We played for a while, tossing the ball back and forth.

The stupid kid laughed and taunted happily, his joy infectious causing me to smile a bit. I could feel a slight joy rising in my heart. A bit loneliness and depression in the corner of my heart healing. I slowly stopped thinking about running out of this nightmare. I should take this time to relax a bit, after all, I did spend like three years traveling in hell.

Maybe, for this moment, it could just be two kids playing in the fading light.

*Ding*

The Church bell rung again, causing me to turn. The bell indicating the 6 o'clock mark for the day.

The sun was dipping in the horizon. The church casting long shadows, looking ominous. The dusk was at hand, painting the whole sky red, purple clouds drifting by. The whole scene only added more realism to this dream.

"It time already," He remarked, standing next to me.

"Yeah," I answered.

"See you tomorrow then?" He asked, wanting.

I shrugged, not exactly knowing my plans for tomorrow. Taking a step forwards and walking towards the church. I need a place to sleep, I rather not sleep in the cold. I also need to gather more info and then break out of this nightmare. I will try to leave this place tomorrow.

Sooner I leave here, sooner I get out of Hell.

"Hey Zion," He called.

I turned to him, my body only half turned.

"Catch," He threw the ball, which I caught instinctively.

"You can have it," The kid remarked before running away, waving his hand frantically as he did so.

I looked at the wornout ball and walked into the shadow dramatically, I could only twist my lips, it was funny. I pocketed the rough ball into my short and began to walk back to the church. With the sun setting, the night lights were lit bringing the town back to life, shops opening for the night, people coming out to enjoyed the cool night.

Yet I walked through the shadows, keeping out of the people's eyes.

Twisting and turning, avoiding light like darkness, I arrived back at the church, the monolith standing like a shadow beast covered in shadow. I walked to the side and entered the praying hall. Walking in I saw the shadows dancing between pillars.

The dim blub flickering above the cross. The shadows danced as I stood gazing at the cross that hung on the wall. This church, even though considered a holy place, held a very creepy vibe. They failed the vibe check all right.

But as I gazed at the flickering orange light filled with warmth, I could only question.

What did this place mean to me?

Did I have fond memories of this place? Or just Disgust?

Why is this place be my nightmare?

Why am I an orphan?

How did I go from this to jumping into hell?

Did my parents got killed in an Alley?

Why an alley?

That so stupid way to die.

Many questions drifted in my head, none I had the answer to. It was all just a mess. Its like I am walking a thin rope with my eyes blinded. Each step a risk, yet I am speedrunning it.

"You are late," A voice I recognized spoke.

I turned my sight from the cross to the man standing under it. His priest robes mixing perfectly with the shadows. I looked at him, not exactly in mood to answer. The priest looked at me for a moment before walking out of the shadow and into the light.

"Can I know why you missed the evening sermon?" He asked, his tone curious and soft.

"Not interested," I answered to satisfy his curiosity.

"Not interested in the word of God? Or are you beginning to hate it?" He continued walking next to me and taking a seat at the bench.

"Not interested," I repeated the answer.

"Can I ask why?" He followed,

I sighed, it seems like the guy would not leave without me giving him an satisfying answer. Since I had come to this, I will solve my? trouble. Because, next time I would beat the shit out of them little mutts.

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"No word is going to save me from here," I answered, the here being Hell.

"Why?" he inquired.

"Its useless," I answered.

"How?" He inquired again,

"It changes nothing about my situation," I answered.

"Why?" He kept his tone light and curious.

"Because nothing have changed,"

"What hasn't?"

"Everything and Everyone. All of them look at me like I am some disgusting creature."

"So you don't want to listen because the words change nothing?"

"No. because those who listened didn't change."

"Understandable,"

"Understandable?" I turned to him, my tone gaining a bite. "Understandable?"

The priest looked at me with a smile, "I can preach, Zion. But it is up to those who listen to change."

"Then whats the point? Nothing changes even if I listen or not," I answered.

"Yes, it is you that change," He answered. "Change begin with self, not others."

"Only once self change would not change my situation," I answered, one guy can't change the world. "Me being good changes nothing. Others need to be 'Good'."

"But what is good?" Question again.

"Good is Good."

"In 1600, sacrificing babies were good in tribes," He replied. not exactly the one I was expecting.

"Being kind and not hurting others," I didn't want to go down the hole of relative and objective morality. I would make me sound like a psychopath.

"How do you know what is kindness?"

"Everything that is done opposite to what I received?" I answered.

The priest nodded, "That is right and wrong. Being kind is to care when others doesn't."

"That's vague," I could only reply.

"That's why you need the word, to understand, to learn. Even if its only a bit," He smiled kindly, "Even if its a bit boring."

I raised a brow at his behavior. "It is not me you need to lecture, but other."

