Chapter 2: The Desert

"What's wrong, papa?" a woman in her mid-twenties asks a young boy, her voice gentle but her eyes scanning his face with growing concern.

"I'm just really—" he says before his tears and snot drown his voice. Once more, he tries to finish his sentence.

"It's because Justin—" sniff, still wiping his tears, he's unable to finish.

"It's because Justin hurt his knee," his mother responds, knowing what he wanted to say. "Didn't he trip because he wanted to steal the money I gave you for lunch?" his mother says to understand why he's crying.

With a golden hue, his eyes shine the second he responds to his mother. "He had bruises on his belly. He's suffering."

"Well, isn't that thoughtful," she says, with a face mixed with astonishment and concern.

She starts to embrace him in her arms to soothe his childish heart with a kind smile that can't help but feel glad. His attitude towards someone who hates him is so refreshingly sweet that his mother can't help but feel proud and glad to have such a son.

While his mother's embrace slightly soothes his heart, he can't help but feel his heart sting with pain.

That night when everyone slept, he couldn't help but feel obligated to somehow help the bully. On his knees with his head on the ground, he cried out not for himself but for Justin. His mind filled with worries and thoughts for someone who hadn't shown him kindness once besides lending him a dollar.

Even that wasn't necessarily out of the kindness of Justin's heart but simply because "He looked poor." Yet his heart stressed over those bruises on Justin's stomach. His mouth stretched out in devastation as the tears trickled down his eyes and seeped into his mouth.

"I saw his dad push him out of his car harshly once. What will his dad do if the school tells him that his son has been bullying me? It's my fault; I should've just given him my lunch money."

Alex kept telling himself what he did wrong and what he could've done. His thoughts then began to think about how Justin's dad would punish him.

"I saw a cut on his side that reopened. What if the school sees all his injuries? What if his dad is arrested? If he isn't, he'll punish Justin more. If he is, what if Justin is sent to a worse home?"

Alex kept spouting what-ifs in his mind. It was like time had stopped and what remained moving was his tears, thoughts, and beating heart.

*Thump. Thump. Thump.*

His heart kept thumping like an impatient finger tapping on the table. He started grasping his heart through his chest as his breathing became weaker. Until eventually, it seemed like time around him unfroze and he stopped, falling to the floor like a string in his mind snapped, causing his to cease working.

*Panting and gasping for air.*

Alex, with wide-opened eyes, puts his hand on his chest. He stabilizes his breathing by sucking in as much air as he can before blowing it out his mouth. After a while, he stabilizes his breathing to the point where he can breathe in and out through his nose.

He collects himself before looking at his surroundings as the once dark view dissipates like flakes. Eventually, until the completely pitch-black area disappears to reveal a bright sky and a desolate desert.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of sand being stepped on. The noise seemed to draw nearer, growing louder with each step. Emerging from the direction of the sun was a figure shrouded in the blinding light, steadily approaching him until it stood directly before him, mounting a camel.

"I assume you are Alex," the man said, his head held high, exuding an air of nonchalance. His words carried a slight accent as he stood cloaked in fine robes, his face concealed beneath a head covering. He held the reins of another camel, guiding it to stand beside Alex, who remained on his knees, gazing up at him.

"What are you waiting for? Hop on. I'll answer the many questions you must have," the robed man said, his welcoming smile inviting Alex to join him on the camel.

Feeling at ease, Alex rose to his feet and dusted off his knees before mounting the camel. As he settled in, the man grasped the reins firmly, though his smile seemed strained.

"Here, lightly flick the reins like this," the man instructed, his warm demeanor tinged with a hint of sorrow as he demonstrated for Alex.

Alex couldn't fully comprehend why the man was being so welcoming, at least not in that moment.