The Last Place

Throwing small pebbles continued to hit his body. The young man was curled up on the rough ground, his arms wrapped around him. As if protecting him from the relentless throws. Even though it seemed futile because he could feel the pebbles hitting his head, even now he had a headache. "Come on! Weird kid! Fight back! Just like this, you're already dying? You're a weakling!" "Weak Reagen! Weird Reagen!" "If the father is crazy, the child must be weird, right?" "Father Reagan is crazy!" "Father Reagan is crazy!" "Father Reagan is crazy!" Their cries grew louder when they did not get a meaningful response. Reagan, the boy they bullied, didn't leave at all, even if it was just to get back at their taunts. Which, of course, made them furious, because so far they had not seen a significant reaction from Reagent. The face is welded with cuts to the cheekbones and the forehead is raised. Staring at the boy his age, who had ruined his day, for the umpteenth time by bullying him like that. His dim eyes continued to stare at the shoes in front of him. Shoes by the same owner who bullied him since he first started school. Reagan closed his eyes tightly when a sizable pebble hit the corner of his eye. Making him hide his face again in the folds of his arms, which still faithfully hugged his body. "Reagent! Come on, stand up, have you just huddled there?" said one of them. "Yep! Or maybe you want to wait for the late hero to help you, huh?" added another. The boy grabbed a small pebble and threw it at Reagan's head while shouting, "No one's going to help you, you don't have any friends, do you guys?" Almost everyone there nodded in agreement. Without any guilt at all, one by one the people who bullied Reagan left from there and, of course, didn't forget one last throw. "Let's go guys, let Reagan wait for his late hero. Obviously, he wouldn't want to help a weird kid like Reagan. Let alone look, the late hero will run away first, because of what?" "Because... Reagan's father is crazy!" together they answered. Their shouts in unison were the last one, after which there was no more cheering and throwing. Reagan dared to open his eyes, with a shaky breath he tried to get up. His eyes closed as pain ran through his body. The rough wall behind him served as a backrest. He straightened his legs, feeling stiff because he was curled up too hard and seemed forced. It was so tingling that Reagan couldn't feel his legs. Reagan laughed at him for the umpteenth time they bullied him, and even then he couldn't retaliate. The corners of his eyes would twitch even more in pain, because of the bruises he received. His hands fell on each side of his body. The burden of his life felt heavy that afternoon. Reagan looked around in a place rarely passed by people. "Late hero?" Reagen mumbled a little. He didn't know what the late heroes meant about the friends who had bullied him earlier. Reagan smiled sadly as he remembered those who had bullied him earlier as friends. Reagan only wanted to be recognized by his friends, but he never managed to make friends with them, even just getting closer. Curses, taunts and pebbles tossed him first. Until now, he had absolutely no friends, even just someone to talk to. He didn't have one. Reagan is just a growing up child living with his mother without a father figure in him. Excluded because he was considered strange, like his father who had disappeared without a trace, no one knew about his whereabouts. Although there are many rumors that say the strangeness of Reagan's father, he really hopes his father is willing to come back in his life. His eyes opened, staring at the sun that was slowly setting. Rest after giving light to this world all day long. The beautiful light looks even more charming from down here. The tall reeds added to the arid landscape that afternoon. Reagan tried to move his leg, which turned out to be several injuries to his calf and ankle. He couldn't understand their way of thinking that had made him like this. What exactly did he do wrong that they were so happy to do all that? Every day he always wondered why he got all this bad luck. He kept on wondering without getting an answer that made him deserve all this. With very slow movements. Reagan struggled to his feet with his hands resting on the wall. His legs hurt as he let go of his foot on the wall after being able to fully stand on his own. Looks like his ankle is injured again. And this is the part Reagent likes the least. After that, his mother would surely blame him. Reagan placed his left hand on his sprained left leg. His right hand rested on the wall behind him. Walking slowly every now and then, he stopped. Then he kept walking until he found a patch of road leading to the highway. His wobbly walk accelerated when the rough walls on which he was resting were far behind, and the sun was only a dim light that could lead him down the highway to his estate. Even though it hurt from walking fast with his injured leg. Reagen finally stepped on the asphalt of the village highway. He slowed his pace when his breathing was not fully controlled from walking so fast earlier. He wanted to sit down but he couldn't find a place safe enough for him to wipe his sweat. As he walked in front of a crowd of people who didn't know what they were doing, Reagan heard their scornful whispers again. "Gosh, look, there's Reagen." "Where?" "That! Geez, why is he walking like that?" "That boy must have done strange things like his father." "Can madness be passed down by parents?" "Why do you ask like that? It's definitely him! His father is just crazy and keeps doing strange things, then he dies in an unnatural way!" "Eh, but is it true?" "Which one?" "The one whose father died because of the plantation fox?" "That's true. Even everyone here knows the truth about it. There's no way the entire population