"Catch that brat!"
A group of men was chasing a young boy; his clothes were dirty, and he was wearing nothing but a few scraps for his clothes.
"Damn it!" The boy murmured while running out of breath.
They ran for a while reaching a sinkhole.
The boy stopped as he looked around trying to find a way to escape.
"No way to run huh?" A voice came from behind.
He looked back at the group of men who were now closing in on him slowly, they had a grin on their faces.
The boy took a step back reaching closer to the hole.
"We know you won't jump, you have a weak, sick mother to take care of, don't you?"
The boy gritted his teeth in anger.
"Shut up!"
The next time the boy blinked, one of the men was now behind him.
'Crap! I let my guard down' the boy thought subconsciously as a fist came crashing down onto him.
The boy was sent flying towards the other men.
One of the men crouched down and began to talk, "You know you didn't have to get beaten if you had just given us the money, right?"
The boy began to cry, "It's...for my...mother treatment, please don't...take it," his voice shaky, breathy, while quivering.
"You think I care?"
They then forced him to give all the bits they had collected by begging and working.
"Hmm...It's a pretty decent amount 50...that should do for today"
One of the men kicked the boy in the stomach as they left.
"It...hurts...!"
He lay on the ground, clenching his stomach in pain, his eyes watery.
He slowly stood up after a while, still holding onto his stomach, and began to walk.
It took him a while to reach his destination, but he made it.
He looked at the woman sleeping peacefully on the ground not bothered by the coldness of the ground.
She woke up due to the noise she heard.
Looking at the boy, she smiled, "What is it, Sam?"
"I..am sorry I couldn't bring anything today...mom"
The woman gestured for him to come sit and put him in a tight, warm embrace.
"It's ok, there's no need to be sad, young man!" She patted his head.
Sam, quivering, stopped as he slowly fell asleep in his mother's arms.
She looked at the boy with her eyes now filled with sorrow and pain.
"I...am sorry that..I made you suffer like this because of my own selfish desires"
She then coughed her hands now had blood on them.
'...I don't have much time left...'
After a while, she also fell asleep.
---
It was the next day that the radiance of the sunlight lit up Sam's face.
He slowly woke up and rubbed his eyes while looking around. His mom was still asleep.
He took the rag of clothes that were stitched together to form a blanket.
As he placed it on his mother.
He looked at her for a while and spoke in a small voice, "I will be back"
The boy then moved through the alleyway on the way seeing other people who were in the same state as them.
Some of them greeted him while others just ignored him and went on with their day.
He reached his usual spot and sat there, placing his hand on his face as he looked at the passers-by going on about their day.
'Must be fun huh? Not to worry about how to live for another day, trying not to die from hunger and the cold' Sam sighed inwardly.
He saw the group of men who chased him around picking on another boy.
"Well at least they won't come after me for a week"
He then went on to beg for the entire day and managed to collect 45 bits.
"This should do for today"
The boy stood up looking at the factories that were producing harmful gases that filled the air.
He froze for a while staring into the night sky, which was filled with stars it looked beautiful.
"Hay kid!"
He jolted and looked at where the strange voice came from.
Sam saw a man wearing a black robe and mask he couldn't see his face or body.
Sam responds, "Yes?"
"Your eyes are... filled with pain and despair"
Sam looked at the man now feeling uncomfortable.
"Umm.. excuse me?"
"I...can see it...your eyes...it's filled with nothing but dispair and sadness"
Sam shivered hearing those words, "I..am sorry but I got to g-"
"It's ok...here take this.."
The man pulled out a strange-looking bottle, which had a purpleish colour.
"Sorry, but my mom told me not to accept the gifts from strangers..."
"Your mother is sick...right?"
Sam hasitated then slightly nodded.
"Give this to her..."
The man handed Sam the mysterious potion-like thing.
"Why are you...giving me this?" Sam asked confused.
"The future will tell you that..."
The man paused, "You don't have much time go to your mother..."
Sam started to walk away with the potion in his hands.
He then realised he never thanked the man.
Sam turned around, but there was no one there.
"Where did he go?"
He felt scared, so he ran, not stopping for anything or anyone, until he reached where his mom was.
But when he got he saw his mother surrounded in blood.
He rushed towards her, "What happened!?"
Panicking he held his mother's hands.
He thought now a complete mess he looked at the bottle the strange man gave him.
Sam didn't plan on using it but there might be a chance.
He took the bottle off the ground and called to his mother.
"Mom, drink this, or it might make you feel better!"
As the woman looked at the bottle, she jolted, "Where...did you get this?" Her voice raspy
"A strange man gave it to me! But that doesn't matter right now please drink this"
She then grabbed the boy, holding him in a tight grip, opened the bottle, and poured the potion into his mouth.
"What are you doing mom!?"
"It's for-" He couldn't speak or resist.
Intently a rush of pain flooded his body.
It was hard to describe burning from the inside, bones breaking down, and rebuilding. His head felt like it was exploding from all the pain.
It was like his body was being torn apart and reattached. He wanted to scream in pain but couldn't due to the overwhelming pain.
But he felt warm when his mother put him in a tight hug, not letting him go.
This made him feel a little better and was the sole reason he didn't break right then and there.
Sam calmed down, but he noticed something: the warmth of the body was now going away.
"Sam...I am sorry but...even if I were to drink that it wouldn't work...for my final wish... please don't die like me... live a happy life...son"
"All I have done is burden you... please live on for me alright?"
When he opened his eyes all he saw was a wide smile plastered on her face not if a single hit of regret on her face.
"Mom...?"
A single drop of tear dropped from his eyes soon more and more did the boy began to break down looking at his mother's lifeless body.
"Why?"
Her eyes which were lovely and filled with joy were now dimmed.
The boy shook her again and again but she didn't move.