"Ah... Am I really going to die in this place?" I asked myself as I realized I was surrounded by garbage on all sides. The ground was wet and disgustingly muddy... I felt a bit nauseous being there, and my head throbbed with pain. "Shit..."
I couldn't die here... My mom and my sister were waiting for me at home. They needed me. What kind of man would I be if I died in a place like this?
I looked around. There was no one—not even the rats that usually scurried through the trash, searching for any lost scraps of food, dared to come near me. Maybe after I died, they'd feast on my carcass. For now, I was just something they kept their distance from.
Still, the thought that I might die here filled me with an indescribable feeling. Maybe it was frustration mixed with anger... and a bit of sadness too.
I just wanted to keep living. I wanted to see my mom and Irene one more time... My eyes felt heavy, and as I could no longer resist, I heard a voice in the distance as my consciousness slowly faded.
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A few days earlier:
The streets were crowded, especially in the city center. It was summer, and the sun burned high above, its rays seemingly scorching everyone, forcing people to walk in the shadows of the buildings. Even in the shade, you could feel the heat, which seemed to be killing you slowly. Wearing clothes was nearly impossible, yet everyone on the streets wore sleeveless tank tops, while the women were in short skirts and tops—or sometimes just a bikini bra.
I, on the other hand, was shirtless, wearing only shorts. Nobody really cared; after all, I was just a 16-year-old kid. Anyone who saw me would just ignore it because boys my age were supposed to break rules.
I kept walking in the shadows, trying to avoid the sun as much as possible. My skin was already tanned, and I didn't want severe burns... I arrived at the entrance of a completely destroyed and abandoned building. It was strange because this building had a completely different structure compared to the others. It was old, built long before I was born and long before the skyscrapers had been constructed around it. Yet it still stood there, so close to the beach, just waiting for a demolition crew to bring it down.
I gave myself a boost, grabbing onto the gate locked with chains, and climbed over, landing on the other side. I ran to the building's entrance, but accidentally kicked a glass bottle that rolled away, the sound of glass hitting the ground echoing through the empty place. I hid, not wanting to risk being seen there.
When silence filled the air again, I realized I was alone. I looked at the bracelet on my wrist and tapped it with my finger, causing a hologram to appear, displaying a map of the place with a blinking red dot. I thought it would be simple since the dot was close, but when I changed the map's angle, I saw I'd have to climb a few floors to get the package I'd been sent to retrieve.
"Ah... Not even gonna try the elevator because that shit's definitely not working." I muttered irritably and began walking, looking for the stairs.
I moved quickly up the stairs, trying not to make noise. The place might have looked empty, but only God knew what kind of people could be hiding there. Even though I knew how to take care of myself in dangerous situations, I didn't want to risk a fight.
The building had several rooms and floors. It was impossible to tell what its purpose had been. It could have served as a residence, a cluster of small offices, or even a school. It was like several different buildings had been merged into one, turning the place into a confusing labyrinth.
If not for the holographic map, I would have gotten completely lost. The cargo I needed to find was in a large room, hidden under a pile of wooden furniture stacked on top of each other. I had to push them, causing a small crash. I grabbed the package—a small leather briefcase—and ran to the next room to hide.
No one showed up despite all the noise. That was good. I was really alone, and no one had followed me. I checked the briefcase to see if it was intact and hadn't been opened before. Everything was in its place, and it had a lock. Nothing special, but I still had to make sure it was secure.
"Okay... Now I just have to deliver this and get my money." I said to myself after leaving the building and being back on the street. People walked past me without even noticing. It was odd for a teenager to be walking around with a briefcase at that hour, but nobody cared. Everyone had more important things to do than minding each other's business.
The meeting point to deliver the briefcase was in another building that served as a parking lot. All I had to do was wait there. I sat on the edge of the parking lot wall and could see the beach from there. I was on the fifth floor, trying not to look down too much to avoid losing my balance, but it wasn't like I was afraid of heights... There were more dangerous things in this world for me to worry about.
After what felt like an eternity, I began to wonder if I was in the right place. It had to be; I remembered the message with all the exact directions. But the sun was starting to get lower in the sky, its rays reflecting beautifully on the ocean.
The beach was starting to get more crowded. It was around four in the afternoon, the time when people with time and money could afford to relax on the beach, free from any problems while armed guards protected them.
Finally, a car came up the ramp to the floor where I was. It had to be the one—it was all black, with dark windows completely obstructing the view inside. I jumped off the wall and walked up to the car as it approached.
The window started to roll down, and I was surprised to see who was there. My heart stopped for a moment. In the passenger seat was a somewhat old and overweight man, with a big nose and a bushy mustache.
"Lucas?" The man seemed surprised to see me and leaned partway out of the window, staring until he saw I was holding the briefcase.
"Mr. Hernandez?" I asked, taking a deep breath... He was a cop, so why was I handing this briefcase to him?
"Hand over the briefcase."
I did so immediately trying to no think too much, and he typed something into his phone. My bracelet beeped, notifying me I had received my payment.
"Kids like you should be in school at this hour," he said seriously.
"I..."
"No, I get it." He laughed. "We do what we gotta do." Then the window started to rise, and as soon as it closed, the car rolled back down the ramp, disappearing into the lower floors.
I had received my payment, and I shouldn't think much more about it... Once again, I looked out, realizing the sun had sunk even lower. I needed to head home soon, or my mom would suspect I was skipping school again.
While walking out of the parking lot, taking the same car ramp instead of the pedestrian stairs, I checked my bank account. 500 credits... It was enough to buy my mom's medicine.
"Thank goodness..." I said with relief as a smile spread across my face. "Maybe I should just quit school and focus on this delivery job," I thought to myself, not even realizing that this exact kind of work would make my life take a steep downhill turn.