Day after day, the summer sun subtly shifted, heralding the end of August. In this capricious season, a child—the boy ridiculed by his peers and scorned by mentors, labeled as "idiot"—was quietly undergoing a revolution.
His muscles grew fuller with constant exercise, his steps firmer, and the water bucket that once required both hands to carry could now be hoisted with one with increasing ease.
Once a taxing chore, what used to require his utmost effort had become a simple task. His skin, under the relentless sun, had taken on a healthy bronze hue.
These changes, perhaps even unnoticed by him, were subtle; he knew only that his daily tasks were relentless, each day ending with Principal Kampas's electric shocks.
But who really noticed? Over time, the once-empty pool began to ripple with change, its water level rising with each passing day.
