I bliurning quickly. The room was rge and had what looked like a natural turn towards the right, as well as a tunnel leading down. That tunnel was where the noise was ing from. I blinked, only to gape at what I was seeing.

  I’d seen a lot of weird things in Vega City, but still, I’d never seen a… was that a humanoid toad man?

  I stared as he stared back at me. His skin was a very dull green, dry looking, with small brown streaks. He stood on two legs and had two arms, but the simirities with humans ehere. The legs looked like he rofessional gymnast, his thighs thid his feet webbed things with three long toes. His arms followed suit, looking like he regurly went to a gym, with his hands being five nearly equally bulky fingers.

  And his head, well. Eyes and mouth check, but his face was a bit ft with two small holes for a nose and no hair ao speak of. The top of his head was just smoothish toad skin.

  He looked less like a real creature and more like an a figure e to life.

  [8]

  Oh no.

  He saw me and immediately frowned. A toad man’s frown was horrifying. He may not have eyebrows but his face could certainly narrow ahe same way. His mouth was just so huge for his face, it looked like if he really tried he could bite my head off.

  And he was unhappy.

  And he was looking at me.

  My mind raced, thinking hard. This thing was going to kill me. I had moments before it decided it didn’t like me and then I was dead.

  Even with moments to spare… my mind came up bnk.

  I couldn’t run, I couldn’t fight, I couldn’t hide. It was staring right at me. What was left to do?!

  Against all better judgment… I chose to hiss. I raised my hands, the meager fists I could, prepared to go down swinging. I didn’t know how but I’d been absolutely sure I was going to survive the rat. That I’d find some way to victory.

  I wasn’t fident here and now.

  This might truly be it.

  It didn’t like that. It didn’t like that at all. It stalked forward, murder in its eyes. Cautiously, slowly, I backed away. For a brief, fleeting moment, I thought I could make it. That it would just let me go. That maybe I seemed toe, awkward, and deranged for it.

  It disabused me of that notion shortly.

  One sed it was sloroag, the it was rushing me so fast it was a miracle I even saw it ing. I threunch, aimed for its toady fad it dodged. It pulled back its own arm, lowered, and-

  All at once, my world seemed to break and shatter. I puked immediately as all the breath in my body left me heaving and gasping like a fish. Air refused to e in. The pain radiated in the same way getting hit in the balls did, affeg my whole body. My whole torso spasmed as it punched me i. My pupils shook as my world broke.

  And then, like a horrible breath of fresh air, the pain really hit. Sharp, searing, burning, cramping. My eyes rolled into the bay head and all I could do was fall to the ground in abject misery. The toad was long fotten, the pain and misery all ing.

  I groaned, moaning and weeping, as my whole body tried to pull itself together. It failed.

  The toad wasn’t done however.

  I felt its slimy hand grip my a I was in too much misery to even pay attention.

  Until I was airborne.

  With a grunt of exertion and a silent scream from me as my body was forcefully moved, it hoisted me over its head and shoulders… and smmed me into the ground.

  I felt my nose break, my teeth shatter, and bess pulled at my vision. The pain and iy were so all ing, so total, that I could do nothing but stare lifelessly my mouth agape. The toad reached down, grabbing me by the head.

  Whatever look it found must’ve been enough. It dropped my head, stood up, and spit on me.

  Then… it walked away.

  I y there, broken, blood leaking out my mouth, mixing with the thi of water on the ground.

  Ay passed and at the end of it, bess finally took me.

  *****

  I woke up screaming.

  Every fiber of my body hurt. Then multiplied. Then again and again. Every wound from the rat, every bite, every broken bone, all at onbsp;

  I id there, g, wanting it to end.

  Wanting for it all to end.

  There was only pain.

  Hours passed, all miserable. I thought the toad would e bad finish me off but I never got that luxury. It was just pain and more pain.

  Sleep came a in spurts. Time was an illusion of hell. My mind spun and turned and in those depths a crity unlike any other finally hit me.

  Why? Why did they have to die?

  Why is my life like this?

  Why?

  Paradise then hell, paradise then hell. Am I doomed? What ic deity hates me so mubsp;

  Why… why is this world so cruel?

  The darkhreateo e my soul. I could feel it, the bess, rising up within me. Spreading and leeg all. My revenge, my hatred, my pain, it was all ed in the inky void. In all the ways that mattered, Mutai was dying. My body, my mind, my soul.

  The world was cruel. It was hell. It was darkness and evil. So what? Why should I be any different? Why should I care?

  Rage s, like a dull red energy spreading through the darkness.

