1 Chapter 1: Red Sky
"He runs to the back surrounds him and don't let him escape!"
I desperately run from the danger coming for me. Wearing no shoes because I don't have enough time to do so makes it harder for me to run at full speed. My feet hurt.
"Shit! Shit!"
I run to every corner possible at the back alley of my run-down apartment but in every corner, the thugs just keep blocking my way. I run and run and finally, there's no way to run anymore as I was pushed to a wall with no way out.
"You can't run anymore can you, you trash!"
I take a fighting stance trying to fight them but it's a futile action. One of the tug using a steel pipe smash my rib as I try to counter him.
"Garrghh!!", I scream in pain.
Living as a shut-in for 10 years of my life really makes my body weak. After that one blow even standing is hard for me. Even so, I acted strong and stand as my feet trembling. I can't act weak or I will really die!
"Are you serious? Hey! looks how he's still trying to stand even after I smash his ribs!"
"Looks how he's struggling like a worm!"
"Hahahahahahahaha!"
"S-shut up!"
I shouted at the thug following the angry emotion that bottled up inside me.
"Huh?"
The leader of the tug, the one who hits me just now looks at me with a killing stare.
"What gives you the idea that you can shout at us like that? Why do you think we even went our way to pick up trash like you?"
He comes closer to my face looking eyes to eyes like a prey looking at it hunt.
"It's because of your father, who died without paying all his money back. If you don't want to die then you just need to pay for it. It's that easy right?"
"W-who cares about that?! My money is my own! I don't care about the debt and all that! Just don't get me involved in your stupid business!"
I said it. But truly I am not in the wrong. Just now I was just watching my favorite anime and then this guys come after me. The last time I even met my father was 28 years ago. I don't even remember his face or anythin so it's not my responsibility to pay back his debt!
I am not wrong... But... that's not for me to decide.
"I see..."
That thug leader gets away from my face.
"I understand... I really do... I am so sorry for this... Well..."
As he apologizes to me in a sarcastic way he took something out of his pocket, I thought it's a knife so I get ready to dodge it but...
"Die"
Bang!
It was a gun after all. The bullet with a speed of 102 miles per hour was impossible to be dodge. It strikes through my right triceps making me immobilized in a shock.
"ARGHHHHHHHH!!!!"
I shout my lungs out from the unbearable pain. The burning sensation and aggravating pain coming from its making my sight blurred. My mind becomes more and more unstable like I was about to pass out.
It hurt! It hurt!
As I was screaming in agony the guy just laugh and smile sinisterly.
"Sorry, Sorry. It should hit your head but I misfired hahaha!", He laughs as he said it.
"You bastard..."
He purposely misfired so I would crawl to the ground like a wall. This bastard is just the worst of the worst! His personality is no more human, he's just a devil!
"Huh... That was a good laugh"
"B-boss... isn't this a little bit..."
"Ah... you are right I should have shot him at the other hand too so he can feel double the pain. But whatever, I got bored with this already."
He points his gun again at me and this time properly at my head. As he looks at me he gives me the glare of someone looking at real trash crying and kissing the ground.
"Alright! Alright! I will end your pain so you better appreciate it!"
*Pant*Pant*
Losing my mind as I am hearing this bastard talking to me as he's a god saving a pitiful servant really doesn't sit well with me... I rather die by my own choice rather than dying by his hand!
I stand with all the strength I have and in a struggling state as I am holding the places that were shot tightly I run away from the thugs.
"W-wait!"
"Just let him be"
"But boss!"
"It's alright. He'll die sooner or later with all the blood loss. And even if he asks for help from the neighborhood no one will help him anyway. This place is full of shit and trash people coming together. So just takes out your cigarettes and wait"
It hurts!!!!!!!!!!!!
It hurts even more as I am moving in this state. Everyone around the neighborhood glares at me as I passed by them. Some even glare from the floor above. But no one called out to me and try to help me. This is not the first time things like this happened in the place where I live. Everyone is struggling to even live for themselves so helping others is not an option for them. I did the same too. But after feeling this enormous pain I just realized, the horror of dying. If I had known this early maybe I would have helped people that experience this kind of pain back then.
Just where did it go wrong?
What do I even do?
Back then I led a promising life. Graduated from high school with a great result. Going to a top college. Land a great job. But why... Suddenly I stop my job after my mom passed away... I eat and take a shit whenever I want and suddenly I found myself living in that run-down apartment. Feeding myself with a lie saying this is the happiness I seek, I continue to become a shut-in.
Yesterday I found out that my father die but it doesn't give me any impact since I only know him for a short time since he left me and my mother when I was a kid. I don't really care whether he's alive or not. But suddenly... This happens... Just a while back then I was still enjoying my moe anime series...
Why... Why did this happen to me?
As I run through the street, the sun set down. The light from the sun blinds my already blurred eyes. The sight of the sun is really beautiful even though I can't see it clearly. The red sky brimming with such a strong pride, that sight just hit a switch inside my heart. Maybe I am just appreciating this moment even more than before because I am about to die. I run and run until I started to lose consciousness. I don't even know where I am about to head to or where I am but when I realized it... A truck was coming at me at full speed.
And... that's when I die.
.
.
.
.
.
I wish I had died that time... But I didn't...
My journey starts and ends under that red sky on that day.
.
.
.
.
.
