Stair

Chapter 1: A man and his book

The sun is already up but there is one man still on his bed snoring. The clock turn 10 in the morning and its ring.

The man woke up by the clock. He sat up on his bed with his eyes still close. He then turn off the clock snooze button and look outside of his window. The sun is really up.

He start his day like he always do, wash his face and do what he gonna do. So he then go to the kitchen to cooks himself a meal. He didn't cooked something extravagant, just a simple chicken soup and brew a pot of tea.

He eat his breakfast on the dinner table. His kitchen is connect with the living room. When he eat his meal, he turn on the television to watch some random news.

After a while, nearly 1 hour, he then take his dirty dishes to wash at the sink. When the plate already clean and shiny, he put it up the shelve above the sink.

He then wipe his hand dry before he take the teapot off the gas stove. He turn off the television and take one cup and teapot filled with a well-brewed cheap tea with him.

He walk out from the kitchen and to the hallway. While his hand occupied with the teapot, he walk toward the stairs at the left side of the hallway. He then take the stair and go up. When he got in the upper room, he set the teapot beside the wooden chair that was set beside the window where he can see the lake outside.

He then take one book from the bookshelf. He then sit on that wooden chair and make himself comfy. Then he open the book where he has mark it himself before. Seem like he read it almost reach at the middle.

He take a sip of his cup of tea before he start reading. He look out his window and smile. After a few second, he then back to his book and open the book where he slip his bookmark before.

Stair. That was the title of the book.

Then the story begin.

                                          

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After he done with his list, he go out from the shop. He pull up his hoody and his black colour face Mask he usually wear to cover his face. From a far, he look just like any regular kid. But up close, his face actually full of scar and bruises at least around his eyes.. He didn't look like someone dangerous but look like he was been bullied.

So, for those who saw his face, they would feel pity on him. He really don't like being watch at, so he walk faster so no one stare at him. Half an hour later, he finally got home. No one there as usual. Just him. He took out his tea bag out from the groceries bag and brew it as soon as he take it out. He love tea. Besides that, he love guava juice.

Suddenly he heard the noise from upstairs. A very loud banging were heard from above the ceiling. It just a ceiling and above it were the roof. But the banging sound did not stop until 15 min has past. Then it's went very quite. The boy look up slowly at the ceiling above his head. There nothing unusual about it.

It was not the only time he heard it. It started a few month back after when his mum and sister leaving him here with his dad after his mum and dad got divorce. After that, his dad tell him he got a new job and will start to go to work the next day. The next day he did go out to work but then he never ever come back.

So now he live in this house alone. It has been 4 month he didn't see either of his parents nor his sister. He feel so alone in that house but he could not do anything about it. What make things worse is after the 2nd month his family left him here alone, the banging sound started. Every time around noon, the banging sound will start and end after 15 min has past. He don't know what caused it either. When it's happened, he just covered his ear with both of his hand tightly and wait for it to be over.

For some reason, doesn't matter what happened in this house. He don't want to leave it. He still want to stay here and hoping that one of his parents will come back here and take him with them. This year, he only 18. Technically, he can live by himself. So, people around him didn't really care about him being alone or where his parents is gone.

He then walk outside to throw out the trash. He saw his neighbours, Mrs Moore who live at the right side of the road, staring at him like he ever did something wrong to her. He then look at the left side of the road where Ms. Tally also just stare at him by her 2 meter wide fish pond. He can't stop wondering, why do people around him looking at him like that. What did he do?

So he went back in in a rush almost made him slip his step. When he got in the house, he finally can relax himself. He then go to the kitchen and drink a cup of tea again.

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Talking about tea, the man who read the books noticed that he also need more tea. He look outside the window, seems like the sun is starting to set down soon. So, he stand and slip the bookmark at where he last read it. He then stand up taking his tray of teapot down to the kitchen.

That boy in the book, he must be just seeing thing. People won't stared at him for no reason. - - the man thought to himself after he read the chapters in the books. Tomorrow, he decided to continue to read the book again and see what actually the book called 'Stair'.