In the heart of a bustling city the sounds of joyous children resounded throughout. As the sun’s first rays streaked across the sky the morning dew enveloping the city was illuminated. The thin misty layer of dew would shine brightly as if the whole city was made of crystal. As the lights flickered and danced refracting through windows unto jewelry the rhythmic sound of rapid thuds and rustling fabric could be heard. Kids ran throughout the streets on well cobbled roads.
Their high pitched laughter and the jingling of their jewelry was a sharp contrast to the deeper sounds of them running. These sounds would harmonize together to create life throughout the city and echo into the winding corridors and alleyways that stemmed from the city square. Occasionally voices would boom saying “4 coppers for 1 meat skewer, 6 for 2” along with other various offers of exchange that would be discernible from the drowning sounds of the city. The sound of gentle music would resonate throughout the city square setting a calming mood as musicians played their instruments on the streets. The union of sounds flowed from the heart of the city and pumped into the winding corridors and alleyways like a spider web slowly reaching to the edges of the city. As the sounds continued to navigate the alleyways the sounds would start to get distorted. In a grimy alley where the vibrant sounds of the city were but a whisper laid an older man.
I regained my consciousness to the light sound of music. I heard far off murmurs and what seemed to be people talking. My eyes were still closed since the sounds in my vicinity were not concerning and I craved more rest. The sound of creaking wood would occasionally echo throughout. The damp musty ground I sat on would slightly vibrate, followed by the sound of thundering hooves as what seems like horses would pass by. The abnormality of the situation I was in puzzled me. Usually what little solace I had left was abruptly ended by the sound of sirens or blinding lights as I was told to move. I still remember earlier when I felt the beams of light sear into me as I was shuffled along and forced to relocate. On less fortunate occasions I would be woken with cold water. The generosity of my surroundings allowing me to keep my eyes closed was a welcomed respite however foreign, but due to the irregularity of my situation I was unable to fully rest. I heard hushed whispers followed by low mutterings.
I slightly lifted my heavy eyelids to take a peak and what was unfolding in front of me. There was a small pack of kids stealthily looking around. I looked at their attire and it was messy to say the least. The clothes they wore are faded of color with the edges frayed. I could make out some holes and tears that were patched up to protect against the elements. The clothing was mismatched where one smaller kid seemed to have much larger pants that they doctored so that they would fit. Eventually the runt of the pack slowly starts to approach me. As they get closer I can see more defining features. Their hair is unkempt and cut short. I can see the few beams of light that break into the dark corridor bounce off their greasy hair. Their hands and face are covered in a light layer of grime that makes it seem like they were playing with soot. As they approached I could see their eyes were dim and void of emotion. I slowly shifted my body to give the illusion that I was waking up to make them leave me alone. During this I saw the small child look back to the group then after what seems to be persuasion they decided to keep approaching me.
They started to rummage through my pockets and I immediately opened my eyes and grabbed their wrist. As I pulled the child closer I realized that it is a young girl who can’t be more than 6 or 7. They had black hair that was matted. I see their dim eyes slowly become alert as their dark pupils slowly dilate a little. Help me, she called out to her group. The response that followed was the sound of shuffling clothes and hurried stomps as the rest of the group all ran away. Once the girl realized that she had been abandoned she lost her strength and sat down like a puppet that had its strings cut off. I assumed based on their attire and the way in which they carried themselves they have no home just like me.
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“See how everyone left you, don’t trust anyone” I mentioned. I then proceeded to let go of her wrist and huddled back against the cold damp wall to get more rest. I expected the child to immediately run away however they seemed reluctant to get up.
The child was scared and wanted to leave, however her curiosity overpowered her other emotions.
Why did this guy not turn me into the guards? Why did this guy not beat me? She recalled back to when she attempted to steal an apple from one of the fruit vendors around the central city and when captured was beaten within a quarter of her life. She remembered as she was getting beat she wrapped her body around the apple to devour it while choking it down in a huddled corner. However the action she committed was a worse offense and when caught there was little to no reaction and this in itself was foreign to her.
I noticed the kid still sitting around and I wondered why they didn’t leave yet. I beckoned for them to come closer by waving my hands, waiting for them to approach. I recalled my own upbringings where at an early age I also struggled, so feeling some pity for the child I decided to help them out. As they got closer I reached into my pockets. I felt around the space until I found the wrinkled paper in the corner I was looking for. I told her I would give her some money to get something to eat. At this her dim eyes lit up slightly. As I took out the five dollar bill and slowly straightened out the creases I could see the confusion in their eyes. I was saving this for a future rainy day however since it seems that it would be better used here I decided to be generous and part with my savings. I slowly reached out my hand to pass the bill to her however during that action the young child seemed scared and quivered. I tell her it's okay as I hand her the 5 dollar bill and put it in her grasp.
Her reaction tells me that she is confused about what to do with it. The look of confusion only lasted for a few seconds then turned into a look of pity. I see her drop my treasure on the dirty ground as it hits a puddle of murky water that seemed to have formed from the run-off of rain and stagnated. I immediately dove into the puddle to save all I had to my name cursing why I ever even thought of helping someone else. I saw the little girl give me a look of disdain then walk away. I slowly got up and felt the damp clothes on my body. I felt the dirty water drip down onto the ground as I chased after the girl to question her actions. Why did she spit in the face of my generosity? My tired body from days of sporadic rest and little to no food was fueled purely by rage.. I approached her and as I walked out of the alleyway following after her I was stunned.
A bright light shone throughout the city. I saw strong wooden beams supporting thatched roofs and small wooden planes that took the place of windows. I saw smoke rise up from a few houses that had what seemed to be chimneys. While lost in my thoughts I heard someone yell and I step back reactively as a carriage being pulled by horses zoomed past me on the earthen road. The once distant sounds of laughter and joy that sounded like whispers became more pronounced. The smell of flowers washed over me as I saw a garden nearby housing a variety of plants. The incomprehensible random yells that echoed in the alleyway became intelligible, they seemed to be advertising street food like food trucks would around a city square. I started to wonder if I was in the middle of a renaissance faire until I heard the sound of something above me swooshing and the sound of wind whistling and howling . I panned upward and saw what seemed to be kids in elegant clothing flying. They wore similar uniforms that had a gray and blue color scheme. They seemed to be adorned in jewelry whether it's a necklace or a ring or both. As they flew past I tried to comprehend what was happening but failed. As I was shocked and standing still the young kid that was walking away earlier walked back towards me.
Are you ok? She asked. I slowly looked down at her and asked “Where am I” .