Cage finished a day's work and dragged his heavy steps on the way home, his legs were stiff and weak as if they were filled with lead. His boss was a "freak" known for his harshness, and once again let the entire team spend nothing in the office after get off work. The so-called "diligent overtime" policy directly linked wages to working hours, but did not give any substantial compensation, forcibly kidnapping employees' lives. At this moment, Cage only felt increasingly tired of the busyness and indifference of the city, as if he was an overused machine, even the most basic operation seemed laborious.
He walked on the brightly lit streets, and the prosperity of the city did not bring him a bit of comfort. The neon signs on the roadside illuminated the night returnees, and also illuminated the untouchable shadow in Cage's heart. He lowered his head and recalled the bits and pieces of the past: the ease and hope when he went to school, the excitement and reluctance when he left home, now all seemed like passing clouds, and all that was left was loneliness and confusion.
The streets were bustling with people, couples holding hands, young women shopping together, and all kinds of strangers. In their smiles and noise, Cage felt more and more insignificant. He couldn't help but sigh that this city gave him an income, but deprived him of all his time and freedom. Cage once imagined that he could change his life through hard work, but every step in reality was like stepping into a quagmire, the more he struggled, the more helpless he became.
In this bustling city, Cage gradually lost his goal. He remembered his parents' earnest expectations and the light in their eyes when they sent him away from home. Now, this light has long been erased by the burden of life. He was afraid to go home, afraid to face his parents' concern and disappointment, and even more afraid of the fact that he had accomplished nothing. Every time he went home for the Spring Festival, Cage always avoided his mother's gentle eyes and pretended not to see the wrinkles in his father's eyes. He knew in his heart that his parents were worried about him, but he didn't even have the ability to reassure them.
Cage's tired footsteps took him through the bustling streets and into a dim alley. Raindrops began to fall, gently tapping his shoulders and bringing a hint of coolness. He looked up at the night sky, only to find that the sky had long lost the brilliance of the stars, with only a few dim stars flickering faintly. Bright stars are not visible in modern cities, there are too many exhaust gases and dust here. When he was a child, even on August 15th when the moon was the fullest, there would be a few bright little stars in the sky. At that time, he could enjoy his mother's palm-leaf fan and his father's stories while sleeping on a bamboo bed, listening to the insects and falling asleep quietly. Now, even the night sky is eroded by the lights and pollution of the city, leaving only paleness and dead silence.
The rain was getting heavier and heavier, and Cage's clothes were soaked, but he did not speed up. He likes rain and is used to walking in the rain. When he was a child, he always liked to walk barefoot in the mud after the rain, smelling the fragrance of the soil, and feeling free and worry-free. However, the rain after growing up is no longer sweet, but mixed with the smell of urban pollution, and every drop makes him feel heavy and sad. He subconsciously covered his chest, and felt a faint pain in his heart.
Cage stopped walking under a big locust tree. His head was splitting, and the scene in front of him gradually blurred, as if the whole world began to spin. He tried to stabilize his body, but found that a strong force pulled him up from the ground. He looked down and saw that his body collapsed under the tree, and there was no one around.
"No——" Cage shouted silently, but his consciousness was forcibly stripped from his body. He struggled desperately and tried to return to his body, but the invisible suction became stronger and stronger, and finally took him away from this world completely. Countless images flashed through his mind, including the busy backs of his parents, himself playing in the rain when he was a child, and the boy with dreams in college. He still had too many unfinished things, and he had not had time to repay his parents for their upbringing, find the person to spend his life with, and feel the beauty of life...
However, reality did not allow him to stay. Cage's soul floated in the air like a feather, becoming lighter and farther away, until it completely disappeared into the night.
"Yesterday, our city experienced a series of heavy rains, and a lightning strike occurred at the same time, which caused the death of a passerby. The relevant departments reminded citizens to go home as soon as possible in the heavy rain to avoid accidents." In the news the next day, the thunderstorm was simply reported as "sudden weather" and mentioned that a passerby was killed by lightning. However, no one cared about the identity of this passerby, and no one knew his experience. His life was like a speck of dust, quietly blending into the night rain of this city. Only the old locust tree still stood on the street, silently watching every pedestrian coming and going, witnessing countless unknown stories.