Kia Johnson, age 17, was tall and lanky, with shock black hair that fell over his eyes. His clothes were rumpled and dirty, his sneakers scuffed and worn. Ever since he was a child, he had been tormented by bullies and teased for being different. He had never had a real home, having been abandoned by his parents when he was just a six years old, he barely remembers what his parent looks like.
He had been bounced from foster home to foster home, never finding a place where he felt truly loved or accepted; instead, he was always neglected and physically abused.
After enduring years of torment and abuse, Kia reached a breaking point. With nothing left to lose, at the age of 15, he made a bold decision.
One fateful night, while his foster family slept soundly, Kia crept through the darkened house, his heart pounding in his chest as he took matters into his own hands.
He gathered whatever valuables he could find—a few trinkets, some spare cash, and a few packs of his favorite soda—his hands trembling, fearing he would be caught at any moment.
With each item he "borrowed for an indefinite period of time," Kia stuffed them into his backpack.
He made his way through the silent house, stealing one last glance around the dimly lit room before slipping away into the cold night.
He had no idea where he was going, but one thing was for sure: he had to get as far away from there as fast as possible. He knew that once they found out he was gone, it wouldn't take long before they started looking for him.
Not because they cared; that seemed almost laughable, as they would rather have him vanish into thin air or, better yet, be found lifeless. They would probably throw a half-hearted sob or two for show, but deep down, they'd be celebrating their newfound freedom from the burden of his existence.
The only reason they would make an attempt to find him was when they found out about the items he had "borrowed." Oh, the horror!
After that night, he took a train and found himself in another town, thinking things would get better until he soon realized that the little cash he had with him would soon run out. After which, life only became more difficult for Kia.
Now, as he limped out of the alley, finally finding a way around his situation, his whole body still ached, his mouth swollen, but that was at least bearable and better than lying here and getting beaten up again.
After walking for almost an hour, with the sun slowly setting down, he finally arrived at his home—a run-down 15-story apartment complex on the outskirts of town.
The building was old and neglected, but it was all he could afford. He took the almost broken elevator and pressed the button to the eleventh floor. The elevator finally stopped, and Kia stepped out into the dimly lit hallway.
Inside his apartment was small and cramped, but it was a roof over his head. A place he would call home, however humble it may be.
He collapsed into his worn-out bed, tossing his cellphone aside, and before he realized it, he had dozed off and fallen asleep.
The next morning, sunlight flickered through the dusty blinds of Kia's bedroom. He yawned as he opened his eyes, stretching his arms above his head. He sat up and looked around the room, realizing he hadn't realized when he had fallen asleep. He opened his phone to check the time but his gaze fell on the date instead.
'20th February 2024'
He turned off his phone and tossed it to his side.
A feeling of sadness and hopelessness washed over him, his thoughts interrupted by the sound of his growling stomach. He hadn't eaten anything all day.
Kia got out of bed and headed to the small kitchen in the corner of his room. "Ahh," he muttered, rubbing his hand through his hair as he stood in front of the empty refrigerator and felt his stomach growl once again. He had gone out to get some food supplies yesterday when he was attacked by Jack and his gang.
He didn't want to go out as he feared he would run into them once again, but at the same time, he couldn't remain here while his stomach continued to groan with hunger.
Finally, he decided to rush out to a nearby store. He picked up his bag and placed his phone in his back pocket. He hadn't taken a shower, but that wasn't important for now.
He finally reached a nearby store and noticed that the man in charge seemed to be locking up. Kia pulled out his phone and glanced at the time; it was just 11:30 am. Why was he closing so early? He thought. He sighed in frustration, knowing he would have to walk a longer distance to get what he wanted, and his whole body was sore.
Kia continued to walk, and after over 30 minutes, he noticed that most of the shops around were also closing up, with some already locked up. Kia was feeling desperate and hungry. Just when he thought all hopes were lost, he spotted a small convenience store in the distance. Although the glass doors were shut, he could still see a man standing behind a counter with his head down.
Kia sighed in relief and pulled the door handle, opening the door so he could step in. The store looked like any other convenience store. He ended up buying a loaf of bread. "FizzBlizz," he said happily as he spotted his favorite soda drink, and he got a six-pack of that along with raw noodles and some other edibles.
He walked up to the counter where the man still stood silently with his head down. "I will be paying with a card," Kia said, but there was no response.
He shrugged it off, thinking the man was just in a daze or maybe in deep thought. Kia placed his items on the counter and waited for the man to respond. The silence was starting to feel uncomfortable. "Sir?" He said a bit louder this time.
Suddenly, the man looked up, a blank expression on his face, and without saying a word, he started to scan the items one by one. Kia thought it was odd as he stared at the man with a furrowed brow, but his gaze drifted when he spotted a cake in one of the display cases.
"I would like to buy this cake as well," Kia interrupted the scanning. The man paused and brought out the cake. That was when Kia noticed blood dripping down his arm.