wrong since I wake up. I sought to reach those tiny ropes but it wasn’t a rope, it was a thick hair. A thick hair coming from above, coming from a shadow of a lady above my ceiling and before I can even react, there is a lullaby music plays and my eyes automatically but slowly closed, making me see his beautiful but bursting with deranged angelic face. It was her.

    Moriko, the young mystic lady lets the two men sleep peacefully in a dreary part of the Redwoods forest in California not knowing that they are in danger. She is busy formulating the elements that will be used for her ritual which she has been trying to conduct for a long time. “A glass of sanctified water, roots from a big tree, blood from a dead animal, ancient vase from Japan, pages of books that were stored for ages and two hearts of two men that I must eat, isn’t it exciting?” She spoke to herself.

    “GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU FILTHY PIECE OF SHIT!” Guzman jumps fretfully just to avoid the cockroaches coming to him. He was already awake and was roaming around the forest for the first time, trying to find anything. Accidentally, he stumbled on a rock that made him fall to Keenu, who’s sleeping calmly in a mud. Guzman nudges and slaps Keenu lightly but there is no response. It is because the magic spell isn’t due, it will still penetrate until the cockroaches wake him up. He was amazed on how these cockroaches turned into a word making him not to notice that Keenu is already conscious. “FOLLOW THE VIOLET HEARTS AND IT WILL LEAD YOU TO ME.” They both read and stared at each other’s eyes. Keenu rolled his eyes as he surprisingly saw Guzman, he knew this man very well. In fact, he doesn’t know if Guzman remember him. They were friends when they were young until both of them got into an accident and Guzman lost his memory of Keenu...

    Cold breeze of wind embraces them as they begin walking in the center of forest whence they can see big trees are surrounding them. Guzman looked at Keenu and tries to talk him but he always got no reply. He fumes endlessly but it makes him feel more like he’s talking to a wind. “You know, it is like we are in a movie and you should be bullying me right now, asking me how are we going to get out of this place and—“

    “Won’t you shut up for a moment, will you?” Keenu hissed and gave him a death glare. He senses that someone is watching them from a far. “How did you get here?” He asked Guzman who is now smiling because he finally have someone to talk to. Keenu realized that Guzman has no idea that this is the place where they got into accident based on his expression. “According to my knowledge, I was about to find someone named Keenu Harrington and boom, I am here—we are in a forest I have never been before. How about you?” Ignoring Guzman’s answer and question, they hang on walking and found something they do not wanted to see in their entire lives. It was a cluster of dead stinking animals. Having a weak stomach, Guzman vomits into Keenu’s clothes making Keenu yelled at him. He was about to push Guzman but Moriko’s laugh filled the whole forest. It was a laugh full of sadness and hatred.

    Leaves started to fall and the remains of the dead animals fade little by little leaving just a mark of scattered blood in the area. It was a bright afternoon until darkness conceals the place. The laugh of Moriko became louder indicating that she is already coming near them.

“Who are you?” Guzman asked Moriko, composing himself not to show the uneasiness that Moriko brings to him. Moriko begins to control the trees by moving her hands. On the other hand, Keenu remained silent and kept watching every move of Moriko. He had seen this girl, that’s on his mind. It’s the same exquisite face who almost killed him. It’s the young damsel who made him fall in love in unexpected moment and preposterous situation. It is the girl who’s always in his dreams.

    Astonished by Moriko’s beauty, Keenu did not realize that there is knife coming through him making his stomach bloods unstoppably. He groans in excruciating pain. She gave them a mischievous smile and continue. “The two of you were summoned to follow me, only me. You are here because I changed your fates. You are here to complete my ritual as I complete what I want to have.” In just a blink of an eye, Moriko is standing in front of the two men. Guzman lost his consciousness out of fear while Keenu seems to lost himself and tries to reach Moriko’s face without minding the deadly axes around him.

     “Moriko, a Japanese word for forest and child.” Keenu uttered as he felt his tears on his cheeks. He doesn’t know why he is crying. He just wanted to get out of this axes cage and hug Moriko. “Why are you doing this to us?” He asked Moriko with a wretched tone. He knows Moriko but he cannot remember when, where and how. He just happened to know that deep inside, Moriko has an important place in his heart just like Guzman, his old friend.

    Out of Moriko’s anger and having a stone heart, the forest blazes resulting that the area are filled with enormous burning trees and sizzling temperature. She is brimming with tremendous resentment. She was forgotten by the most important people in her life, Guzman and Keenu. She tried to stop them but they did not listen. She tried to survive but she did not make it. She saved the two of them and now she wants to be with them. She wants Keenu and Guzman joined her in her new life whence there is power, there is magic that no one can see… only her.

