Under a dark sky filled with stars in an alley, A body lay sprawled, Blood dripping from his mouth and multiple wounds around his body, his eyes grew dimmer as time passed.
A young man in his early twenties shivering in the cold trying not to succumb to his injuries.
Feeling excruciating pain from his abdomen and chest, he couldn't help but think about his life , a life that from the surface seemed normal and mundane but it was anything but that.
"Aah… should've known," he murmured, his voice barely a whisper. "Nothing ever comes easy for me."A bitter laugh escaped his lips, though it quickly turned into a grimace. "Guess I brought this on myself, huh?"
He fought hard to keep the last vestige of hope that someone will notice him , that someone will remember he's missing , that his so-called friends will realise he didn't come back, But as time went on he found it harder to keep his eyes open.
The clear dark sky turned cloudy and snow started falling like droplets of crystals as if the night was trying to comfort the man in his last moments, at that moments covered by a blanket of soft melting snowflakes, his shivering body calmed down , Like prey that had giving up struggling to escape the maws of death , he knew it was useless to fight back now, he knew that even if by some miracle someone found him , he already lost a lot of blood that he couldn't feel almost half of his body, he just wanted to feel at peace for once , so instead of fighting he closed his eyes and let that numbing feeling take over.
As his consciousness slipped away, fragments of his life flashed before him, moments of pain, betrayal, and fleeting glimpses of happiness. He wondered, if given another chance, would he have done things differently? Would he have fought harder, loved deeper, lived more fully?
His mother was only 17 when she gave birth to him, and his father was the same age. Despite pressure from both families to give him up for adoption, she refused, choosing instead to raise him on their own.
His father, once a promising student, and his mother, a model student, had to give up their dreams.
Right after graduating high school, they began working to provide for him. At first, life was manageable. They balanced everything well and even saved enough for his father to attend college. But after graduating, his father disappeared without a trace.
After his father left, his mother spiraled out of control. She turned to alcohol, and with it came verbal and physical abuse. She blamed him for her ruined life, often leaving the house for days at a time. Left to fend for himself, he survived on leftovers,sometimes moldy or went hungry. By the age of five, he taught himself to cook his first meal like a simple scrambled egg. Over time, he improved, but he never forgot to leave food for his mother, no matter how drunk or absent she was.
One day, his mother came home with a man. She sat him down and told him this man would be his new father. He could see his mother was happy, so he smiled and nodded, though something about the man's unsettling smile made him uneasy.
For a while, life seemed to improve. His mother, who had once been verbally and emotionally abusive, hurling insults and objects at him, became as loving as she had been before his father left. His stepfather spoiled him, and as a five-year-old, he was overjoyed.But life never gave him the chance to relish his newfound happiness.
One day, his stepfather suggested a fishing trip. Excited, he rushed to pack his things, unaware that the next day would change his life forever.
The trip started normally, and he was thrilled to learn how to fish. But as the day went on, he noticed his stepfather acting strangely, getting uncomfortably close. At first, he dismissed it, but when night fell, his stepfather revealed his true intentions.
By morning, the little boy was in pain, his body aching.Confused and scared, he remembered the man's words: "Don't tell Mommy, and I'll buy you as many sweets as you want."
At first, he obeyed, too young to understand what was happening. But as he grew older and began to resist, his stepfather threatened to hurt his mother. The abuse continued for years, until one day, at 15, he couldn't take it anymore.
While his stepfather was at work, he confided in his mother. To his shock, she didn't believe him.
"How could you lie about the man who spoiled you after your birth father abandoned you? You ungrateful bastard," she said.
Her words felt like a slap to the face. He had trusted her with something deeply painful and humiliating, only to be dismissed.
From that day on, his relationship with his parents grew colder. He came home only to sleep, leaving early for school and distancing himself completely.
The one bright spot in his life was his academic success. He earned a scholarship to a prestigious college and left home the moment he turned 18, determined to leave his past behind.
At college, he made a few friends, though he always felt like an outsider. He even met a girl and began to open up to her, only to discover she was using him to do her homework and projects. When he learned she and her friends were mocking him behind his back, he cut ties and retreated into himself.
After college, he secured a position as a theoretical physicist at the university, thanks to his achievements. For a moment, he thought life was finally giving him a chance to look forward to tomorrow without fear.But once again, his luck turned for the worse.
One day, on his way back from university, he heard the faint meow of a kitten coming from a dark alleyway.
Concerned, he decided to investigate, taking the leftovers from his sandwich to offer the small creature.
As he stepped into the alley, a sudden, searing pain shot through his left side near a garbage can.
Turning, he saw a homeless man clutching a rusty knife, its blade buried in his side.
He tried to push the man away, but the pain was too much.
Overpowered, he stumbled and fell onto his back. Helpless, he looked up as the man raised the knife again, this time aiming for his chest. The blade came down repeatedly, each stab more brutal than the last.
When the man finally stopped, he grabbed the sandwich and fled, leaving the young man lying in a pool of his own blood.
From beneath the garbage can, a small white kitten emerged. It cautiously approached, licking his bloodied fingers with its tiny tongue.
"I'm sorry, little one," he whispered, his voice trembling as waves of pain coursed through his body. "I tried to help you… but I couldn't."
And so, Nathan found himself dying alone in that alley, his final thoughts filled with longing for a life where he could have controlled his own path—a chance to do better, to live without regrets.