Letter from a Creep

Carrying her pastel pink bag, Aisha paced on the dry dirt, which was carpeted with reddish-orange leaves and overgrown weeds. With dark skin and big, russet eyes, she wore a hijab which matched the colour of her backpack, along with a white lace top and acid-washed denims, paired with rainbow sneakers and a face mask. 

She entered the gates of her campus, built long before she existed. Crafted using reddish bricks and a combination of sand and cement, Genesis University was filled with students from all walks of life, from a green-skinned athletic girl wearing a cat-ear headphones to a scaly lizard-man in his knitted vest and an overcoat, who was chatting with his aquatic girlfriend with gills.  

Surrounded by large, golden trees and jade green shrubbery that grew blood-red roses, Aisha noticed her fellow classmate, James, leaning against the wall, reading The Avant-Garde Post, which was made out of Black Weed Tobacco, grown in a valley on the other side of their planet. Taking a brief glimpse of his tan skin and dark, curly hair, she could only smile as she imagined a bright future with him, where they tied the knot together and started their own family. 

“So, what are you reading?” asked Aisha, grinning, waving towards him. He’s so handsome in his all-black attires, especially his cat eyeliner. 

“Nothing much,” James shrugged, his eyes crinkled at the sight of his favourite lady in front of him. She is so sweet in pastel colours, especially her hijab. She looks amazing as always. “But you know, I did read something interesting today.”

“Really?” her eyes widened. “Tell me everything from A to Z.”

“Well, remember when you hired the repairman to fix your mailbox?” he told her.

“Yeah, I remember that” she dragged her voice. “It was rusting and I had to hire someone to polish them so that I could paint it pink. What about it?”

“Well, apparently, if you just place your envelope inside your mailbox, even without your address, it will automatically be sent to another person, without being picked up by the mailman. Weird, isn’t it?”

“It is weird,” Aisha agreed with her friend, thinking about the consequences she’ll have to face. “I mean, what if you get paired up with a creepy guy? You know how men are, right?”

James bobbed his head as he closed his newspaper, shaking his head. “Yeah, men can be complete monsters sometimes. And the creepiest thing is, you can even get a random letter out of nowhere even though you never sent one in the first place.”

Aisha let out a huge gulp as she remembered all the horror stories she had heard about men. A man catcalled me when I was on my way to work, Raina told her a month ago, making her fingers shake.  “I hope I don’t get one. God knows whether the sender is a good person or not.” 

“Well, we should head to class,” he let out a sigh, rolling his paper. “We don’t want to be late for Professor Quantum’s class.”

“Right beside you,” she gave him a small salute as they walked side-by-side with each other, with no knowledge that a lone crow was resting on top of a tree branch, watching the both of them.

As the tangerine sun began to set, both Aisha and James finally walked out of their campus, carrying their books in their hands. The wind grew colder as the leaves on the ground began to twirl in circles, along with the sky above them fading to a dark purple palette, making the three rings surrounding their planet visible. 

“It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?” Aisha took a deep breath as she closed her eyes for a moment, picturing herself eating a warm stew with her favourite person. “Don’t you agree with me, James?”

“Well, I agree with you,” James smirked, taking a look at her as he hesitated to feel her hands. “Especially if a beautiful person is walking right next to me, of course.”

Giving her a cheeky wink, Aisha  rolled her eyes as she nudged him by the elbow, much to his amusement. As they reached a 5-storey apartment, which was painted in peach and salmon pink, the two of them climbed the stairs all the way to the third floor and stopped in front of door no. 359, which was decorated with a rainbow sticker. 

As Aisha dug through her backpack for her key, the boy with a facial tattoo noticed a clean, white envelope on her fuzzy, pink floor mat, prompting him to pick it up. And the creepiest thing is, you can even get a random letter out of nowhere even though you never sent one in the first place, he remembered his conversations with her earlier, prompting him to tug on the sleeves of her top as she finished unlocking her front door, catching her attention. “I think you should read this,” he said. “Someone must have sent you a letter.”

She raised her eyebrows as she snatched the letter from his hands, reading the address that was written on the envelope. 10 Hillside Rd RR 5 Bancroft ON K0L 1C0, she traced her fingers in a straight line, noticing the post stamp with a heart shape icon on the top right. “This person must have lived nearby us.”

