And here was the pain.

Aron woke up to the feeling of a thousand needles piercing every inch of his skin. There was pain everywhere. It took him a few efforts before he could open his eyes. A whimper escaped his lips.

Soft light, coming through curtains with silver flowers. And it brought back the memories from earlier that night. He had collapsed, it seemed. The bed, it didn't feel like his own. A soft blanket had been draped over him. And the smell, there was a sweet scent drifting through the room. Flowers on the wall, this wasn't his room!

He tried to move his head to get a better view of where he was, most probably somewhere in Grandma Jens apartment. But his neck caught on fire and he couldn't stop the groan.

The sound of soft footsteps and in walked the woman herself. There was concern written on the old face, concern which ebbed.

"Good", huffed Grandma Jen. She walked over and pulled the curtains away, flooding the room with light. Aron was forced to cover his eyes, his brain conjuring images of a similar white light. He shook his head.

Work! He had work to attend!

It was already morning and judging by the light he was a few hours late. Mr Omar was going to kill him. He tried to scramble off the bed, groaned as more needles pierced his skin before he succumbed to the pain and the lights went out.

This time, Aron woke up in a dark room. Not entirely dark for the soft glow of the moon rested inside. There was still pain, less now. He felt tired and his throat was as dry as it ever had been.

Under the soft glow of the moon, Arons thoughts turned to the events of yesterday. The robbers somehow knew he had money. How? Yesterday he had been paid four weeks worth of wages. Not a substantial amount by any means, just substantial for Aron. But it was only something he and Mr Omar knew. He thought of Mr Omar, a no nonsense face, serious all the time. He didn't like his employer but Mr Omar was the only one in the city of Across to offer him a job, be it on pays lower than average. Aron was grateful for it but a part of him became suspicious. Was it like Mr Omar to take back what he had paid? The antique shop had seen less traffic in recent months but enough that should have allowed Mr Omar to pay Aron his dues but still the man had withheld the wages. Huh. And he also needed to find out about the white light. Too bad he couldn't afford a phone but the public library at the University had free computers. Right.

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Arons thoughts were interrupted by the sound of soft footfalls. Grandma Jen walked in with a tray. Steam and the aroma of spices wafted into the air. She flicked a switch and the fluorescent light spread across the room.

She placed the tray on the table by the bed and sat on the edge of the bed and looked at him. "So, what happened?"

"Robbers", Aron croaked. He contemplated how much he could tell his landlady, realising how incredulous it would all sound.

Grandma Jen pursed her lips for a moment. "They didn't get the money."

"Secret pocket", Aron said. He winced, a half smile on his lips reflected on the older woman's face. He patted his right thigh to indicate where it was and realised he was naked. He sat shocked for a moment, desperate to take a peek under the blanket to confirm his suspicions. His face caught on fire, for a very different reason.

Oh no!

This, this felt worse than everything that had happened so far.

Grandma Jen smiled, got up. "Nothing I've never seen before."

Aron was sure his face could fry an egg.

"You can eat on your own?", asked Grandma Jen.

Trying to shake off his embarrassment, Aron wrapped the blanket tight around his waist and reached for the tray. His body still ached but not to the point where he was rendered immobile.

He took a spoonful of the soup. It was good, warm and with enough spices to lit a small fire in his belly.

Grandma Jen hovered around the door, a pleased expression on her wrinkled face.

"How long have I been here?" inquired Aron.

"Two days."

Aron sighed. A sinking feeling sucked in all the warmth of the soup. Two days…two whole days. His job…Aron shook his head. He finished the bowl of soup. He felt tired. Very tired now. He closed his eyes.

Aron was up the next morning. He found a worn shirt and pants by the chair and slid into them. He flexed his arms and legs, there was pain. Especially around his ribs but he could walk. For the sake of it, he jumped a few times and winced but he could walk.

He left a fawning Grandma Jen with a packet of meals, a few ointments and headed up the stairs of the small apartment complex. He turned the keys and entered his apartment. It smelled, compared to Grandma's apartment, every house probably would. He hadn't made his bed and there was dust on everything but it was home and a sense of comfort seeped into him.

He smiled, left his bag and the packet of food.

He needed to see Mr Omar.