Beneath My Skin

Beneath the blanket of caliginosity, on the cobbled streets dimly lit by streetlamps, gruffy Ben trudged along the pathway with some trepidation. The ominous moon peeked at him behind the thick clouds and deftly slipped back into the comforts of the cloudy hideout whenever anyone tried to catch him in the eye. Such acts of clandestine nature certainly imposed an air of apprehension and uncertainty in the tranquil serenity of the night. Ben dragged his foot lazily as he hummed to an obsolete old Chinese tune, going off-key at almost every other note. He thought he might be crazy walking around in the streets at such a late hour, especially in a country notorious for heinous late night robberies. But he had no choice. He had fallen asleep at the dinner table and all his friends had driven off without him, deliberately playing a prank on him. He somewhat regretted going for dinner with his friends at such a deserted location. The poor location of the restaurant somewhat gave an exotic feel to the ambience, painting an atmosphere of a mystical Oriental rustic feel. However, the food there was disappointing. It had perhaps disappointed him so much that he had fallen asleep at the dinner table. And there he was, stranded in a forlorn place, with no forms of transport back home. He had walked for quite some distance by now, and a cab was nowhere in sight.

Ben instinctively picked his nose and at the same time gave a loud hoarse cough, as the chilling wind gripped his nerves a little in the destitute land. He just had to pray that a cab would come along the way and he could just hop on and get home safely. As he was dragging his slippers along the sandy road, his imagination started to roam. It seemed as though he had just awaken from his drowsy daze and it suddenly dawned upon him that his situation was a pretty dangerous one to be in. Walking alone in the middle of the night along a deserted stretch of road in a country that topped the charts in crime rates. Unarmed. He could well see himself featured in the obituaries of the next day's papers. He blew his nose with his right sleeve and that sort of cleared up his mind a little. What was all those paranoia about? Why would he come to any harm at all? He had got no money whatsoever, nothing that would attract potential muggers. And that was a comforting thought. That could well assure him his safety. He cursed himself for not bringing his handphone out. His amnesia was really getting from bad to worse. That must have been the ninty-sixth time that he had forgotten to bring his handphone out.

Occasionally, some cars drove past him. Thoughts of hitching a ride did cross his mind but the fear of running into bad company made him drop the idea. It was at this time when he spotted a cab from a distance, moving towards his direction. The headlights were on him and he flagged incessantly for the cab to stop. Hope. He was glad that a cab finally came. Now he would not run into some mafia along the way anymore. He would not be unknowingly stabbed in the back by some insane fellow. More importantly, he was certain that he would not be privileged enough to earn a place in the next day's obituaries.

Ben stopped the cab and hurriedly threw himself into the backseat. His elation was only momentary and soon he was gripped with anxiety and fear. The cabbie did not give him a good feeling. Somehow, he had a vision of a solemn face printed on the back of the next day's papers. Under the obituaries. With his name below the picture. And also possibly a headline story to accompany that as well – ‘Taxi driver kills passenger’. He choked on his phlegm and gasped for some fresh air through the window. That seemed to clear his mind again. He really needs to rid his mind of such paranoia. Sometimes he wondered if he had a mental condition. Well, apart from his barbarous outlook and monotonous voice, the taxi driver actually seemed pretty normal. But the aura that accompanied his physical features was already enough to send chills racing up and down his spine several times.

The cabbie started talking to him. Ben panicked in his heart but resisted it from manifesting in the expressions on his face. He could not show any signs of weakness. It was all about mind games now. He knew that the cabbie was trying to find out more about him, to test him and see if he was an easy target. These unscrupulous people. Hardcore criminals masquerading as taxi drivers to pick on weak passengers in the middle of the night. He knew at once that the cabbie was testing him when he asked him about whether he carried any weapons with him.

'Parang! I got parang here!' Ben said non-chalantly and pretended to reach out for his 'parang' in his sling bag.

'Hahaha... not bad.. Parang... I have got a pistol here.... hahahhahahh...' the cabbie burst out in an eerie laughter, as though he had totally outwitted him.

Ben's heart sank. His 'parang' against the cabbie's pistol. He just hoped that he would get a quick death.

The journey then became a silent one. And soon Ben reached his destination. He quickly paid his fare and got off the cab. He quickly turned into the back alley and quickened his footsteps to get away. He was relieved that he got back safely.

Seemingly to prove his thought wrong, he heard footsteps behind him. The cabbie! And he had a pistol. And they were at the back alley. And it was in the middle of the night. All too perfect for a night of murder. And he felt a tap on his shoulders. At once, he shrieked hysterically and screamed uncontrollably. Just as he did that, he could hear another voice doing the same as well. He saw the cabbie in a state of shock. And the cabbie was holding on to his wallet. He had left it on the cab. They stared at each other. And they saw themselves beneath their skins, for the first time in night.




Ah Kong was in his midnight shift and he was struggling to keep awake. He sipped on his dose of caffeine and continued driving. He knew that he needed to be awake. To be awake enough to keep alert. And to be alert enough to ward off the dangers of the night. Yes, the dangers of the night. The reported sightings of 'floaters' on the roads. Urban legends of 'pontianaks'. Myths about the long-haired female ghosts that stalked cabbies in the night. Those supernatural threats. As well as less supernatural ones. Like maniacs. Demented serial killers. Night robbers. Burglars. The list seemed endless. That brought a wry smile to his face- he patted himself on the shoulder for having the guts to be out earning his keep despite the dangers that lurked around waiting for an opportune time to ambush him.

He was just about to complain about the quiet night and how the lack of customers would result in him running a deficit after having to fork out money from his own pocket to pay for the petrol when he saw a man waving frantically from a distance. He smiled to himself. Hope.

Ah Kong started to feel a tinge of regret for stopping his vehicle. The passenger that just got on reeked of tobacco and alcohol and his wavy long hair that draped across his shoulders, together with his sharp bony features just told Ah Kong that he was not one to be messed around with. What was he doing there in the middle of nowhere at this hour? He could not be up to anything good. Ah Kong secretly just prayed that the passenger would not turn out to be a criminal running away from his crime scene. Could he be a murderer? Could he have just killed someone and buried his body in the forests around there? The thought of that sent his heart pounding faster and faster. Ah Kong knew that he could not afford to think about the what-ifs anymore. Trying to break some ice, Ah Kong asked in a tone that attempted to be friendly, 'What are you doing here at this hour?' Before the passenger could reply, Ah Kong unconsciously slipped into his blabbering mode and went on, 'Haha, you must have carried a weapon like a pen knife or something for you to have the guts to walk around like that in the middle of the night..' Just as these words came out of his mouth, Ah Kong's heart skipped a beat. Beads of perspiration began oozing out of his wrinkled forehead.

'Pen-knife? How about a parang?' the passenger bellowed and glared at him through the rear-view mirror. At the same time, the passenger reached for something in his sling bag.

Ah Kong panicked. He knew he was at the mercy of his passenger. If he were to whip out his parang and start to go on a frenzy like he did when he murdered his victim in the forest and buried him there moments ago, Ah Kong would not live to see daybreak. He would not be able to visit the Bak Kut Teh shop he always frequents for breakfast. That daily dose of pork was always what he looked forward to after a night of driving. He begged in his heart that such a simple joy would not be taken away from him.

He got a parang. Ah Kong hoped that his lie would suffice. He hoped that the passenger behind him would be wary of his 'pistol' too. It was all about mind games.