Fate

• Matthew Kuo, Grade 12
• Short Story
• 2014

I had arrived, the time has come. The door now loomed ahead: the door which would seal my fate. I had heard stories from others, of ones who had gone into the door and left changed. The change was not necessarily one to be despised, especially as it had changed many an uncivil creature for the better. However it was the fact that the change occurred, that scared me. No one who had entered ever explained what occurred beyond the doors in a clear enough manner to be considered satisfactory. Instead all that emerged were the rumours of the viscous tools that the sickening men used as they went about their work. Tools that would soon be upon me.
I had done everything in my power to try and avoid this day. My home still held the distinct signs of war as a result of my masters uttering those horrible words. I had contemplated running away several times; more than contemplated I actually had tried. Yet my masters were already skilled strategists against my plans and so nothing ever came into fruition.

And so here I was in front of the door waiting for the gatekeeper to call my master’s name. The more I stared upon it, the more it seemed to loom over me. Yet I could not take my eyes off of it. I soon found that the horror of what happened beyond the door somehow encapsulated me. It was not as uncommon as I had believed, for is it not odd the way we contemplate the idea of jumping when upon a cliff?

“James”

It had begun, the gatekeeper had called the name and my master moved to take me to the door. By now I had already accepted my fate. Each footstep that was to follow seemed to echo the fear and panic that I had felt up to this moment. The doors had finally opened and the sight before me really was the stuff of horror stories. A white clean sheet upon a table, the cruel metallic tools all beside it ready for work to be done. Yet before I was able to fully process all the details, I felt a small sting at my side. With that, sleep had begun to creep upon me.

I awoke in my master’s arms. I was confused, what had happened while I was lost in the realm of slumber? I was still a bit drowsy from the whole experienced but then I noticed a rather odd feeling. I jumped down to the shock of my master unto the floor and gazed upon my nether regions. It was then that I realised what had been done. They had done it, cut off my crown jewels, my livelihood as a man. It made sense now, the way cats always seemed so much less fierce after a visit to the vet.