“It could either be good or bad,” he exhaled, escorting her inside her dorm, which was filled with everything that was pink, from the sofa to the kitchen cabinet. “We should read the letter to figure out who the sender is.” 

“Yeah, we should,” Aisha agreed with her friend as she sat down on her couch and grabbed a pink penknife, cutting open the envelope. Taking out the letters, she began to unfold them and read the words out loud, which were typed with a typewriter, judging by the fonts. 

Dear he or she,

Whoever reads this letter, then you may have already received my letter. My name is Jeffry, and I live in Onticus. I am a 47-year-old man and I would love to be your pen-pal.

If you're interested, then reply to me at this address. I wish you well.

With warm regards,

Jeffry

Folding the letter into two, she wiped her forehead in relief, and yet, she felt her heart pounding. Her palms turned clammy reading this letter from a man who was not only old enough to be her father, but also used a post stamp with a heart shape on it. Then again, he had no idea it was delivered to me, Aisha lifted her shoulders. Besides, I have a habit of overthinking.

“Are you going to reply to him?” James's eyebrows drooped. “I have bad vibes just from reading this.”

“So do I,” she replied with a frown. "But then again, I don't want to be rude. After all, my parents taught me to respect the elders, and I could learn something from him."

He held his tongue as he watched his friend get up from her seat and enter her room for a few minutes, before returning with a piece of paper, a pen, and an envelope. I sincerely hope this Jeffry guy is a decent man, and not a pervert.

Dear Jeffy,

My name is Aisha and I'm currently majoring in English Language and Literature Studies and minoring in Theatres. I love reading, writing, and journaling in my free time and I also enjoy going on a leisurely stroll as well.

My favourite books to read are The Arabian Nights, Hikayat Hang Tuah, and The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. I find these books really interesting to read. As for movies, I love watching Princess Mononoke and Graves of the Fireflies. I thought the animation was superior.

I hope I get to know you soon. I look forward to your reply.

With warm regards,

Aisha.

Putting down her pen, Aisha folded them into three and sealed them inside her envelope, not forgetting to write down her address for reference purposes. “Are you really sure about this?” James expressed his worries as he held her hand. “I don't want anything bad to happen to you.”

She placed her hand on his shoulder and gave him a soft smile. “I'll be okay,” Aisha assured him. “Besides, I've been through worse anyways. What's the worst thing that could happen?”

***

Two days later, Aisha and James were holding hands with each other as they returned to their dorm and found an envelope by the front door, indicating to her that Jeffy had received her letter. Taking a deep breath, she picked it up and headed inside, reading the letter from him. 

Dear Aisha,

You have a beautiful name. I bet someone like you has a beautiful face that every girl wants. I was over the moon when I received a letter from someone like you. It's not everyday a young lady would reply to an old man like me.

Anyways, I see you love animation very much. You must have a childlike innocence to still enjoy cartoons very much. As for books, it's nice to know that you enjoy books and not makeup and fashion, unlike most women.

So, since you're smart, I just want to know your opinion on the LGBT community, since there's more awareness about it nowadays. I am a very open-minded person and I would be willing to listen to you about your views on that topic.

Nice writing to you.

With warm regards,

Jeffry

Putting the letters aside, Aisha stretched her arms and her neck and quickly wrote her reply to him, much to James's dismay. This guy gives me goosebumps.

Dear Jeffry,

You asked me about my views on the LGBTQA+ community, and I am more than happy to deliver my thoughts about them. Well, to be honest with you, I am asexual, and I am proud to say that I'm part of the community.

You see, asexuality refers to someone who lacks sexual attraction towards others. Meaning, I don't have any desire to have a sexual relationship with anyone. Though I do have romantic feelings, I didn't have any desire at all. There is nothing wrong, since not everyone is born with sexual attraction, and that does not make them less than a person. In fact, I am capable of having a deep bond with someone I love very much.

My best friend, on the other hand, is a trans man, and he always has my back. I helped him a lot, he helped me a lot, and we both enjoyed each other's company, and we always teased each other a lot.

I hope that it educates you a lot about our community. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

With warm regards,

Aisha

James crossed his arms and shook his head in disapproval. “I have a feeling he would force his beliefs on you,” he advised her. “He seemed like the type to fetishize people like us.”

“He seemed friendly,” Aisha insisted, calming him down. “Besides, I did the right thing to spread awareness about our community.”

I don't like where this is going, he curled his lips downwards.

