Agitation. The cracks in the plaster above your head. That tediously slow grinding of gears in the old fashioned pocket watch
near your bed. The stray hairs that find themselves in your mouth and eyes when you wake from a stressful sleep.
Although small, these brazen acts of nature add up to a small and quiet voice in your mind. One that whispers through the sieves in your brain- 'She didn't deserve that medal... you did'. At first, you don't understand. The clock strikes two. The
pocket watch is late by three minutes. Perhaps it is from the water steadily dripping on its face and into the gears.
She's my friend, you think. I should be happy for her. But the voice does not agree. 'She stole what was rightfully yours'. The voice murmurs. Stole? Like the earrings that were stolen after you'd taken them off to jump in the pool. Although who needs the earrings, anyway? You didn't have clothes nice enough for them.
'Do you know what would make you happy?' the Voice asks. Happy? Happiness would be nice. It seems to be gone each time you look for it. The pocket watch clicks to the '3'. How did that happen? 'If she slipped. If she slipped and fell into the pool. If she broke herself. Broken- like she broke you. She stole your medal.' It murmurs tantalizingly. A small smile comes to your lips. Yes, that would make you happy.
Suddenly there's a bang from below. More cracks in the ceiling. You frown, the Voice's cruel fantasy fading. Why were they fighting at this hour? 'Broke herself.' The Voice repeated. 'Never able to swim again.' Suddenly, you imagine this. Her flawless body, curled up outside the pool, leg bent at an odd angle. 'You can have the medal back.'
The miniscule irony in the situation makes you laugh. And laugh. More banging from the floor below. Your pocket watch stops ticking. Your tousled hair is no longer a nuisance. You're no longer sad. Why should you be? A sudden splash from the apartment pool below invokes an insane sort of glee within you. A scream.
More cracks in the wall. A fortnight later, the walls bear more than cracks. One bears a medal. One that gleams almost maliciously in the dim light. The Voice is quiet. The watch is quiet. The wall ceases to crack. And beneath the curled and crimped hair upon your head, there lies a powerful and poisonous taint.
It calls itself 'Die Schadenfreude'.
Schadenfreude is a well-known illness that is ever present in the minds of man. Take for example the being in the story above. Imperfect and alone, her one shot at fame was snatched from her by a flawless woman- the kind highly praised in modern day society. When the flawless woman is struck down by fate, the character laughs. Even though it was earlier mentioned that the woman was the main character's friend.
The
jealousy invoked in the main character spurred and fed die Schadenfreude. And even those known to never succumb to jealousy can be claimed by it. For in every man, there hides a tainted mind. There need only be one spark to create the hateful flame. It’s not a matter one can avoid- it’s a matter of who can ignore it longer.