It was a cold night, the rain had fallen all day and filled the surrounding with its strange yet soothing smell, everything was drenched in the crowdiness of each droplet.
Everything… everyone drowned in the moment of the rain. Except for one boy.
He was untouched by the rain. Seemed to have taking shelter during all its downpour and now that it had ceased. He gently walked home… limping.
His face was battered, bruised on all edges. He had a pitch black eyes that reflected a void darkness. His hair was also of the same hue but dirty, like he had been living in a dumpster for the past few days.
His school uniform was torn on one arm and rough for the most part, one arm of his backpack had cut and he was just managing his entire self while walking with his head lowered.
He gritted his teeth as he walked through the wet dark streets. It was quite late in the night so the movement of people to and fro was scanty than the usual.
Until when was this going to stop happening?
'I am tired of it all'
He said in his mind.
He paused and looked to the velvety overlay of darkness that loomed above him. There seem to be no space for him in this world…. Those were the kind of words his eyes spoke.
He was tired, very tired.
Judging from the way he looked… there was no mistaking it. He was just coming from a recent bullying.
The young boy stopped walking, leaning to the door of the closed convenience store that was on the edge of the turning corner that led to his street.
He slumped to the ground in a soft and frustrated sob, biting on his lips. Paused for a few seconds and suddenly let it all out:
"I just want to die… I can't take it anymore please just take my life!"
As he shouted, a mighty roar of thunder followed his voice, rolling endlessly under the vast sky. One would literally think he was the son of a god.
He too was also fooled by it for a second.
He looked up with a faint show of surprise. Then frowned slowly and shouted again.
"Damnit! I know you can hear me! I don't want my life again!! Kill me!! I hate this life!!"
He shouted with all the strength he could call from his stomach, staring annoyingly at the sky as if it was the cause of his problems.
But this time around, the sky was silent to his matters, the only noticeable change was that it was a bit darker. As if another round of rain was about to start and carry on through the midnight.
His one arm school back slid off his shoulders as he kept his focus on the darkened sky. The street was currently vacant, no one passing… He looked around and lowered his head, strength visibly leaving his eyes.
Whatever was left of the flames of his will seem to be going out.
Who could blame him… it all started after he transferred to this new school.
Vincent was your regular average guy. He grew up in the countryside with his grandmother, never actually got to know his parents. The little he knew of them was when the poor old woman complained of how irresponsible his father was.
…and how much she pitied his mother's dead soul for a meeting such an irresponsible and cruel man.
One way or the other, he knew his father must have been a supreme jerk.
Things were fine… until his grandmother's health started declining. Vincent did everything he could, the village people helped too. She was taken to the hospital but eventually he couldn't get enough money to treat her.
Even with the inheritance from his mother, it could never be enough. It was just a token little that they had been living on for the past seventeen years of his life.
A building that the rent is barely enough for him to live in a year.
Regardless, he was ready to sell everything to save his grandmother. But she was against it. She had grown old and was getting nearer to her time.
Vincent knew it then deep down that it was her time already. But was just reluctant to let go.
The old woman eventually died and he was left alone in the world. The folks in the village encouraged him to go to the city to enjoy a good education and become a man with a bright future so he could make his mother and grandmother proud.
And Vincent took that advice.
However right now, he regretted the decision he made.
Because that very decision was the reason why he was like this... suffering so much.
Ever since he transferred to Mureung high school. Starting from his first day, every day has been a living hell.
The school was renowned for its academic performance and the class of people that attended… prestigious was too bland of a word to describe them.
They were the scions of politicians, congressmen and women, conglomerates. One way or the other, a community that is beyond Vincent's understanding had been created in this prestigious school.
He couldn't fit in no matter how much he tried. He was a complete loner.
He was the type that usually would not get attention, height of 5'6", pale skin, dull eyes and the bang of his hair always covering them a lot of times.
He should never have been noticed.
But he stepped in on his first day when a poor fat guy was being bullied.
'Now that I think about it… was I stupid?!'
What was he hoping to achieve by daring to challenge a bunch of popular and athletic students. Was he overjoyed because he gained entry into a good school and will now be living in the city?
Undoubtedly, it was stupid of him. At the very least, his act earned him a fat friend who wouldn't leave him the fuck alone.
They were always being bullied together, sometimes the fat friend would be asked to eat his lunch on Vincent's butt. Strangely, the poor guy had gotten shameless and knew very well how to beg even when he didn't do anything wrong.