MORIKO’S POINT OF VIEW

    How can he act like he knew me? Like he can remember me? It’s been seven years since the accident. I have been eaten by hatred and the only thing I want is to make them feel how much I suffered and how much sadness I felt when they left me… Keenu was my fiancé. It was year 2012, 1st day of September when he proposed to me in this exact place at the Redwoods forest in our home town, California. We were both lovers of forests, we were very ecstatic that time together with my brother Guzman but while on our way home, Guzman told me a secret between him and Keenu. Keenu had another reason why he wanted to do the proposal in the forest. It was because there’s a magic book hidden in the forest and I am the only one who can make it visible, it’s because I am Moriko, a child of forest being cursed by a supernatural written by a prophecy.

“You have changed a lot, Keen.” I bowed a bit toward him and kissed him on his cheeks. “Hurting other girl’s feelings through ignoring them, huh?” I sarcastically smiled at him and went to my brother who just woken up because of our chitchats and gave him a warm hug. “I have been waiting for this moment, when the both of you will finally dredge up all the faded memories of yours in the past.” As I cackled uncannily, the magic book let itself to be visible in front of them. It brought a vast amount of light which displays our happy memories in the past. I’ve been watching this over and over again but my heart still burst out of melancholy…

    Guzman both forgot me and Keenu, he has no idea at all that he has a sister. Silently sobbing, he walks towards me and embrace me hardly as if he’s been longing for me for years. “My God, how can I not remember you?” He asked me while crying and continue to watch their withered memories. It’s when the three of us celebrated my birthday in Keenu’s small apartment. I was wearing a cocktail dress and a crown symbolizing the idea that I am their queen. “Wake up, Moriko my little sister. You have been living in lies.”

    The book suddenly lose it lights and creates a deafening sound, it’s time to show them every single minute of how they unexpectedly sacrificed me just to get out of danger. Keenu tried to save me just like how I saved them but he was eaten by the power of magic so as Guzman. I tried my best to avoid it but they were both shouting to me that it was in the prophecy, it’s like they are different people doing their best to complete the prophecy! “Please, don’t live me here! Help me.” I immediately closed my eyes as I hear my breaking voice pleasing them to reach my hand. All I can harken now is the sound of two crying men. “AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” And lastly, my dying scream, the time when these magical cockroaches covered me and make me their queen, Moriko, destined empress of a forest.

    “Today is my 7^th death anniversary and today will also be your death—“ I stopped declaring my last step of my ritual when the soft lips of Keenu touches mine. It was slow, addictive and full of love. The kiss is giving the sense of relief I’m craving for, the truth that was diverted from me. The book made me believed that it’s Keenu and Guzman fault, when in fact, it’s not their fault. We were all enjoying the night view in the forest when cockroaches surround us and made me touch a magical book which we never seen before. I am the one who touched the book, I am the one who puts them in danger. I activated this magical books and magic spread in the area. Procedures, instructions and elements of the book were written in the air and before the magic occupied as all, I let them escaped and erased their memories which I never thought I did. “You cannot complete the book’s ritual, mi amor. Please, get a hold of the truth.” He said to me in between our kiss. Myself starts to respond but the dark aura of the books is stronger than this. “You are not dead. You are sleeping in this forest. Just let us find you, please.” I pushed him away and saw his crestfallen expression. I gasp, preventing myself from crying. I was buried together with the magic of this book. I cannot halt myself from finishing the ritual, this is my fate and the book wants them to be with me.

    Something— no, these cockroaches are controlling me inside. They want me to continue what I started. One more step and it will be done. I will be with them. “RUN! JUST RUN AND NEVER COME BACK!” I shouted in despair trying to fight the demon cockroaches in me. I must save them just like what I did in the past. Keenu and Guzman run fastly as I could and mouthed me that they will search for my body and bring me back to my old life but before they could do that, I can feel the cockroaches wrapping up my body. It’s making me turn to a monstrous one. In just seven giants steps, I am now holding the dead bodies of them, devilishly eating their hearts…

    ♫SEVEN YEARS HAS GONE SO FAST, WAKE ME UP WHEN SEPTEMBER ENDS, HERE COMES THE RAIN AGAIN, FALLING FROM THE STARS, DRENCHED IN PAIN AGAIN♫

    “Moriko, I told you to wake up when your alarm rings.” A young handsome lad wakes her fiancé up. “We are going to redwoods forest with your brother for the first time, remember? It’s September 1, our anniversary!” He pulled and gave her a smack on the lips. The sweet girl named Moriko giggled and hugs her boyfriend named, Keenu. They were about to kiss again but Guzman, her brother, interrupted them by entering the room and giving them the map. “You two should get ready. I’ll just wait outside. The cab is already there.” The couple nodded yet shouted kill joy before he left the room. Minutes have passed and the three of them left their apartment with excitement to see the beauty of redwoods forest which wait for them for a long time…