The Psychopath

By Anoosh Danish & Rhivya Santharupan

The shrieking sound, startled me as I woke up from a deep and tiring sleep. I turned back to sleep thinking, hoping it was a segment of my imagination. I got up from my bed and saw what I knew would be hard to recover from. 

Chapter 1 

It’s been two years since my mother hanged herself. Grandma thinks she did this because she was stressed, and couldn’t handle the pressure of being a single mother, but I think there was an alternate reason for her suicide. My mom and I have always been there for each other ever since dad left us and never looked back. She was happy I couldn’t think of one reason why she would end her life and leave me alone with grandma. 

Grandma thinks that I don’t know how hard she works to support both of us. I know how she sells her own belongings so that she could put food on the table for us.

I had another job interview today, as usual, it didn’t go great. After mom’s death, I didn’t participate in school as well as I did once, I went from being a straight A’s student to failing almost all of my classes. So I didn’t have the general knowledge many students my age did. 

I tried going back to high school to finish my studies, but the looks everyone gave, their condolences, and their sad, pitty glances, were unbearable. 

“How was the interview, darling?” says grandma, sitting in her usual rocking chair, 

“Awesome! They love hiring dumb people” sarcasm dripping from my voice. 

“Oh! Honey, Don’t give up there are thousands of jobs wanting to hire dumb people”

“I’m serious grandma, in a few years we could be living on the streets.” 

“Don’t stress about it too much, life will figure things out” 

“Yeah, sure. I’m going to my room, shout if you need me” and with that, I leave my grandma to her knitting, and head to my room. 

I was so into my book, that I didn’t care to go out to see who was at the door. 

“Leave or I’ll call the police”

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