would lie together for useless things like that." "It must be because of the strange things he does!" "Definitely! Looks like Reagent will die the same way!" "Hahaha, that's right! Even the father is strange, let alone the child, isn't it?" The whispers and laughter that reached Reagan's ears made him quicken his pace. But he did not want to look weak in front of the people who mocked him earlier. He blotted out his sweat violently, not caring about the pain when the hem of his soiled shirt hit the wound. He sucked in his snot with a rough breath after that. Finally, he found the gate of his plantation. He ran a little through his wheat garden. Reagan kept walking until he saw his mother preparing food on the table. The house wasn't too big, it's just that his genius father built it with some sophistication. That's why the house had its own backup solar panels to meet the electricity needs in it. The sophistication made by his father was able to make his residence so independent, even the man who mysteriously disappeared was able to create moving machines that were used to grow and harvest wheat on his plantation. This made Reagan's mother only hire two or three people to help her. Those who were willing to work on the plantation would prefer not to compromise much with the Reagan family. They would go to work and return home as quickly as they could. When he had just reached the yard, the sound of his mother calling his name accompanied by the sound of something falling caught Reagan's attention. Meanwhile, Reagan still rests on the big tree in front of the house. His mother ran out of nowhere and immediately stood in front of him. He looked at his mother's beautiful face which was now in front of him. The corner of his slightly injured lips lifted. Trying to show her mother that she's okay. "Reagen, what happened to you?" asked the woman who was the only family Reagan had. His beautiful mother then carried Reagan into the house. Her son sat on the brown sofa. Then Alena left from there and swiftly took a simple first aid kit in the kitchen. His mother carried a small basin with a shabby handkerchief, and a first aid kit in the other. Reagan tried to straighten his back but Alena pushed his shoulder gently. "Is it uncomfortable here?” Reagan then nodded, a moment later Alena took him to the room and sat on the right side of the bed. Alena gently touched Reagan's face, which had several wounds on it, "Reagen, Mom has repeatedly said not to be friends with them if they really don't want to be friends with Reagen." His mother said softly. "This is what they did again, right?" said his mother again "Yeah," Reagan replied. "Why do you keep approaching them? What did you really want? Wasn't you sick and always treated like that by them? Why didn't you just give up?" "Why did I have to give up? I just want to have friends, Mom." Alena, who was rubbing the wound at the corner of Reagan's eye, instantly kissed her son's forehead for a long time. It was as if he was channeling great love into this unyielding child. A few minutes later, all of his wounds had been treated by his mother, who was on the verge of consciousness. The pain had disappeared and had been replaced by a feeling of comfort in his feet being massaged by his mother. When Reagan was about to go to dreamland, suddenly his mouth moved randomly. Asking his mother until Alena didn't know what to answer. "Mom, is that right? Father is gone? Then, who is in front of me right now?" Reagan muttered quietly. A man did often appear in Reagan's dreams. His stature was big and very manly, similar to his face. Even when Reagan dreamed of that person he was always amazed to see him. Lately, Reagan has been dreaming of this man more and more often. Reagan doesn't know what his dream really means. Every time the man comes into his dreams, he just gently strokes the top of Reagan's head while saying, "You are a strong boy Reagan. Which made Reagan always happy when the man entered his dreams. The old Reagent didn't feel what it was like to have a father, to feel happy to have his attention, even though it was only a dream. It was possible that the man's face was just what Reagan had imagined because he missed his father too much.This time the man returned to Reagan's dream. What confused him was that this dream was very strange. The man invites Reagan to wander in a labyrinth dominated by white. He asked the man where he was taking him. But, he just kept quiet and kept walking. Reagan himself just continued to follow from behind, his eyes also combing every path he took, but there was nothing. Just a white labyrinth, no field of view. There was no one else there. Reagen was very curious what exactly this room was? And she will be brought to mama by the boy. "Who are you, actually?" asked Reagen. He couldn't stand it anymore because he seemed to just keep circling in the room with no one to go to. The man stopped, he turned his body to face Reagan. His gaze was very calm, then he leveled himself with Reagan. His hand reached out to gently caress the top of Reagan's head. This time the look in the man's eyes was sharp. "You have to finish all of this, you still have a long way to go. Like this maze, you have to be able to find a way out." "What does it mean?" "You'll find out soon enough." "But--" Reagan's words were cut off when the person in front of him suddenly disappeared. The room that had been white turned into black. Reagan was confused. What exactly was the meaning of the man's words earlier? What will Reagent face in the future? The boy was too layman to understand every word the boy said. Then Reagan awoke from his slumber, it felt like the dream he had just had was so very real. It's like a sign for him to stay alert and he will experience something very shocking, but I don't know what. Reagents just need to wait for the time.