Richard sitting behind his carpet full of unsold books, he faced the dark alley, where does it lead? What lays there? Unanswered questions carved deeper into his curiosity
Awaiting the right time Richard opened one of his books and started reading, he read loud enough to be heard, but not too loud to be annoying
The sun towered the highest once more, and lunch time began, he pulled the bread, taking a big piece and cutting it into smaller ones. He placed them into a trail; the merchant watched in confusion as Richard went back
The little pale skinny hand reached forward, the child took the smallest piece wish also was the closest, pulling it inside, munching sound was heard, but it was not enough
The next piece was a bit further away, but not too far for his hands, more of his skin showed, that pale dirty hand went out, the torn out old clothes covering the end of it, again pulling another piece inside
It took what it can, making sure it did not reveal its chest or what lays beyond. The big pieces were too far away, there was no attempt to reach for them, only a hesitant hand that went back
Richard stared at the bread, awaiting any sudden movement, suddenly a quick figure moved, a basket was thrown outside, beyond the bread, Richard confused stood in place, the merchant stopped what he was doing for he was curios as well
Suddenly it moved towards the dark, Richard noticed it had a rope to it, he tried to stop that attempt but nothing worked, the biggest of the bread pieces were gone already
He heard the merchant holding his laugh, as he turned back the merchant was just going on with his work
He stood their feeling defeated, he stared at the dark place, his foot stepped forward in hesitation but he went back knowing he can't take this route, he noticed the angry look on the merchant's face
"Don't you ever dare, don't you dare go inside or try to search for the kid", his eyes glared at the confused Richard, but not for long, they came back to their position once a customer was there
The young reader went back behind his carpet, staring once more, people went by, some took a peek at what he was selling, but none purchased any of what he offered
The dark was creeping in, both Richard and the merchant packed their stuff away, as Richard fille his bag wanting to walk away he heard the merchant say
"See you tomorrow?"
Richard looked back, a slight hoped was the light in his eyes as he replied
"See you tomorrow"
After sometime, the market became dark, a figure with a rob walked towards the alleyway, standing outside of it, it was the merchant, holding some food he went inside
The next morning once more he took an extra piece of bread, greeting the bakery owner while leaving
He went to his place, placed his stuff as he sat behind them. Selling was never his purpose, he wished for something else, and that too started to fade a he found a new
Richard decided to open one of his books once more, reading it for the passers without forcing it on them, it begun to hook some kids although their mothers dragged them away
As he the shadow above his books, seeing that Noon haven't caught up yet, he sighed for he was too tired, he leaned back eyes slowly closing, and there he went into sleep
He was in a very dark place, is floor made of paper ingredients about bread, he looked beside him, all kinds that you could think of, but in front of him stood a giant beetle larvae, eating on the honey-butter bread, he found out he had a sword by his side, as he unsheathed it a rock hit his forehead
And another, and a third one as he woke up from sleep, a fourth hit right beside him as he looked Infront, he knew that it was the poor kid from the hand that hid back once Richard woke up
This time he decided to put a full piece of bread, not cutting it, but he sat beside it, awaiting
No attempts, he sat their waiting as time passed, until he heard the sound of the kid's stomach growling, he felt disgusted of his own actions, he wanted to stand up and put it near the alley, but a fast object went right onto his face
His vision was something of the past as he flet the coldness of it, when he finally regained sight, he found it to be mud, and he found that the basket has taken the bread away already
"You know, I tried doing this once, when his sister was the one coming out here, and the same thing happened," said the merchant "She was a silent child" he said as if remembering the sad past, his eyes broken with a smile of pity
"Then why didn't you warn me," said Richard
"It was fun to watch" said he merchant as Richard gave him back annoyed going to pack his stuff as the dark once more came,
"What are you doing this for?" said the merchant, Richard froze
"Are you trying to be or to look good? Or perhaps you might want to prove a point?" asked the merchant
Richard couldn't speak his words out, it seemed anything wouldn't give his intentions justice
He finally spoke what he could condense
"It just, feels so dark, in there"
The merchant did not reply, even though his lower jaw was open as if asking what kind of dump answer is that
"I can never understand you book weirdos" said the merchant "See you tomorrow though"
