Richard

By Dorothy Marie Koveal

Here stay I, my soul hidden deep beneath layers and layers of malignant deformity; that once sweet person denounced and twisted by my pysical being into the putrifying beast reflected in onlookers’ eyes. Born into light as a handsome fair child, an “accident” altered action and thought, person and mind. What awful event could result in such change? Could man so easily be modified by mankind? No beast of burden, no insect or pest could corrupt their own more; and yet we are superior due to our God-given divinity, intelligence, and gift of humanity. We are the perfect race to begrudge a gift, and mock those who employ it. It is a spiteful world where people are connected through others’ imperfections; here, I am the universal unifier. By my pain, my suffering, my corruption, all will fall against me and merge into one force.

I wake before the sun’s far-reaching rays grace the horizon. A simple ritual performed by all American youth today and four other days of the week. It is a slow, painstaking process of dressing and preparing for the day’s requirements. As my body moves in that mindless routine, my thoughts put themselves to better use. I consider my options in life, carefully and to the smallest detail. These malformed bones cannot operate as I would wish them to, therefore my careers are limited. What could an undersized hunchback with poor vision and modicum balance or coordination do for a prosperous living? The answer remains a mystery to me; it is one of life’s perplexities. Still, I remain in this existential quandary with a small, miniscule idea fumbling around between the nerves in my brain, desperately trying to break free.

Through the years, I have discovered by my close contact, yet impartial human analyses that no two people are alike; however they desperately wish to be. Each being chooses a group of which they will become a part, meaning they are willing to alter themselves in order to be a part of a connection. There are even some who claim to be individuals while still conforming to their “independent group.” They will do anything if entreated in the correct manner; and I know how to control them all, for they are undivided in one very important aspect of life—the lack thereof. The one human equalizer is death, and I can control that as well. They would be like clay in my hands; mine to control and to mold. With them as my army, I shall create a new order; for without disruption there can be no order. Therefore I must be the distraction that shakes the weak foundations of their existence and forces them to depend fully upon myself. Now is the time to play the spider and lure them all to my web.

“Good morning! My name is Richard, and you are…?” The teenage girl merely looks at me as I arrogantly mirror her in my oversized glasses.

“Sarah. Hi. I think I’ve seen you around the school before…”

“But we’ve never formally met. Yes, I know.” I add in a polite smile to ease the rudeness of my interruption. “I would like to know you, though. You see, I have no friends here as of yet. I just recently was transferred to this school.”

“Oh, I understand completely. Hey, if you don’t mind, I could introduce you to a few friends of mine.”

“That would be wonderful!” So soon she falls into my good-natured act. As we bid each other farewell, she has a look of accomplishment on her face, as though she just performed her good deed of the day by speaking to me. I despise being patronized. Yet with those few words, I have already loosened her uncertain guard and convinced her to become a small, but nonetheless important part of my scheme. The youth of America are so trusting, despite all the hatred and evil lurking around them; they still cling desperately to their childish hopes that when they blink it will all disappear. Here approaches another fly to my dinner invitation.

“Good morning!” I repeat myself. It seemed to be effective the last time, yet I do not wish to seem overeager.

“Hi.” The young man looks uneasily about. He returns to me a questioning look on his face, “Do I know you?”

“Not yet! My name is Richard,” a small mental voice directs my actions flawlessly. “And you are?”

“I’m Ryan. Hey, are you that British exchange student who came here for the year?” His lips crack a polite smile as he recognizes my accent. It seems to please him when he is correct. I will just play on this, and draw him in further.

“Yes, yes I am. You are very good at placing accents. Have you ever been to Britain?”

“Yeah, I have actually. I still don’t think any place is as good as the U.S., though. No offense, buddy.” He was quick to back up his comment with an insulting pat on my hump; with that, he has revealed his self-confidence and stubbornness. This group might offer a certain degree of difficulty, but I doubt it would be substantial enough to do harm. “Oh none taken, of course. Have you any friends around?”

“Yeah, maybe we should get together sometime. I have to go, though, so I’ll talk to you later, Richard. ‘Bye.”

“Goodbye.” Already am I on my way to controlling two large groups of people with a great amount of influence on others; they will willingly and unknowingly become my aides! Yet, the hardest challenge still awaits me; I have noticed one final “group” that is separate from the others. They pose a great threat to my plan, for they truly are individuals who have conditioned themselves to the taunting of their peers. This is a quality I have never mastered; instead its replacement is a degree of control over those peers. I alter my status to my will, whereas they have firmly established themselves and accepted their condition. Those who have no embarrassment or other weakness cannot be taken over. I must, therefore, join them or destroy them. As Machiavelli so perfectly stated it, “the ends justify the means,” and my goal is set; the means will be their end. Ah here approach the doomed now.

“Hello, Richard.”

I stop short. How do they know my name? “Good morning. I do not believe we have yet met.” Now, I take the defensive. It is a horrible position to take.

“We have heard a lot about you Richard, age thirteen, who formally resided in Britain.”

How do they know these things about me, and what else are they concealing? I must not reveal anything more of myself. “Yes, well that is common knowledge my friends. However, it seems only fair that I should know as much about you.”

They briefly converse with each other, and the former speaker allows a new person to take a stand. “We agree. You should know just as much, but you do not. Yet, if you are so riddled with curiosity, you may uncover as much information about us as we have about you; though we will not reveal anything of ourselves openly to you as you have so graciously done for us. That would be much too easy for someone as intelligent as you are, and what would you truly learn?”

“Nothing I suppose…”

“Now, we leave you, Richard, and wish you well.”

They leave as abruptly as they came; and after some thought I realize I have met my mental matches who will burn me to the ground. Therefore I shall wait; the only way to defeat them is to destroy them as a snake does a frog. He remains hidden in the reeds; perpetually tense and coiled to strike as its prey is finally caught off-guard. This shall be either their demise or mine; it depends on the strength of the poison excreted by the frog.

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