Shen Yu looked around the house which was covered with a thin layer of dust after been abandoned by its owner for nearly a week.
Except from his room, he barely stepped into anywhere else in the house since the funeral.
It was the same house he lived in since he was three but draped in a eerie uncomfortable silence it suddenly became unfamiliar and cold.
Shen Yu looked around with deep, black eyes. He made sure all the windows were tightly closed. Although he didn't know why.
It wasn't like he was coming back.
After that he turned off all the lights.
At the door, a black bag of trash stashed in a small crack between the shoe rack and the wall caught his eye.
It stood out like a sore thumb.
Not wanting to leave it like that, he grabbed it on his way out.
The cold evening breeze swept over his face as he walked out of the building. One hand holding the trash bag and the other tugged on his neck of his hoodie unconsciously. Trying to preserve warmth.
Thick, gray clouds hung on the sky, obscuring the tiny moon that was just starting to rise.
The weather was about 10°C. It wasn't chilling but also not too friendly.
Shen Yu noticed that the old people who normally set up a table to play games at the entrance of the old neighborhood building were absent, perhaps afraid of catching a cold. He breath out in relief.
Not wanting to put up with all those condolences that sound the same each time they saw him or eyes full with pity that always linger on him.
After taking a turn to the left of the gate one could easily smell the foul odor lingering in the air before even seeing the large green dumpster. There where two standing side by side.
One was already filled and the other was just half filled.
Shen Yu didn't expect to run into someone here.
The person also noticed him and shrank back. Eyeing him wearily.
It didn't help that he was fully dressed all black this late.
The little boy held the bag he was about to dispose of to his chest, until he saw that it was a familiar face which he often saw.
He then walked closer. "Uncle, can you help me with this?"
With his height which wasn't up to the bin itself, he couldn't push the trash bag in.
Shen Yu didn't say anything. He grabbed the bag with his other empty hand and trashed both bags. He then shot the little boy a look. "Its late. Hurry up and go home."
The kid nodded, immediately running of. "Thank you uncle."
Shen Yu wanted to correct him that he wasn't old enough to be called uncle but the kid was out of sight in seconds.
He traced his step back but didn't return hope, instead he took the opposite road and towards the busy street.
The streets light shone dimly and his shadow streched out besides him and into the road.
There was not much car passing and a spicy aroma of hot dumplings drifted from a stand tucked in a small alley.
His stomach stirred, letting out a faint grumble in protest. It was then he remembered that he had not eaten anything since the night before.
Shen Yu increased his pace, not planning to make a stop with a destination already in mind.
He took a number of turns to shorten the distance which lead to him passing the back of a familiar fence.
It was newly reinforced but one could see a hint of the old, greyish black walls that stood there just some months ago.
After half of the wall collapsed during an heavy storm. Iron rooster, their Vice principal almost turned bald headed overnight as all the school delinquents unanimously started to regard it as their own school gate.
For the month before the wall was repaired he stood there like a soldier with a broom for a riffle, wacking all the unfortunate beings that dared to cross before dragging them to the assembly to melt out the real punishment.
Shen Yu could imagine the field with slightly overgrown green grass just over the wall which was just being the abandoned science building.
His parents moved here to the west of Yinfeng city when he was three and he started attending school here since then.
He didn't remember when it started but the other kids started alienating him and even the friends he made drifted away.
It was okay at first, just a bit lonely.
But the heart of children was either good or totally evil.
They started to pick on him and it got worse after his father died when he was in fith grade.
Now he was in the elevent grade. Shen Yu himself knew he was a resilient, he just had to endure for one year. Just one more year.
He could go away to a new place. Somewhere free of these people who were worst than demons.
Then he got a call about the car accident.
A drunkard truck driver had hit his mother. She died on spot.
Shen Yu's world fell apart at that moment.
The only person he lived for was gone.
So why should he keep on living?
By the time his thoughts settled down he had arrived at where he wanted.
He leaned against the guardrails of the bridged, staring at the waters that reflected the moonless skies like a dark abyss without a bottom.
If there is no reason to live then why not just end it all?