He nodded, "Yes, they do. But All we can do is show the way and help them when they stumble." He got up from the bench. "Now leave to your room and sleep. Don't forget to attend the morning sermon."

I huffed and followed him, taking a different turn towards the room. There were many rooms, but I followed my instincts and arrived at the shithole I am about to sleep in. You wondering why I am using such foul language, its because it a shared room with 19 other mutts.

They all sat at their beds doing their thing, talking and chatting.

As I stepped in, I could feel the air shift. Going from cheering to a chilling one. The eyes filled with malice, the whispers of gossips, words filled with hate. I wanted to sigh and begin drawing blood, yet I could feel my body shacking in anxiety. I instinctively followed my? body and arrived at the bed.

I bed was cheap, the quill full of patched holes. I removed the blanket, ready to tuck in to get some sleep in. But I saw a frog sitting on the wet bed. I could hear the slight chuckle behind my back. I moved my hands, catching the frog and turned to the people who were chuckling.

"Hehe, It seems like he wet his bed before he even sleep."

"Do you think he will cry again! Hehe"

"Such a pushover."

I could see the idiots chuckling and laughing but it soon died when they realized that I was not giving them the usual reaction. I walked took a step forward, yet my body held in place. I could feel the fear shake through my body.

I am annoyed now.

How much had this body need to go through for it to feel this much pain?

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, letting my anger overwhelm the rising fear.

Fuck them,

I pounced at the kids, Fuck them kids! My fist swung, filled with anger and power, knocked him out cold before I turned and bit the arm of the shocked kids. Yes, I do not care. This is a kids fight and I am going wild.

The kid took a moment to cry, his while finally snapping all the others. I punched him on the guts to shut him down and turned to the other kid. My lips twisted into a malicious grin, with the shadow covering my face, it added to the aura.

I gripped his shirt and pulled him close, "You want frog?"

"Wha-"

I shoved it into his mouth and closed it. I stared into the eyes as he began to freak out with the live frog in is mouth. I could feel the fear rising in his very soul.

Oh! sweat fear, I like it.

It was rising in not only his eyes but the other. I removed my hand and gave him a very solid gut punch, causing him to spit the frog. His face also turned red due to his breath clogging. I gave him a slap which cleared it.

I turned to the other guy who was getting up from my gut punch, his eyes were all angry. I slapped him, a thunderclap ringing in the room. It was like good dap that echo in an abnormally silent room.

I moved next to the knock out, and checked his pulse, he was still breathing. I made sure that he was not chocking on his tongue or vomit before gently rolling him to the side. It was a good thing that he fell on the bed. It would have been a hassle lifting him up to bead without injuring his injured neck. {Just for educational purposes}

He will probably have a concussion, but this is my nightmare, I don't care.

I turned to the other who were still rolling on the floor, their hands on their face and stomach. I moved to removed the bed from one of the idiots and took it to my bed. I removed the bed and placed the new one upside-down. I didn't carry the bed to the other bed and let it lay on the floor.

I climbed into my new bed and but figured that my quill was also wet. I threw it down and got the other one. I laid back on the pillow and closed my eyes.

It took a moment, but I could hear others move. The whispers and guarded step. yet they moved around me and not next to me. I laid waiting for any idiot to make a move, but even after an hour, not one approached.

It seems like beating three 10 year old really worked.

I didn't know when but I drift into my sleep. I have no idea how that even worked. But I just needed some shut eyes. I have not been in the best of conditions as of late.

.

.

.

I was called for beating up children,

Yeah, I was not expecting that. What a total pussies? You did all that shit and I probably never spoke about it.

So, I was standing in this poor image for an office with sister who was holding those three shits and the one I knocked out supported on the neck. It seems like he has a neck strain with a minor concussion. As for the other two, only the mark of my hand on their faces.

Nothing much.

"Zion, can I asked why you beat them?" Pastor asked patently, but I could tell he was stressing.

I am going to add to it, "I just felt like it."

"You felt like it?" The sister sounded baffled,

"We told you, he just jumped at us and stated beating us. *Sob Sob*" They let some crocodile tears. I think its called crocodile tears because reptiles don't cry? Don't know the origin story.

"Zion, I will ask you again, Why did you hit them?" He asked again patiently, I am on this ice but I am thick skinned.

"They got a punchable face," I answered.

"Zion, not only are you acting unruly but also disrespectful," Sister said her part.

I couldn't care less, it was fucking morning. "Am I done?"

"haaaa," The priest sighed, a long one, before he looked at me in the eye and gave him a verdict. "You can leave Zion."

"Pastor, we got to punish him," Sister again spoke her line.

Pastor raised his hand, stopping her. He then turned to the kids. "Zion, you can leave."

"See ya later then," I walked out, leaving them to deal with shit.

I don't care, I need to see what's outside of this town.