Having a few clothing options that are worn out is sufficient for me. Thunder cracks the skies canvas, the sound remindingme of cracked bones and bloodied teeth. Raising my head back towards the sky as I close my eyes. The rain drops hitting my face, cold and striking.
Maybe this is how life is supposed to always feel like, surrounded by chaotic sounds like the rain drops racing each other to the ground, cars, footsteps, words, heart beats.
Overwhelming.
Sticking my tongue out, tasting the clear water as I grab the empty plastic water bottle that I stole a few days ago from the grocery store. Opening the lid as I hold it up towards the sky, water filling up slowly. Sighing in relief that I can finally have some clear water for a while since my parents refuse to get a filter. The thought of the amount of germs swimming in the water that they drink from the kitchen basin makes my stomach roll in knots.
I raise the bottle to my lips, gulping down the small amount I could fill up for now.
Looking out into the woods as the leaves on the ground glisten. An idea pops into my head.
Closing the now empty bottle firmly as I put it back, the storm seems to be getting worse and it takes twenty minutes to walk home. Debating if I should go for it and walk back home before night or find shelter for a while.
Any place would be safer than home.
Thin trees scatter around me as I walk through the forest, all the noises surrounding me quieten down. Leaves crunch under my footsteps, the green sneakers are almost black from the mud covering each side. Coldness shakes my bones but I keep going further into the woods towards nowhere.
Getting tired as I slide down a tree trunk and grab a leaf, rolling it slightly as I hold the water bottle down and push the leaf inside, creating a funnel. The rain glides down easier into the bottle, filling it up faster.
Smiling in my pride as my idea works.
The sweater clings to my body, sleeves heavy on my arms as the cloth soaks the rain. Resting the back of my head onto the rough trunk, closing my eyes as I rest a bit, letting the world shut down around me and soak in the moment of comfort.
Crunch.
My gaze snaps open as the sound of leaves crushed underneath someone nearby echoed.A tall figure appears ahead. I stand up quickly, grabbing my things and go behind the tree hiding, my back hitting the trunk as I slide down onto the muddy ground. I wrap my arms around my backpack tightly, knuckles whitening. This is all I have and I won't lose it. Holding my breath and shutting my eyes, hoping this figure passes by and won't bother to hurt me.
The footsteps get louder with each passing second, heartbeats drumming in my ears.
The footsteps halt.
I open one eye to check around me, nothing is here.
Finally, I let out the breath I had been holding and immediately regretted it. A rough hand grabs the collar of my sweater roughly as I get yanked upwards, my glasses fall to the ground. I hope it didn’t break, I just taped it back last night. The backpack is still in my firm grip like a shield.
“What are you doing here, it’s not safe to wander around alone in the woods, little boy.” a rough scratchy male voice fills the air.
A Police officer uniform appears in my vision, a light blue button up shirt tucked into black pants. A gold tinted badge with the Grimbridge Unit title engraved around it. My frantic green eyes meet his gray sharp ones, tired eyebags decorating it.
“I’m sorry, I was just—” My lips tremble as I stutter.
My back hits the ground, the mud soaking into the wool of my sweater as he lets me go and puts back his gun in the back pocket.
“Carry along.” He snarls
I touch the mud looking around for my glasses. “Can you please help me find my glasses? I can’t lose them, m-my father would—“ tears well up in my eyes as I grunt out in pain. His boots kick my ribs, my body rolling away from the force.
“I Said. Carry. Along.”
A sob breaks out of me as I nod frantically, crawling backwards on my hands and legs. I reach for my bag, standing up as I scurry away from this man.
Tears mix with the rain on my face. My parents won’t look for me anyways but I need to find a shelter.
Heaviness in my chest weighs me down every time my foot hits the ground. I don’t know how much I have been running or where I’m heading. My feet trips over a rock and I fall face first, softening the blow with my hands. Water splashing intensely as I look up. A small river splits the ground, rain falling into it. I start Crawling towards it until my reflection stares back at me, the image distorted with the disturbed stream.
I cup some water into my hands, rinsing off the mud on my face.
The absence of my glasses fills my soul with dread, my father won’t stop beating me for losing it, while mother would watch tv, unfazed.
