My Four Other Selves

'Did he feel this much pain just because I bit him? Does my bite hurt this much? I never knew this. Hmm, maybe it was some thing else and not because of my bite. But what if it is because of my bite. Does that mean he is in this much pain because of me?' 

Zhang Yong moved his hand over his face as he wiped it again and again feeling frustrated now. He was quite tired and wanted to sleep but he won't sleep now until Senior Zhang Yong woke up. 

He was just in his thoughts when his eyes fell on Senior Zhang Yong. He wasn't lying on the ground now instead he saw him walking towards the entrance and then coming back. He heaved a big sigh before coming towards Zhang Yong. He looked really tired. 

Zhang Yong stood up and hurriedly approached him. As soon as he did the first thing he asked was, "How are you feeling now?"

Senior Zhang Yong nodded his head showing that he was better. He struggled a little to reach near the spot where he was laying earlier and Zhang Yong helped him in that too. He finally sat down there on the ground. Zhang Yong moved his neck up to check where he bit him. 

His eyes finally fell there, he saw the wound getting healed but still there was a little mark of his bite there. Hee scratched the back of his neck feeling guilty because of that. He moved towards Senior Zhang Yong and said awkwardly, "Ah I am sorry."

Senior Zhang Yong just again nodded his head. He felt worse when he wasn't replying to him and was just nodding his head at his words. 

"Hey man, why don't you just rest?" Zhang Yong said and he shook his head saying, "No! I am hungry."

He nodded his head and then saw some grapes in his hands. He hurriedly snatched those grapes from his hand and started to pluck them off of the branch so that it would be easier for Senior Zhang Yong to eat them. 

He struggled while eating too but still some time he was finally done eating. As soon as he finished eating Zhang Yong again sat down in front of him on the table and said to him, "Okay! So you will now tell me every thing from scratch and tell me how you are feeling too."

Senior Zhang Yong slowly nodded his head and then heaved a big sigh. He was leaning back a little as he sat in front of him. He tried to sit straight in front of him but Zhang Yong put his hand in front of him signaling him to just say it like that. He nodded his head and then finally said, 

"I don't exactly know what happened after you bit me my whole body started aching and the place where you bit it felt like some one had just ripped off my skin." 

He stopped for a minute and then again said, "I am walking like my limbs don't belong to me and each step is a negotiation rather than an order. Everything hurts now. Every damn thing. When you bit me I didn't feel any thing but when you put more pressure and then I felt like you would just rip off my arm any minute. It felt like the pain slowly came inside me and then went inside all my body and now every thing hurts not just that arm but my whole body."

Zhang Yong felt more guilt when he heard him saying that. 

'Is this really because of me?' he couldn't help but ask himself. 

Zhang Yong nodded his head at him and then said, "Do you think you will be able to get better or I should do some thing?"

Senior Zhang Yong slowly nodded his head while saying, "Yeah, I think I am better now and it will soon get better. You don't have to worry or do any thing. Thanks." 

Zhang Yong said, "Don't worry I know you will be able to make it right back."

Senior Zhang Yong gave him a little smile, "I think I should just rest now. Maybe I will be better in the morning."

Zhang Yong nodded his head and said, "You can sleep here today and I will be by the entrance for protection. You don't have to worry about any thing and just take a rest."

"No! It's okay."

"No! It's not. Now, do as I say. Go and take a rest. Sleep already."

Senior Zhang Yong sighed and then slowly got up as he approached the center of the log and laid down there. He tried his best to sit down slowly because his body was still hurting. 

Zhang Yong gave him a little smile before going towards the entrance and he sat there. Soon Senior Zhang Yong slept but Zhang Yong kept awake not because he wanted to protect but because he wasn't able to sleep now. He was tired and trying his best to sleep but he just couldn't sleep. 

He turned here and there on the ground but still, he wasn't able to sleep. He was getting anxious and the guilt inside him wasn't letting him sleep. 

'I could never imagine that I hurt the person who is also a part of me and the only person I have here. I know he was rude to me some times but then he always takes care of me and…..I? What did I do? I hurt him so badly.' 

Zhang Yong sighed and then again turned to the other side. 

'Am I such a person that I don't deserve to be loved? I don't deserve to stay with any one. I destroy every one's happiness and the only thing I give them is pain. I am useless who doesn't deserve to be loved. Would I ever be able to live a happy life? Or I would just die here in this unknown world?'

'I...… I don't want to be here. I just wanna go home.'

A lone tear escaped his eye and he blinked it away almost instantly. He again moved his hand on his face trying to get these thoughts out of his mind and sleep but it was still far away from him. He was just turning when he heard a sound. 

*Ding

[ Installation in progress ] 

*Ding 

[ Installation progress 27 / 100 ]

*Ding 

[ Teeth unlocked ] 

A deep frown appeared on Zhang Yong's face as he heard that and asked herself, 'Huh? What? What is going on? What happened? What teeth?'

Again confusion was written all over his face. He got up from the sofa and sat straight on it. Once more he couldn't get a thing and he was confused again. 

"What is going on now? What's happening?" He asked himself but yet again no one could answer his questions. He moved his hands on his face again and then pulled his hair out with frustration and anger. 

The scene from earlier ran inside his mind, the realization hit him and he opened up his mouth to check upon his teeth. He slowly caressed his teeth and realized something abnormal about them. 

His teeth were quite sharp and he could feel their long and sharp edges. He also felt like his teeth were more big than usual and especially those on the side of his mouth. 

"What is happening and why the heck my teeth are like this?"

He could only think of the worst situation possible at that time. 

"Maybe it's just my illusion. I am just sleepy. Yeah! Yeah! I am just sleepy. None of this is the truth. This all will be gone once I am awake or maybe this is a dream?"

Zhang Yong tried to comfort himself by saying this, he laid down back on the ground. He was scared now and closed his eyes. 

"Let's just sleep, Zhang Yong. Stop thinking about any thing. You need to sleep. Get these thoughts out of your brain now." He told himself like he was telling some one to just sleep and not think about any thing at that time. 

He gulped the lump in his throat, he was lying there on the ground straight with his face facing the ceiling. 

He laid there like that for some time still in his thoughts but then soon he started to feel sleepy. His eyelids started to get heavy and he finally closed them. 

With a stretch and a yawn, he fell asleep snuggling into the duvet more and more. He finally was feeling a little better. Slowly he fell deep in his sleep and forgot about those thoughts. Falling asleep was always his safe place, his cocoon. 

In sleep, he soon felt that he was the cradle of the loving universe as if for those hours of dreaming he had returned to heaven's arms.

He was now in his sleep and deep in his deep dreams….