Hamid, Arjun, James and Geok were best friends since kindergarten. They lived in Hill view in the same block and had been attending the same school. Now sixteen, the boys frequently hung out together, studying, having sleep over at each others and playing carom under the void deck.
The phone ranged and Hamid trotted over to the phone, almost slipping over his little sister's cuddle bunny, lying in the middle of the living room.
'Hello,' he greeted. 'Hey Geok, what's up?'
The line cracked and two more voice greeted him. He knew they were doing the conference conversation that they frequently did since it was introduced to mobile phones.
'Yo Hamid, want to go down for carom?' asked Arjun, enthusiastically. 'Yeah mid, we haven't been playing with it since our exams started and now that it is over we should have a go with it.' Geok provoked.
Hamid considered it for a moment before speaking. 'But guys, it isn't over for me yet. My mother tongue exam is tomorrow.' 'Aww Hamid, it wouldn't be fun without you. Let's just play for a few hours then we promise to let you off. Is that okay?' James pushed.
Thinking it wouldn't hurt to be playing for a few rounds. Hamid agreed and they started deciding on whom to bring snacks and drinks.
Hamid jumped down the stairs, taking two steps at a time. He walked down his block to another where he frequently hung out with his friends.
His three friends were already sitting on the purple tiled bench, with a carom on the table and bags of snacks and drinks above it.
He walked up to them with two bags of potato chips and a big bar of chocolate that his mother gave him. 'Hi, guys!' he waved. He took out the chocolate and waved at them as he sat on the bench. 'Mom gave us a big bar chocolate.'
'Your mom is always so generous,' James amused. 'I wish she was my mother.'
'Okay guys, let's play this. We need to send Hamid home as quick remember?' Arjun retorted, impatiently. He took the bags of chips from his carom and placed it on the bench between him and Geok; grabbed the bottle of boric powder from his back pack and sprinkled it all over the board then he dropped the disks onto it and they all took their places.
Geok struck first, hitting the striker onto the wooden disks. 'I am going to win this for sure.' He exclaimed, the excitement taking over.
Just as they were laughing and joking, they heard a loud thud and they turned to the parking lot. Everyone stared at each other and Arjun, being the bravest stood up first wanting to investigate it. The rest followed behind him silently.
As they approached the parking lot, they froze at the sight of blood trickling down on the pavement and a body of a man lying face up. His legs and arms were crumpled in a strange position and his neck was tilted in a strange angle Where his eyes stood were now gaping holes and his skull were cracked open with his brain spilling out slimily, as sticky blood oozes all over him.
The four boys gasped in shock and stared at the body as the intensifying smell of copper took control, making all of them gagged.
They covered their noses and shut their mouth. People were already approaching and they decided to walk away. Collecting their things, the four friends left for home.
The very next day, the boys returned to play their favorite Carom game under the very same void deck. Since Hamid's exam has finally ended, they thought of a little celebration. They gathered soft drinks and snacks and sat on the bench, laughing and joking.
Geok and Arjun won twice and it was a challenge now between Hamid and James, to find out who would win next. As Hamid was concentrating on hitting the red wooden disk, Geok who was sitting opposite of Hamid, facing the parking lot, screamed. The boys glanced up at him, surprised, looking at Geok who was staring at something behind James and Hamid.
Arjun stiffened also at the sight. 'Stop kidding you both' James uttered, laughing together with Hamid. Thinking the two boys, were playing a trick.
But they both continued staring with their mouth wide open. Suddenly James felt a tap on his shoulder and he stiffened, digging his fingers into Hamid's arm. 'Ouch,' Hamid winced as he turned to look at James and saw the disgusting sight of a man.
His legs and arms were broken and dangling loosely, one of his arms was on James shoulder. His face seemed like it was falling apart; one of his eyes missing. His skull was broken with his brains spilling out, dangling onto his face. He looked so surreal that everybody gasped at his sight.
As he opened his mouth, Hamid noticed some of his teeth were missing as well.
'Did anybody saw my eyes?' he asked, staring at the four of them.
No one answered him for a moment. Digesting the question, Hamid shook his head. Thanking them, the man turned and shifted his broken leg forward, almost dragging his leg as he walked back to the parking lot, where he fell from the 12th storey.
Arjun broke the silence by letting out a huge sigh of relieve. He grabbed his carom board and told everyone to leave the place immediately. Everyone went back to Hamid's place and cuddled in his room, with their hearts slamming onto their rib cage.
The four boys never went to play under the void deck anymore and since then, many of the residence has complaint of seeing a figure of a man, shuffling himself around the parking lot searching for something on the ground. The four friends were the only ones who knew that the man had returned from death to find his missing eye.