“You have only one job, but you can’t even do it!”
As the burly man's hand clenched the doctor's collar, a tense silence hung in the air. Fortunately, a nurse stopped his hand before it landed on the doctor's face. The doctor, Claude, stood stoically, hiding the turmoil of his heart. So, that was how his life was unveiled, he thought.
Claude was a doctor, sent by the government to run a clinic in an isolated village. At first, the clinic didn’t even have electricity, reception, and even access to water. Life was miserable. To even have water, he had to travel an hour to the nearest river and carry back the water with his hands in an arduous trek. The people who lived in the mesh always constantly fighting over generator sets and gas. There was never a peaceful night.
Having enough, Claude volunteered to solve the crisis. Claude immersed himself in the intricate web of local politics and personal sacrifices. Through sheer determination, Claude finally managed to solve the water and electricity crisis, giving the clinic and the village plentiful water and electricity to use.
However, after everything Claude had done for this clinic, how did they repay him? With a punch in his face?
“You think you are so great that you dare to raise your hand at me?” Claude taunted the man, the newly appointed head clinic.
“What did you say?!”
Ignoring the man's blabbering mouth, Claude started my motorcycle and got out of the Clinic. Crossing the mountains and forests, memories flashed before his eyes - the weary faces of villagers finally able to access clean water, the jubilant cheers when electricity hummed to life for the first time in the clinic, and the countless sleepless nights spent tirelessly working to overcome the seemingly impossible task.
Yet despite everything, the bitter taste left Claude’s mouth. He was kicked out of the house by my parents, he was abandoned by my friends, out of greed and envy, and he was estranged by the village and Clinic.
Claude felt that there was no place for him again in this world.
“If only… W-Wait, huh!?”
Suddenly, Claude’s motorcycle stumbled upon a rock. Due to his hurting left hand, Claude couldn't balance the steer. The slippery mountain track caught him off guard. Before long, he found himself hurtling towards the edge of a cliff.
"Am I... going to die?"
In that fleeting moment of clarity, Claude wasn't scared. In fact, he had been waiting for this all along. With a wistful smile, Claude embraced the silly but last idea in his mind.
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“Really, what a shitty world to live in. Perhaps in the afterlife, I could finally find a place that accepted me?”
BUK!!
— + —
In the tranquil field of flowers, a young apothecary found herself amidst a bounty of medicinal plants, her heart brimming with excitement. She said, “W-Whoa, incredible! Chief is right! There are so many rare plants beyond The Ice Walls. Even a mandragora! I should bring back some to cultivate at home.”
While busying herself collecting samples and ingredients, the young apothecary didn’t realize a strange cloud forming above the flower field. A deafening thunderclap pierced the air, causing her to startle. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw a motorcycle hurtling towards her. Quick with her reflexes, the girl bolted out of the trajectory.
“What the hell is that!? A-A Magicycle?” the girl gasped. However, her attention swiftly shifted to a wounded man lying not far from the fallen vehicle. Without hesitation, she rushed to his side, calling out, "Hey, are you okay?"
The lack of response made the young apothecary to check his vitals. “He’s still alive,” "He's still alive," she breathed a sigh of relief, though the sight of his bleeding worried her. Using her jacket, she staunchly pressed against his wound, stopping the bleeding.
“A black hair, chocolate skin… and absence of magic circuitry. Wait, could he be a drifter from Kingdom of Lies? This is bad, if I treated him, he’s going to hurt a lot of other people.” But then the girl shook her head. “No, worry about the consequences later when there’s life to save, that’s what the Chief told me!”
With determination, she carefully assessed his injuries and then did her best to stabilize him. As she worked, the man's eyelids fluttered open, revealing a glimpse of weary eyes that had seen many things. "You're going to be okay, just hang on. ” the apothecary reassured him.
Finally, with the worst of the man's injuries tended to, the young apothecary hoisted him onto her shoulders. “U-ugh, he’s so heavy! I…I-I might be crazy now, but to hell with it!” the girl shouted, ignoring the strain as she began the journey back to the village.
As they trudged through the dense foliage, the young apothecary wondered. What the fate had with her, waving her thread of destiny with this man? Could it be a mere coincidence? Or perhaps…? No matter. She had sworn an oath to help anyone who came to her. Never again did she let anyone die in front of her eyes.
And so, The Apothecary pressed on. Little did she realize that this fateful encounter would set into motion events that would challenge her beliefs and reshape the world she knew.
Writer's Note:
1. Magicycle: a motorcycle equivalent in a parallel universe where the heroine lives.
2. Kingdom of Lies: the dark territory outside the Ice Walls, where the enemy of mankind resides.
3. Ice Walls: the wall that was erected by Heroes of the past to protect mankind's territory from the enemy beyond the world's boundary.
4. Magic circuitry: a strange vessel in mankind that generates mana, giving them the ability to use magic.
Thank you for reading my new short story. It is a story of love between two worlds, inspired by this month's honeyfeed challenge. I'm still a young writer, lacking experience, so your inputs are truly appreciated. If you enjoyed the story please give it a like and share it with your friends! ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