  I wao rip and tear aroy. To kill, te against the heavens and my fate. But even it was ed by the growing avanche of darkness ihe bess threateo swallow me whole. I should have stolen and killed. I could’ve done more. I could’ve poisoned a family and taken their money. Used it to buy a healing mae. Could’ve kidnapped someone, another weak homeless person, and used them as a training dummy. Why was I even trying anyway? Master’s words wrung in my ears. Vega killed my family. So what? Why does it matter. Why does anything matter? Should’ve just bought that car and worked and moved on. I’d still be alive.

  The dark thoughts tinued as both my blood aions seeped out of me.

  In that terrible way, a rat entered my vision. It began to head towards my face, slowly, cautiously.

  [3]

  This was how I was to die. Eaten by rats. My eyes plucked out and swallowed.

  Fitting.

  I stared, watg the worst and slowest form of death I could imagine e for me. I didn’t care. I didn’t care… about anything anymore.

  It doesn’t matter.

  The bess, the depression, the hollowness. It enpassed me wholly.

  I closed my eyes.

  This was The End.

  .

  .

  .

  I love you Mutai.

  A glimmer in the bbsp;

  Your father made meatloaf!

  Did not. I made Meatpancakes.

  Father! That’s not a thing!

  Haha. Then expin how we are having it!

  A spark in the darkness.

  Mutai, I hope Tuwa doesn’t find us.

  Don’t worry Maui! She’ll never know-

  What are you kids doing to my vegetables?!

  Run!

  A brighthat began to grow.

  Hey… Mutai?

  Yeah Suma?

  I think uh… I think… I love you. But uh, like, a sister?

  Oh. Haha!

  You’re… are you okay?

  Suma… I’ve never had a sister before!

  You’re so weird! I thought you’d be upset!

  Huh? Even if it's as siblings, at least you still love me!

  Growing more and more.

  Fetch me those pnks Mutai!

  Y-Yes Juak! Why are they so heavy?!

  U-Uh, oh. We… got… heavier ones.

  …We got heavier trees?

  Y-Yes!

  Juak, you’re so weird.

  Just help me build this house you little jerk!

  Exploding brightness echoed outwards.

  Happy Birthday Mutai!

  W-Why are there so many people?!

  e on Mutai, you only turn ten onbsp;

  Yeah, cheer up brat. Enjoy your day already!

  It was Tuwa’s idea. To get the whole vilge together.

  T-Tuwa? But… I thought you hated me.

  Brat… I’m only going to say this once. I love you.

  We all do Mutai. The whole vilge does.

  We love you Mutai.

  I was a fool.

  I could feel the darkness breaking. The light shining through, past the misery, past the pain. I was loved once. I was loved once by so many people. So many friends and family, so many. But I’d… I’d fotten about the good. It had only been about the pain, the revehe mission, the duty, the brokenness.

  I’d fotten the good times. The happy times. The times to be cherished and always remembered. My dad maki pahe time me and Maiu raided Tuwa's vegetable garden, the time Suma had let me dowly only to make my heart groier, when I’d built a treehouse with Juak, and even my tenth birthday.

  I’d fotten so much. I’d let Vega take even that from me. I’d let my family only weigh me down and hurt me, when they would be appalled at the very idea. The whole vilge had loved me and I’d loved them. They were gone now. Gone, but never fotten.

  The rat inched closer, hunger clear in its eyes.

  The pain was still there, the agony, all the terrible misery hadn’t left me. My body was broken, I wao scream, and I was stu a dank and dangerous sewer.

  But the most important problem had gone away. My soul felt lighter and even through my broken face, a smile stretched across it. A determination lit up inside me. Live for myself and for others. I wasn’t going to die here. I was going to keep going, if only so I could sit down and remember them again. So that I could enjoy the greatest gift they’d left me with.

  The memory of them.

  The rat inched closer and finally, it was within range.

  Fierce blindiermination flowed through me. Not just for survival but for something even more worthwhile. To truly live. I was alive and that meant more than a heartbeat or a brain. It meant to strive, to grow, to experience, and to enjoy.

  And I wasn’t going to get there lying down in the mud dying. It was a kill or be killed world and I had made my choibsp;

  I luhe rat trying to back away, but it was too te. I bit down, the rat frantically trying to free itself, but I bit down hard. Owice. And finally, a third. It stilled, its head torn off. I swallowed quickly, along with the rest of the rat, barely chewing.

  This world was cruel… but it could also be beautiful.

  I’d embrace both.

  Warix_Viviana