***

Friday had passed and James picked Aisha up from the mosque after her Friday prayers when she received another letter from Jeffy, prodding her to open it. 

Dear Aisha,

Asexuality is something new for me. I always believed that everyone has a desire to lust, so it is impossible for someone to not have one. I mean, you are still young. How would you know that you're asexual and not someone who's unsure of their sexualities? I'm sure it'll go away eventually.

As for your best friend, she must be really attractive. I bet she's looking for someone to have a fling with one of these days. I understand that you referred to her as a he but you know what, he was a she and there is nothing we can do to change our gender. After all, it's biological.

Also, I'm feeling hard right now, so it would be nice if you pay a visit to my house to have some fun with me. It would be even better for you to bring your best friend so I can teach you both a lesson that would be memorable in life.

With warm regards,

Jeffry

Dropping the letter on her pink carpet, her head spun like a top and Aisha felt a metallic taste on her tongue, as if she had just tasted blood on her favourite ice-cream. Her fingers were shaking, and she found herself unable to breath, leading James to hold her in his grasp. “It’s okay, I’m here,” he comforted her. “I’ve got you.”

“Why is he such a douchebag?” her voice quavered as she leaned on James's chest and let out her tears of agitation, clinging her arms on her shoulder. “I can't believe I trusted a guy like him. How can I be so stupid?”

“It's not your fault,” he assured her, wiping the tears off her cheeks. “You didn't do anything wrong.”

“I thought he wanted to be a penpal,” she sobbed. “Why are straight, cis men like this?”

James couldn't say a word as he rubbed her back gently and hummed a soft lullaby to her, like how both his mothers did whenever something bad happened to him. The living room felt cold, despite the radiator being switched on, and he glanced at the letter on the carpet, his goosebumps sprouting on his skin.

“Do you want me to stay with you for a couple of days?” he offered. “This guy already has your address and I don't want anything to happen to you, ever.”

Aisha bobbed her head. I don’t deserve to have someone like him.

***

Weeks flew faster than an arrow, and Aisha and James set out to their campus, hand-to-hand. “I’m so glad that creep is no longer in contact with me,” she expressed her relief to him. “Without your protection sigils, I wouldn’t be here today.”

“You know what boyfriends are for,” he beamed. “I will never let any harm come to you, no matter what.”

They stepped into the forest and scanned their tranquil surroundings that were filled with yellow berries, towering, birch trees and silky fairymoss, when Aisha noticed a fair-skinned man, with dark blond hair and icy blue eyes. He was sitting underneath a bare tree, with a lone crow sitting on its branches. Her guts were rumbling, and she shivered looking at the strange man, despite wearing her jacket. Something is up with him.

“Hello, Aisha,” the white man uttered, turning his head in her direction. “I see we've finally met, after weeks of not writing to me. You know it's disrespectful to ignore your elderly, am I right?”

She turned around with a brave face and clenched her fist, staring at him with intensity. “Get lost, Jeffry,” she bares her teeth like a snake. “You have no right to contact me in any way possible.”

“And why should I, when you are sick and in need of a cure?” he gleamed at her like a predator. “I could also say the same for your best friend. How disgusting for you to pretend to be another gender when you're just in denial.”

James stepped forward and shielded Aisha behind her, gripping her hands. “Hurt her, and I will make you feel sorry you came here in the first place.”

Jeffry let out a laugh as he stepped closer towards them, his hands ready to grab the girl who gave him wet dreams. “And why should I listen to you? You're only a woman. You're not capable of defending that girl.”

“I said, hurt her, and I will make you feel sorry you came here in the first place,” he repeated, glinting at Aisha's frightened face. 

“Oh, Aisha is all mine,” he declared as he pushed James like a rice sack and hurled towards her, only to be stabbed in the chest. “You could have listened to my boyfriend,” she grinned like a doll, holding her blood-soaked penknife. “Hurt me, and I will make you feel sorry you came here in the first place.”

Jeffry was about to open his mouth when James stepped forward and covered it with his foot, closing his eyes and chanting a spell to him. “In the name of Saksama, the Goddess of Justice, I proclaimed him to be punished for his deeds against my girlfriend and others whom he had hurt, and in return, I would offer you a basket of fruits as payment.”

As the couple took a few steps backwards, they held hands with each other as they witnessed the dirty old man combust into flames, listening to the lovely song of his screams of agony. May you burn in Hell for eternity.