Labyrinth | ✓

f i f t i e t h ♂️

Purpose.

My former therapist would often tell me, everyone on earth was born with a purpose. Supposedly no one was considered useless, as someday, they will give contributions to the society, regardless of how big or small the impact was. I would just sit straight on the chair, staring at her with a blank eye and straight lips. She would just cast me a stupid smile as she tried her best to comfort and convince me.

Even before that day, the same question had been stuck inside my head. It had been staying there for a long time, and no matter how much I spend my time seeking for the answer, I still couldn't find it. Whenever I was alone or deep in thought, I would just glance up, either at the ceiling or at the endless sky, and pondered:

What's the purpose of my life...?

During those times, it seemed like everyone took only a short amount of time to find theirs, while I had yet to get a single clue. If I was completely useless, I shouldn't have been here, alive and existing, and that was why I remembered being so damn frustrated. At long last, though, I finally found the answer that I had been looking for, and it had been actually placed in front of me.

I'm too dense to notice...

I'm an idiot... anyway...

As I felt my feet landing on a flat surface, I knew that I had finally reached the bottom. Wobbling, I decided to use the wall as some kind of support right before I lost my balance. I was panting so heavily that I could see my own breaths coming out of my nostrils. I found myself stumbling upon the living room, where my sister was resting on the couch and watching TV, patting Myla on her lap.

Wait for a second...

I thought I saw two Lus and Mylas...

Huh...? No... three...?

"Finally, you showed your ass up." My vision fogged out for a moment, but I managed to watch Lu jumping out from her seat, facing my direction. She gradually approached me, her expression warming up every second, and while so, Myla simultaneously hopped out of the sofa and ran towards me. The dog rolled her tongue out, running around me like an excited child. She then stood up on her hind legs, then pawed on my legs, attempting to grab my attention.

Unlike my former self, I didn't succumb the dog's wishes, not even batting her an eye. The next time she knew, she would be with a better owner who would care for her a lot than I do.

When Lu was close enough, I could see Kei, her pet finch, perching on her shoulder. Brushing its wings with its beak, its tiny eyes wandered around the area. It didn't seem to find any interest in me, regardless of my foul appearance, which was a good thing. However, Lu's welcoming smile began to die down when her eye trailed up and down my body, and her face twisted as she smelled the odor I emitted.

"Jesus Christ, did you forget about showering last night, or this morning?" Lu grimaced, pinching her nose. "You seriously reek, man, no offense. How about... uh... cleaning yourself up first before coming back here?"

It wasn't even offensive at all, nor did it trigger me in any way. She bluntly told me the truth, and I couldn't deny it, so I remained silent. I lowered my head so that I faced the floor, and allowed my greasy hair to cover my terrible face. Myla was still trying her best to get my attention by licking my skin and running around, but to no avail.

Countless of scars filled every corner of my body that it became too numb to attacks. Not to mention, there was a large hole in my chest, and it was where my heart should have been. After all, there was nothing left inside of me, only hollow and empty. The body everyone saw was merely a shell of what was left of me, helplessly accepting the fate that it was going to confront. I didn't even take heed nor bother about my bandaged hand anymore...