At first Vincent couldn't understand the guy, but now he could very much tell. One thing that living in an environment like this will do for you is mould you to become shameless.
Being bullied was very bad. Vincent couldn't understand what they had to gain for it. Why would anyone suddenly wake up one day and what they want to do is make life hard for a fellow student when they should just be focused on their academics.
'It sucks…'
Really it did.
Vincent bit down his lips, sucking it all in. What did it matter anyway? No one cares. It's not like he has a family waiting for him at home.
He looked up to the drizzling rain. His face, getting stained with droplets of heavenly cries.
His face slowly formed, brows coming together to draw a tight line, brimming with a dangerous resolve.
"Yea… let's just end it here."
He couldn't go on anymore with it. When will it stop, no, will it even ever stop? He had tried to fight back several times, it wasn't like he had the ability to. Nothing he did would change the state that he was.
Nothing except death.
Vincent slowly picked himself up, groaning. There were other aching point on his body like his side, his chest, his belly and even his butt. All those places were bruised heavily by the darned guy who had just finished bullying him earlier today and made him sleep inside a dumpster.
"But guess what motherfuckers! No bullying for you tomorrow cause you won't be seeing me anymore!!" He shouted with a delighted glee.
If his death would bring them one less person to bully, then yes! He would go ahead with this terrific plan of his.
The rain slowly began to increase, beating the floor in a strange melancholic melody. Lightning danced across the sky like a celestial waltz of electric veins, leaving trails of its brilliant performance.
Vincent was sure how he wanted to die. It was going to be very painful but that was the only choice. He steeled himself and stood up, not picking his backpack.
He then slowly began to walk forward. He didn't take the branch to the street on his left which should have been the way home. Instead he cross the road and went the other narrow road opposite the store.
There was somewhere he was heading.
In a few minutes, Vincent arrived at his destination. This point was deserted, a metallic net was constructed around the broken generator, and there were tens of signs saying KEEP OUT!!
Vincent however did not pay attention to any of them and just snuck beneath it.
It was home to a mighty power generator that ended up blowing from being overpowered. The government have neglected repairing it, they just did all the necessities to make sure people don't get harmed by it.
But it had become hideout to gangsters and weirdly, Vincent couldn't think of a better way to die right now. It was going to be painful but it wouldn't be half-assed.
He stared at the humongous art of heavy metal, some wires hanging loose from it… with the dripping rain, they were shimmering with dangerous sparks of light.
Vincent tightened his brow. All he need to do is all that wire. And this hell hole would be done with. It was not an easy decision to make.
Even now, as he stood and stared at the power plant, a small pool of doubt was beginning to appear in his mind. But no, no. Nothing would change and he would go to school tomorrow only to be bullied again.
So this had to end today. One way or the other.
He looked up.
"Grandma… mom… I'm sorry."
His voice was hoarse and full of sorrow.
He swallowed his saliva one last time and shifted his focus to the wire on the ground, frowning. A step at a time, Vincent got closer to the wire.
And when he saw that the pool of doubt in his mind was getting larger… he ran.
Suddenly, a mighty lightening streaked across the sky, weaving a delicate line of elegance and accompanied by the sound of a mighty thunder that shook even the ground.
This tremor caused Vincent to trip as he was running, the lightning twisted longer, stretching in a swift motion from the sky and onto the power plant… its color becoming a slight shift to electric blue.
Simultaneously, Vincent fell and instead of touching the wire with his hands, he touched it with his head.
Immediately, the sudden surge of electricity coursed through his body like a malevolent symphony, each nerve conducting its own agony.
It was as if a thousand fiery serpents slithered beneath his skin, their venomous fangs injecting waves of searing pain.
Time distorted, stretching each moment into an eternity of torment, while his muscles convulsed in a chaotic dance of involuntary spasms.
The air crackled with the acrid scent of burning flesh, as if his very essence was being singed by the relentless current. In that harrowing embrace of electric agony, every fiber of his being screamed in protest, trapped within the relentless grip of an invisible, merciless force.
Slowly, as his lantern of consciousness dimmed, Vincent wondered if he had made the best decision.
But something was strange…
It was a blur… but what was this blue thing in front of his eyes.
He couldn't think about it all too well. He was dying anyway.
[Congratulations on your awakening]
[You have earned the title 'little heir']
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This is my entry for WSA 2024. I'd love your support. And I am not encouraging suicide in anyway. Don't be a coward like Vincent, life has too many things to offer and we shouldn't chicken out because things get too hard sometimes.