Where am I? Ah… memories. Lovely things.
“Eeeeeeh, Rhys! Don’t you hear? What are we gonna do with you? Tsk tsk! You spaced out again! Hahaha!”
Ah, Peler… always teasing me for zoning out. Hah.
Thud – Slap! What was that on my back? Ouch!
“Come on, Rhys! We’ve got a walk planned today. Let’s head out slowly from the plaza — we’ll catch up at the harbor.”
Hmm… Kinf. Always wants to be on time — wouldn’t risk standing up another girl.
“HEYYY, move it! We’re leaving! See you at the harbor!”
Elf, Mira, and Tera — inseparable. Those days were beautiful… No worries, no weight, no noise. Just school and joy. No bills to chase. No problems not mine to fix.
I stand. They look at me with puzzled eyes.
“Yeah… let’s head out slowly. I’ve got distance to cover.”
Peler smiles.
“We mean you, Rhys. We all live nearby — you’ve got the long walk.”
They leave. Everything fades. A glowing horizon appears… But quickly it ignites.
Dark thoughts. They burn the light away.
I’m finishing middle school. High school awaits. What should I do? Six months to go… until then, we’ll see.
A voice echoes:
“You need to find work — even if the pay is low. You need to contribute to the household.”
I turn toward the sound. A father, speaking to his son. Older than me, clearly. Maybe he doesn’t want to work… Maybe he longs to study and just can’t.
Problems always surface when you step outside the school circle.
So, what do I do? Me — after all this — what do I do?
Heartbeat rushing. Sweat. Flames. Everything burns.
I wake up screaming. Knocks on the door.
My mother’s voice — worried.
“My child, are you okay? Is something bothering you? Talk to me…”
I rise, open the door. She looks anxious.
“No, mom… I’m okay. Just a nightmare. It’s gone.”
I hug her. “Don’t worry. I’ve got this.”
I smile. “Go ahead — let me work a bit. I’ll come for lunch soon. Pills on an empty stomach can mess you up, haha.”
She nods. “Alright. I’ll have the food ready in an hour?”
I nod back. She leaves. I close the door.
Sit down. Open the drawer. Take the pills. I know it’s wrong.
“Work and joy… that’s the recipe, huh?”
I swallow them. I begin working. Time ticks on…
Until I hear her shout:
“Oh come on! Another court case? Again?! We’ve paid so much into that damn loan!”
My head starts buzzing. My chest burns. My stomach twists.
Blood trickles from my nose.
“Ah… here we are again.”
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