The Real Villain

Just like any other child, I grew up listening to stories of The Bogeyman and Bigfoot. Little did I know then, that one day I'd be taken prisoner by those very characters from my childhood.

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Even before I opened my eyes, I knew where I was. The last thing I remembered was being hauled up from the Great Beyond and thrown into a dark place. At that moment, I understood the panic that must have coursed through the veins of my grandfather who had also been taken captive so many years ago. I sensed the presence of others around me, but neither them nor I made any attempt to communicate. We all knew where we were being taken - The Glass Palace.

After waiting wordlessly for what seemed like hours, we reached the godforsaken place. It was exactly like the descriptions I'd heard of from the lucky few who'd escaped. Row after row of glass boxes, one of which was going to be my home for the rest of my life.  I regretted having ventured into the Great Beyond, despite my parent's warnings. It was a maze of trash one could easily get lost in and sometimes, picked up by the monsters, as was my case. Now that the initial shock of being whisked away gave way to rational thinking, the horror of the situation began to sink in. I might never get to see my parents, my friends or my family ever again! An unfamiliar pain shot through me and I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown when suddenly, a bright illuminance lit up the world around me. One of the giants picked me up from my present quarters, and tossed me into the nearest glass box.

'Hey Bill, wanna grab a sandwich after I finish unloading this box of seahorses?'

'Sure man. And don't forget to feed them before you head out to stuff your face. If another batch of seahorses die on your watch, you're in for the chop, dude.'

'Yeah, yeah. I know.'

A moment later, it started to rain food. I rushed to the nearest piece and sucked it in. When I turned around, my captors were gone. They were now replaced by two females. One seemed to be explaining something to the other.

'Here at the Seahorse Foundation, we nurture these pitiful creatures and give them a better life, away from the polluted lakes they live in. Our sister organisation, Green Earth, is also seeking a way to penalize those who pollute water bodies with plastics and other wastes.'

She droned on, but I'd already zoned out after hearing this new piece of information. So the rumours were true. It was the humans who destroyed our homes. And yet here they were, the same abominable creatures, behaving as if they were doing us a favour.

The women walked past my box, oblivious to my mental agony. The lights flickered off and I was left in the dark again, alone with my thoughts.