The Riddle Of The Future

Mr. Than

Despite my best efforts to keep busy, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that was harassing my mind. The eerie voices that I heard was reverberating around my brain and against my better judgement, I found myself trying to work through the riddle. However, I couldn't make head nor tail of it. Unfortunately, the frustration and fear that I was feeling was also making me very irritable. As soon as I had arrived home from school, I was snapping and arguing with anybody who tried to speak to me. My parents knew better than to bother me when I was in this kind of mood, but my younger brother, Max, didn't get the memo. That wasn't exactly anything new though. His favourite past-time was seeing how far he could push me before I broke.

I flopped down on my bed and sighed, feeling a headache start to form behind my eyes. I was exhausted and my body was throbbing, as if just getting over a bad flu. Just as I was about to get under the warm bedsheets, Max decided to throw my bedroom door open and run around my room making airplane noises. His blonde hair was flying into his face and I briefly thought about how much he needed a haircut before growling at him.

"Get the hell out of my room!"

"Make me!" he taunted sticking his tongue out at me childishly. I felt irritation and anger bubbling in my stomach. I suddenly heard the tell-tale noise of someone unabashedly farting in my room.

I roared and got out of bed, trying to catch him as he giggled and laughed at me. As he tried to hide behind my desk, my foot caught on the smaller bookcase I had in my room and we both watched with open mouths as the entire thing toppled over and onto my bed, books flying everywhere.

"You idiot!" I shrieked.

"That wasn't my fault!" he protested. "You're the one who tripped!"

I cursed and ran out of my room and down the stairs, taking two steps at a time. My parents were in the living room watching TV and I skidded to a stop in front of them, chest heaving with exertion.

"You have got to do something about Max!" I cried. "Look what he did to my room!"

They looked at each other and I recognised it as 'here we go again.' Why did I suddenly feel like screaming? Nevertheless, they got up (albeit reluctantly) and started to climb the stairs. When they finally saw my room, my mother gasped.

"Max White, get here right now!"

Max's head peeped around my room's door sheepishly and I refrained from attacking him again.

"Did you do this?" my mother asked sternly.

"N-no!" Max cried.

"Yes you did, you liar!" I exclaimed.

"Alex! Calm down!" my father interrupted. I was fuming.

"Go to your room, Max. You're grounded," mother said sighing and shaking her head. As expected, Max burst into tears, bubbling and sobbing the entire way to his room. I felt slight satisfaction at his face. Served him right.

"Alex," I turned to my dad who was looking at me in disappointment. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. "You're sixteen years old! Your brother is much younger than you. He looks up to you and you need to start behaving more responsibly."

"So?" I hissed. "What's that got to do with anything? I didn't show him how to wreck my room!"

"He's young and he doesn't know what he's doing."

"That's bullcrap and you know it!"

"Language!" my mother interjected. I shook my head in disbelief.

"Get out of my room," I said. "I don't want to talk to either of you."

"Don't talk to us like that!" my dad exclaimed. "You're to stay in here until you apologise, do you hear me?"