"The Mother"

The night was a sorrowful one, the darkness and coldness a harsh reminder of the bleakness of life. Snowflakes, as bright as the moonlight, fell from the sky, drifting aimlessly to the ground and covering the ground in a thick blanket of white, a reminder of how fragile life is. The coldness in the air pierced even the thickest of layers, as if the winter was reminding the people of its wrathful nature. The quietness of the night was only broken by the howling of the wind and the distant sounds of the village. Away from the happy people getting drunk on cheap ale in the taverns, there was a mother and her little child, both wearing torn and worn cloaks, which were composed of colorful patches. Their attire betrayed the poverty they were living in, with no money to buy proper clothes for themselves. They were begging for scraps of food, trying to survive in the cold, snowy weather. It was a sad image, the coldness of the environment and the lack of resources for survival a stark contrast to the warmth of the taverns. The mother was pale, weary and full of wrinkles. Her face was a testament to the many hardships and pains she had lived through. Her hair had white strands here and there, a reminder of the years that had passed over her head. The boy, on the other hand, stood in stark contrast to the mother's poor health, possessing his natural complexion. It was clear the two were living in dire conditions, trying to survive as best as they could by begging for scraps of food. The contrast between the mother and her son was a sad picture as the duo's begging went fruitless, they decided to move to a quieter area in an alley. Their steps were slow, their bodies weighed down by a sense of helplessness. Even though they had managed to survive this far, they felt a sense of fear and worry that their survival would be short-lived. The mother silently prayed for a miracle while protecting her son with what little strength she had left. Though she wasn't sure she had much time left, the mother still clung onto hope that a kind soul would pass by and have mercy on them..The mother quietly sang a song to her son which was 

"Close your eyes, my dear son,

Keep your eyes shut,

And let the dreams come to you,

Let the restful sleep come to you.

The night is dark and cold.

Close your eyes, my dear son."

The mother watches as the man in a white mask moves towards her and her son, causing her heart to skip a beat. She calmly asks him, "Who are you and why are you approaching my son and I?" The man reassures her that he is not going to hurt her or her son, showing her a painted picture of which she can only describe as the image of a drunk man and a knife. She is unsure what the man's intentions are, but she keeps her guard up, cautiously and gently asking him to leave her and her son in peace. The mask-wearing man's words echo in the mother's mind, "you will kill this man for a gold coin, and your son and you will have enough food to survive for an entire year." She stares at the man in a white mask, her heart throbbing in her chest. She is unsure what to do, but she is also aware of the seriousness of the situation. After a few seconds of hesitation, she quietly says, "I'm in, but I don't want my son to know anything about this. She couldn't believe what was coming out of her mouth but it was all for the sake of her son,if it was for her son's future she would be able to kill. the man replies "Don't worry he will never find out".The mother takes the knife and slowly approaches the tavern where the people of the village were getting drunk on cheap ale. She waits patiently for a few hours until finally seeing the drunk man in the picture walking out from the tavern. She hides the knife on her and approaches him politely, calling him secretly down the alley. The drunk man follows her obediently, walking down the alley with her. As they reach the end of the alley, she takes the knife out and puts it through his heart. She walks away from the alley, leaving the knife sticking out in his chest. She stares at him in shock, struggling to believe her actions. She feels herself going numb, her mind flooding with a wave of shock and disbelief. She starts to shake, finding it hard to breathe. She finally snaps back to reality and heads toward the alley where she and her son are residing. The mother walks the alley and sees blood coming from the corner. She feels a gut-wrenching sensation go through her, her heart starting to beat quickly. She turns the corner to see the source of the blood, only to find a horrid scene. Her son's eyes lie out of his head, a gold coin in his forehead. His throat was cut open, blood flowing everywhere. She is shocked and horrified by the sight, collapsing down onto the snow soaked in blood. She realized when the mask-wearing man said "Don't worry he will never find out".