I put my hand under my chin as I think of a plot, a lot of writers in my writing community are always good at writing fantasy that is mixed with the system-like story and good at narrating the character's action but I don't have the great writing style for those genres.
"For the criteria, the content quality such as plot is interesting enough. "
"The character's emotion and design and the world background are interesting enough for us, The Scripturient's League Editors, and much better if it could hook us."
I remember what Karyle said on the stream, it should be interesting enough that could hook them. I laid my back against my tent, thinking for a minute.
I quickly opened my hologram keyboard and screen. As a writer, I knew that I'm not good at world-building and character design concepts. With this story I had in mind, I hope it could somehow connect with the editors.
--PROLOGUE--
"You will live another day" those words will forever be buried in my mind.
New Year is always welcomed with a smile, excitement from all people around the world. Their face expression expresses how they're looking forward to the year. For everyone, it's their starting point.
A starting point in a new year.
When was my starting point? It wasn't on New Year. It was on... The day that I almost lost myself.
Chapter 1
It was a fine morning, the sound of the summer cicadas made a young blacked haired boy relax.
"Mom! Mom!" the young blacked hair boy called out.
"What is it, Shiki? Mom is busy here!"
"Mom, just look at this. I made a dragon origami. It's cool, right?"
A smile tugs on the woman's face. She nodded, "It is"
"Helloo, where's my great man?" A voice of a man is heard outside. Shiki quickly ran, heading outside the house.
"Daddd!" Shiki called out as a man around his late 20s lift him up in his arms.
"Where's Mom?" Shiki pointed inside the house. "Mom is cooking"
"Come onn inside, Mom is probably waiting"
"Oh, you're so early, dear. It's not lunch yet" Shiki's mother said as she kissed her husband's cheek.
'The boss made us go home early"
Shiki happily eats with his family. Everything was fine for him. The world is stress-free for the young Shiki, Shiki Matsuda. Life as a kid is full of joy and laughter, it was stress-free.
"Mom! Mom?" Shiki called out as he went downstairs. The sound of breaking plates, shouts, and cries is heard in the kitchen.
"What?! You want to send Shiki off to the orphanage?"
"Yes, we don't have much money to sustain Shiki"
Shiki slowly walked towards the wall and listen to his parent's conversation, "I can't even buy what Shiki wants...All I want is for Shiki to be happy" Shiki's father said and sits on a chair, rubbing the bridge of his nose, holding back himself to cry.
"We are drowning with so much debt." Shiki's father added. Shiki's mother wiped her tears and sits across his chair, looking at the envelopes that are placed on the table. She grabbed all the envelopes and flips them.
"We can't even pay today's bills," Shiki's father said.
"I'll work, I'll find a job. I don't want our son to be sent to an orphanage." Shiki's mother said, crying.
Shiki glance down, doesn't know what's going on and clueless about why his parents were crying.
"Mom, where is Dad?" I asked as I heard Mom crying.
Mom wiped her tears before turning her head around to looked at me and gave me a smile, "He went out to find a job"
On that day, I never saw Dad. Few years have passed,
I never receive any message from him. I never knew where he was. Mom kept dodging my question about Dad. I studied high school and currently living with Mom. I saw Mom, busy working.
"Mom, are you okay?" I asked. "Your couch seems to be more than 3 weeks now"
Mom smiling again like it didn't much affect her, "I'm fine."
"Mom, let me help yo--"
"Shiki, just please do your best always in school."
And that's what kept me going to do my best at school. Sometimes, I saw her sleeping on the table with tears in her eyes.
Just where is my Dad?
"What? I saw your Dad with another woman a few years ago. Must have been tough for your Mom"
"I don't think he tried to find a job, I saw him with another woman as he left your home"
With that statement, my world is slowly covered with black.
It was afternoon, I shut my textbook and stretch. I rest my cheek on the palms of my hand as I looked at the textbooks that I studied. Studying really drains me.
My stomach suddenly growls, I stood up from my seat and went out of my room. As I went downstairs, I heard a sudden thud. I hurriedly went downstairs and my eyes widened, Mom collapsed and her hand is on her chest as if she felt so much pain.
I quickly call an ambulance and carried Mom. The beeping sound of the machine and the stench of the antiseptic alcohol slowly made my Mom wake up.
"How are you, Mom?" I asked and hold her hand. She looked at her hand with an inserted IV.
"Where are we, Shiki?"Mom asked.
"We're in the hospital, you suddenly collapsed in the kitchen."
"Shiki, we should go home now. I'm fi--"
"Mom" I cut her sentence off, "Please rest for a while. You've been working very hard lately."
Mom gave me her fragile smile, "Okay"
I thought after 24 hours, Mom and I could go home but I was wrong. The doctor recommended me to let my Mom stay for more days to examine my Mom's condition.
I thought the doctors would give so much hope and be the patient's hero but I never knew their words would hurt me so much, adding so much hopelessness.
"Your Mom has idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, it's a rare case of her age. It usually happens between the ages 50 and 70. She needs to stay here for a long-time."
"Doc, is that severe?"
"It's rare and could be worse, it's a progressive lung disease however there are several treatments that can help relieve the symptoms and slow down its progression."
Thinking about the bills, payments of the hospital, I didn't mind it all. I just want my Mom to live by my side.