Midnight Thoughts (Short Stories Collection)

Angels and Devils

I have a gift. I can see the balance of life on every person's shoulder.

Lahat tayo mayroong angel and devil sa balikat. Mas matingkad ang kung sino ang mas pinapakain at pinapakinggan mo. Every decision you made feeds them. Their opacity is based on whoever you listened to. Sometimes, may nakakasalubong akong tao na mas matingkad ang devil nila sa balikat. Iyon ang mga tao na iniiwasan ko. Minsan may makikilala akong mas matingkad ang anghel nila then alam kong mabuti silang tao. I haven't seen someone na iisa lang ang nasa balikat. There is always two of them. The good and the bad are always in our hearts.

Because of my gift, naging introvert ako. I separated myself from the world. It's hard to trust anyone lalo na kapag nakikita mo ang devil sa balikat nila.

Naging libangan ko ang chatroom at doon ko nakilala ang isang lalaki. We talked...alot...about things, about life. At least dito sa chatroom, hindi ko nakikita ang devil sa balikat nila. I can pretend na normal akong tao. Days turned into weeks and months and today I'll finally meet him.

Kinakabahan ako.

He is already sitting in our meeting place. He looks shy when he saw me. Inabot niya ang kamay niya sa akin for a handshake and I frooze.

RUN, is my first instinct.

On his shoulder is a solid devil and no angel.

RUN... it played to my head over and over.

"You okay?" He shyly asked.
I realized that he still extending his hand and I looked spooked.
"Yes." I replied and exchanged handhsakes.

RUN, said my mind.

I looked closely on his right shoulder but there's nothing there. Only a solid devil on his left. I looked around to make sure that my ability is still working. Yes, I can still see angels on other customer in this resto. And devils too... Some are too solid than the others but I can see them both, unlike...him. The guy in front of me.

As I turned to him, he walks to our table and pulled a chair for me. Waiting for me to sit.

RUN, shouted my head.

I sit down and murmured my thanks even a cold feeling run down at my spine. I can run but what if he follows me? Maybe, pwede akong tumakas mamaya.
"Order whatever you want," He shyly said. "don't pay attention to the price."
"Oh, okay. Thank you." I replied.
Hindi ako makaconcentrate sa menu. It's like, I don't know how to read all of a sudden.

I looked around and planning my escape route.
"I watched the movie that you've told me." He said.
"And?" I asked.
He is still the sweet and shy guy that I was talking online.
He smiled at me. Dimples appeared on his cheeks.
"Yeah you're right, it's good." He mumbles.
"But?" I asked, waiting for him to continue.
"No buts. Not all chick flicks are boring as you said."
I smiled a little and he shyly hide his face. My eyes landed on his shoulder and remembered that he exist. The devil is solidly exist on his shoulder.

I am looking at his shoulder so often that he glances to see what I'm looking at. Worried that I offended him, nagyuko ako ng ulo and I was stunned to see a cut peeking from his long sleeves.

Nakita niyang nakatitig ako and he panics. He pulled his sleeves down.
My gaze fall to the table and we sit there in silence.

All this time I've been avoiding people with more solid devils on their shoulder not really understood what that devil did to them. I thought they listen to them more and I never questioned what the devil was saying. His devil is not telling him to hurt other people. His devil is not telling him to hurt me. His devil is telling him to hurt himself.

Overthinking.
Depression.
Anxiety.
Self-pity.
The feeling of worthlessness.
Loveliness.
Not loving ownself.

"Don't listen." I murmured before I stop myself from talking. I take a long deep breathe and speak slowly.
"Don't listen to the voice in your head. You are not worthless. You are not useless, that you'll never make a difference. You make a huge difference to me. You are... not alone." I said and risk looking up on him.

He has tears in his eyes. " Thank you." He whispered and besides his head a barely visible angel fades back from extinction.

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A/N
I read a writing prompt about it and made a scene. Hope you like it and somehow you have a lesson to share to others.
Until next short story.