Ruchard once more with a smile replied
"See you tomorrow"
Richard going inside his room, he was tired, questions kept sweeping the inside and out of his skull, he opened a little bag he was keeping, took and old book out, on it written 'Living in the dark'
It is up to us to think what it means to him, we might never get the chance to
He came back the next day like everyday placing his goods and started to read
He stood up when it was time for lunch once more, but he hesitated to pull out the bread, he stared at the darkness, deciding to stay still this time, he took some of his and started eating, of course placing others, but right beside him to make sure the kid gets out
Rocks hit him one after another, he continued eating, avoiding any mud that was thrown at him, until some hit his books
"What do you think you are doing!" said Richard
Rocks stooped coming, as Richard continued "I don't care whatever you throw at me but if another thing hits any of my book's bread shall be—" he realised he went too far, anger was still carved deep in him
He sat, stopped eating, and stared at the alley, no rocks were thrown for a while, he started to feel guilty, disgusted of his own actions
He stood up and walked forward, holding the bread, he got close enough to the dark, placed it and moved back a couple of steps
The hand moved fast, but he managed to catch a glimpse, something angered him down to the bone, the hand had a bruise, a dark purple colour managed to be seen throw the dirty skin
As he wanted to follow after it, he heard the merchant shouting once more
"Hey!!" said the merchant "Don't, go, in there" he seemed angry, hiding disparity behind the glares
Richard annoyed packed his stuff and walked back before time, the merchant looked at him for a moment not stopping him
Walking down the street he saw kids playing, kicking a ball made out of wood, hallow inside to have as little weight as possible, inside it a sound of little wooden balls kicking around, the sound echoed with him until he went to sleep
While he was walking in the next morning, he made sure to buy a thing rope and a ball like the one he saw
Once he reached by the merchant's side, he placed down his stuff and started working on the ball
He made two holes in it, the rope went from one to the other and was tied tight, he used the same rope around the sturdiest piece of bread he had
The merchant seemed confused, but he did not give much thought into it, the day passed and the sun reached the pinnacle of the sky, hearing the sound of movement he placed the bread forward and went back lighting the ball on fire
The merchant looking at the rope realised what is about to happen
"Don't you dare"
The bread was dragged as the sound of the ball followed after, the merchant tried to stop Richard, but he fled following after the flames
The merchant looked around him, he did not know what to do, he made his mind, and with resolve ran throw as if he knew the way around
Going deeper he bumped into guards who were on duty waling these guards, he just continued after apologizing
He went around following it, left and right, it went throw some small hole in the wall removing some rocks hiding it from the public
The ball was still, it wasn't moving, Luckly the rope hasn't caught on fire yet, he used a stick, putting it inside one of the holds he made, and created a torch out of the ball
He looked around, the roof seemed to be made of the same material as the barracks that surround the alleys
"This must be under the barracks," said Richard
The torch he held had its light creeping outside, some guards noticed it
He went deeper following the rope for he heard someone eating inside
"Hey you!!" screamed a guard from behind
He wanted to find the kid fast, and on his next step he did
Modly bread was thrown everywhere, the deeper he walked the older it was
Until he reached the sound of munching, he was hearing, the guard holding a light put his hand on Richard's,
"I told you to stop! Were you the one to make the hole," said the guard
Richard's face was stunned, his mouth unable to speak, he was staring with wide eyes in front of him, colour drained of his face
"What are you—" as the guard looked as well
The kid sat eating the bread by his sister, or you can say by her corpse, she was long dead, skin fell of revealing the bones, bread, vegetables, fruits, were all over her body, old, rotten and half eaten by the maggots
The merchant finally reached the place, but guards surrounded the hole already, his face changed as they were dragging the body, the kid fighting to get it back, just to be pushed away
When Richard finally went out, he saw the merchant
The merchant fell to his knees, the kid was fighting through the guards to get back his sister just to be kicked and pushed backwards
The child was lying on the side after the guards went away with the corpse, Richard was confused, "How can they take the body and leave the boy like that?"
The merchant's face was dark; he stood up and spoke before Richard could reach towards the kid
"Follow me, I will lead you outside", Richard did as the merchant asked, no words were spoken afterwards