I felt listless recently. I felt as if everyone hated me. Kyle and Cartman seemed to avoid me. Kenny considered me bothersome. Moreover, Wendy and I had already broke up. As though an invisible ghost were haunting over my shoulders, I felt weary and depressed.
The front door emerged in front of me. I opened. Familiar sound greeted me as always.
"Hi, Stanley"
"Hi, Mom," I replied impassively.
I lied down the bed and waited, hoping this depression would go away. However, it didn't. Although I don't believe in any religion, I so much wanted to find something that could remove my weariness.
The next day, I met Mr. Mackey (my counselor) personally.
"M'kay, Stan, how's it going?" he asked.
I eagerly replied, "I've felt weary and depressed. My friends seem to get rid of me. I've really wanted to find something that would make me feel better"
"You'd better hang out with me, M'kay? That will make you feel better. I will buy you some ice cream"
I immediately frowned. Oops, I thought, it would be uncool to hang out with my uncool counselor. So I blurted out, "Ouch! Mr. Mackey, that's embarrassing! How could you"
"M'kay, it doesn't seem to be good idea anyway," Mr. Mackey said, feeling a little bit devastated. "M'kay, then you'd better watch who really you are"
"... I don't get it anyway"
The visit to my counselor didn't help much after all. I got off the school bus. Staying on the quiet road alone, I dully watched Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny talk to each other. They at least looked happy. I wondered why I couldn't join them as usual. I wanted to cry.
I decided to run away. I determined to make a journey for the real happiness. The punishment resulted from the runaway was not the issue. Things don't change unless you don't "act" to change them. Simply enduring hardships can never improve your circumstances.
I walked and walked without knowing where to go. But it was undoubtedly true that I was walking away from home. Wendy, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny ? they all were bastards. It was the first time I'd had "abhorrence" of them, who had been my so-called friends.
It's been a few days since I went on the journey. A pavilion appeared ahead. It was a psychic's. I walked in even though I'd considered psychics stupid.
When I went in, I was appalled ? the psychic was Stanley Marsh wearing a goth suit. He, who looks exactly like me, greeted me in comfortable manner, "Hi, Stan"
He gestured for me to take a seat. I somehow knew that he is not an ordinary psychic.
I asked him, "How do you predict my future"
"Mm..." he answered, "actually it is not I who predict your future. Anyway, you don't look well. Tell me about your agony"
I told him about my sufferings. He nodded and grinned. "You worry too much. All right, this will cure you then"
He took out a mirror, which was big enough to cover my whole body. I didn't know how on earth the mirror would cure me. He explained:
"When you stand in front of this mirror, it will remove your pain as well as show your future. It's a little expensive, but you have no alternative. It will cost you 100"
"Damn you," I complained, "I'm broke"
He grinned artlessly, "Just kidding. 50 is enough. I offer you a special discount"
I gave him 50 and stood in front of the mirror. No sooner I blinked several times, I found myself confined in a glass.
He explained, "You've just come inside the mirror"
All around me was mere darkness, and several mirrors were floating around here and there. That made me dizzy. His voice echoed through the darkness. "Just pick a mirror and go in"
Accordingly, I walked into a mirror near me.
Kyle's face loomed up in front of me. I found myself standing on the bus stop. Nobody was there except Kyle and me. He angrily stared me with his arms folded. He suddenly cried out, "I'm not your best friend at all ? it was all fake. I hate Cartman, but I hate you much more. You bastard doesn't deserve Wendy at all. You don't even deserve to live. You must die"
He raised up his pistol. He went furious as if Cartman were about to kiss him.
I stammered, "Kyle, please chill for a moment, won't you"
"Shut up," his voice arose, "I really, really loath you. Stand still"
I stuttered even more, "What m-m-made you that f-furious"
Kyle now seemed on the verge of explosion. He whispered ominously, "You'd better find out why by yourself"
Suddenly he disappeared. I'd just got out of the first mirror and returned to the dark place. I went in another mirror.
That was the bust stop again. I felt a sudden, fierce pain on my shoulder. Cartman had just grasped my shoulder and was about to take me to his house. He smirked in a menacing way. I panicked and ran away. However, Cartman chased me. He seemed obsessed by the desire to catch and possess me. My face was distorted with panic. I finally fell over and shouted out. "Get me out of here"
Once more I returned to the dark place full of weird mirrors. I got tired of them. Crying uncontrollably, I appealed to goth Stanley, "I'm tired of the mirror things. Instead of making me feel happy, that drives me even more miserable. It doesn't worth my 50. Get me out of here"
He beamed. "Don't you get something in your mind"
"I don't get it!" I replied in desperation. "Please tell me why I am in such situation and how I could find the happiness"
"Your happiness is not far away," he chuckled. "You will feel happy when you get out of the mirror"
Frustrated, I said, "You must be kidding me"
"Nope," he suggested, "would you go into this red mirror"
Since there was no benefit from arguing with him any longer, I followed his advice.
Kyle and Cartman were fighting each other. Cartman grabbed Kyle by the collar and roared, "I've seen it! Stan took care of you whenever you got sick. He tried to lead you into the right path whenever you got the wrong ones. He considered you an extraordinary friend. But you're just avoiding him to hide the got the wrong ones. He considered you an extraordinary friend. But you're just avoiding him to hide the fact. I feel jealous of you. Jealous of you being best friends"
His eyes were wet. I've never seen him so sad, so sincere, and so earnest.
Goth Stan's voice emerged. "They've been fighting because of you. Kyle's really jealous of you because Wendy told him she's going to hang around with you again. Kyle's being bad now. On the other hand, Cartman are defending you"
Scene changed. My mom was weeping and my dad was soothing her. My sister Shelly was quietly watching them. The psychic said with smile, "If you have any person who sincerely takes care of you, then you are a happy person. Kyle's going to apologize soon, so you'll be able to hang out with him as before.
"I wanted to help you. That is why I built the pavilion on a remote corner and led you here. In fact, I am a part of you; the fact that I helped you means you found the real happiness by yourself"
He hugged me. It was unforgettably sweet.
After closing and opening my eyes, I found myself in front of home. I opened the front door and stepped in. I confessed, "I'm sorry I'm late. I deserve your punishment"
The next day, as the mirror prophesied earlier, Kyle apologized. Then he gave me a small present. When I asked why he gave it to me, he said that it was a birthday gift; it was because he wouldn't be able to come to my birthday party.
Through the few day's experience, I've learned something important: I am a happy person as long as I have someone who loves and thinks about me.