"I'm hungry…"
The room was simple. Four worn walls, a narrow window letting in the pale morning light.
My stomach growled.
Grrr…
I glanced at the wallet on the table.
Slowly, I opened it. A few coins.
Clink, clink.
I sighed.
I stood up carefully, my legs heavy.
The floor creaked beneath my steps.
Creeeak… creeeak…
I opened the door.
Tac.
Cold air hit my face.
I walked down the street like someone carrying their own body as a burden.
In the distance, I heard the muffled sound of a cart passing.
Tok, tok, tok…
A dog barked.
Woof! Woof!
I kept walking, each step slower than the last.
A small convenience store appeared at the corner.
The door had a foggy glass pane and a rusty bell hanging above.
Tring…
I stepped inside.
The air was still, carrying the smell of stale coffee, and the shelves were nearly empty.
The shopkeeper, a thin man with a tired expression, looked up.
"Morning…" he said, without much energy.
"Morning…" I replied, placing the coins on the counter.
He counted them slowly.
"This'll get you a piece of bread and a coffee."
I nodded.
Clack.
A cup was placed on the counter along with a small bread wrapped in thin paper.
I picked them up carefully.
"Thanks."
"Take care."
Tring…
I left the store.
The cold wind greeted me again.
I walked back the same way, the smell of coffee mixing with the air.
When I got home, I closed the door slowly.
Tac.
I sat at the table and looked at the bread.
It wasn't much… but for today, it would be enough.
The cold wind cut through the street.
Storefronts were dark, some with crooked signs barely hanging.
An old newspaper blew along the sidewalk.
Fshhh…
I passed by a dog rummaging through trash.
Rip… rip…
The smell of burnt oil drifted from an abandoned workshop.
Plim…
A streetlamp flickered, spitting weak sparks.
Not long after, I heard voices — first low, then tense.
I quickened my pace.
Turning the corner, I saw a narrow alley.
Inside, a man was gripping an elderly woman by the arm.
"Hand it over, old lady!"
My body froze for a moment.
Should I help?
I had no strength, no money to get into trouble…
But before I could think, my legs were already moving.
I ran and shoved the man against the wall.
Thud!
"Go! Quickly!" I shouted to the woman.
She looked startled but ran without a word.
When I turned to the thief, he was already charging at me.
Fast footsteps.
In his hand, a dirty knife caught the dim glow of the streetlamp.
I tried to dodge.
But my body was slow… weak.
Shhk!
The knife sank into my stomach.
Air rushed out of my lungs.
"Ah… damn it…"
The thief shoved me aside.
Thud!
"Look at you… a failed hero."
He spat on the ground.
"Not even worth finishing the job."
He turned and ran down the alley.
Footsteps fading…
My knees gave out.
The ground was cold against my face.
Sshhh… — the distant sound of wind mixed with the faint thump in my ears.
Every breath burned.
The taste of iron rose in my throat.
The edges of my vision began to darken.
My fingers tried to press the wound… but there was no strength left.
The sounds of the street were fading away.
The cold crept upward through my body, starting from my feet.
The world felt distant.
The sky above seemed to close in.
And then…
Everything went dark.