Behind the Red Curtain, standing for ages an untouchable object. There. No movements ever disturbed.

The Head of Reality spoke to the audiences.

“Be conscious, people. Be sensible, please.”

The crowd roared and made disgrace noise.

“For the sake of Reality, it’s prohibited to explain the truth.”

“We don’t want the truth. We want to see what’s kept behind that stupid curtain!”

The Guards grinned as the crowd marched forward. They hated violence as having been trained for 10 years not to put their hands on other human beings.

“Miss, don’t touch me,” Cory sharply informed one of the crowd.

Sasha put another hand on his cheek and looked right into his eyes. “Do you hate being touched that much?”

“You’re not supposed to touch the guards, that’s the rule.” Said Cory coldly.

“Do you know what’s in there? Is it true there’s the Heart?”

“I’ve never seen anything, so I don’t know.”

“Aren’t you curious?”

Cory sighed and stood still.

“Listen, my dear fellows, there’s nothing behind the Red Curtain. The essence of Reality is to perceive things as they’re portrayed. The core value of divinity.” The Head of Reality powerfully announced.

“Been hearing that boring speech for a thousand times.” Sasha rolled her eyes.

“Miss, would you please stop touching me?”

Sasha laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I thought you Guard people are boring but I might be wrong.”

Cory was starting to think the same way but he instantly forced himself to stop.

“Show us what’s in there!” The crowd continued shouting.

“You know they won’t stop until we know all about it.”

Cory kept muted and stared blankly at her.

“We know there’s the Heart inside. We know because we feel something.”

‘Feel’, an uncomfortable word to Cory.

“Feelings are unstable. To maintain the quality of Reality, we better depend on practical aspects. Be sensible, please.” The Head of Reality declared.

“Do you know what feeling is?” Sasha asked.

“No. And don’t want to.”

Sasha sighed. “What’s going to happen if you touch people?”

“I will be doomed.”

“Doomed? Like what?”

Cory got confused. What did she mean by asking that question?

“You will get fired?”

“I will be doomed.” Cory insisted.

“What? Literally? I thought violence is forbidden.”

“To correct things, violence is allowed.”

“This is so fucked up!” Sasha exclaimed furiously.

It was definitely fucked up as the crowd got angrier and angrier. They pushed and pulled the Guards to get out of their way.

Cory got shocked seeing his colleagues being treated disgracefully and violently.

Sasha knew this chaos would not end until there’s blood. She could feel him sweating and shaking even though his face showed no emotions.

“Let’s get out of here.”

“Wait. What?”

“For the sake of Reality, please be conscious!” The Head of Reality cried.

But nobody heard him. Nobody cared what he said. They didn’t even care what was behind the stupid curtain anymore.

In the middle of chaos, where people were hurting others, there’re two hands holding each other tight.

There.

At that moment, Cory felt like the time was stopped.

Sasha told him to get into the car and take his uniform off. But Cory sat still as he was still in shock.

“Damn it!” Sasha slapped his face hard.

Cory woke up.

“Take your fucking uniform off!”

Cory did as she told as Sasha started the engine and hit the road.

Three hours later, they stopped at a house by the beach.

“Where are we?” Cory asked.

“A safe place.”

“It doesn’t look safe. It’s near the beach. We might get washed out by Tsunami in any minute.”

Sasha laughed out loud.

“You don’t know what feeling is but you’re insecure staying near the beach?”

Cory didn’t understand.

“I was just giving you the fact.”

“Alright, don’t worry. I say it’s a safe place, then it’s a safe place.”

“But…”

“Reality is to perceive things as they’re portrayed. Remember?”

Considering her statement, he decided to shut his mouth.

Inside the house, Cory kept his eyes on every movement Sasha made. He watched her lighting the fireplace, preparing the food, cooking the fish, humming the strange melody and danced around.

“Dinner’s ready!” Sasha delightfully said.

Cory was astonished by the variety of food. He lost his words and tried every single dish hungrily.

Sasha sat silently watching him eating. She felt a little sad for him. So young and innocent. Empty with Reality.

Sensing the stare, Cory slowly stopped eating. He felt embarrassing for no reason.

“Why did you stop eating? Dig in. Go on.” Sasha cried.

Cory stood up and said softly. “I should go back to The Guard.”

Sasha frowned. “I didn’t drive for three hours just to send you back to that shithole.”

“Why do you keep using bad words?”

“Because it is a shithole. That’s why I call it a shithole.”

Cory felt like he had to say something but he wasn’t sure what he should speak.

“Will you sit down?”

Cory didn’t.

“Tell me what you know about the Red Curtain.” Sasha inquired promptly.

“I don’t know.”

Sasha looked into his eyes and could tell he didn’t lie.

“Haven’t you ever heard other people talking about it?”

“You seem to know more than me.”

Sasha smiled feeling good he’s challenging her.

“Well, people say there’s the Heart kept there.”

“What’s the Heart?”

“The thing that will make people crazy and unstable.”

“Causing the chaos?”

“You’re catching up! That’s a good sign.” Sasha said heartily. “Yes, it causes chaos. That why’s the Head of Reality keeps it away from people.”

“Why do people want the Heart?”

“They want to be fulfilled, I guess.”

“Why? Aren’t they happy with Reality?”

“Are you? Are you happy?”

Cory couldn’t answer. He didn’t really know what happiness was. “I don’t know.”

Sasha walked towards him and touched his left chest. Cory instantly backed away. He hated being touched.

“Do you really hate being touched or you’re just scared of it?”

“I hate it because it makes…” He stopped his sentence as he was afraid of admitting it.

“Because it makes you feel things, right?”

Cory looked confused. Something conjured up in his mind. “Please send me back to The Guard.”

“That place might be doomed by now. Do you really want to go back there?”

Cory looked around and approached the car key.

“Hey! What are you doing?”

He ran out of the house and started the car. Sasha blocked his way by standing in front of the car.

“What the fuck are you doing? Get out of my car!”

He could feel her melancholic anger that made him feel insecure as Tsunami did. But he got to go. He didn’t belong to this place.

“Please, don’t go.” Sasha cried.

He must. He didn’t want another chaos. He didn’t want to be caught up in the pain as he used to.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered to himself and put his foot on the accelerator.

He drove away and didn’t look back.

The tears came watering down his face and he wept.

“Now, I’m just a human being. I feel things that I want to forget.”

10 years of mending his broken soul with The Guard went to waste. The pain of existing spread its deceases all over his body.

He stopped the car at The Guard.

The chaos seemed to have vanished.

He walked inside and his body trembled with disgust.

The Red Curtain that once was the most catchy and outstanding thing in the room, now, almost invisible because the room was all red.

Red as blood. Smell as blood. Blood over blood.

He walked to the Curtain and reach his trembling hands out to touch it. He took a deep breath and opened the Curtain.

Standing for ages an untouchable object. There. No movements ever disturbed.

An empty glass box locked inside an empty glass box.

That’s it. The Heart people so wanted to see.

He burst out laughing crazily.

Reality is to perceive things as they’re portrayed.

The touch of Sasha’s hands on his cheeks came to his mind. The temporary warmth he believed. Funny he could feel it now many miles away. He touched his left chest and felt fucking empty.

As empty as the fucking sacred Heart.