SAM

As the bus rumbled along, Sam found himself immersed as he swiped through his phone while engrossed in read the novel he had found recently.

Before long, the bus came to a halt, and Sam got out into a torrential downpour.

Hastily, he took out his coat from his belongings and draped it over himself as he walked through the rain-soaked streets towards home.

Sam worked as a cashier in a local supermarket, his life was always troubled by the relentless grip of social anxiety and depression.

His formative years had been pretty much boring. In education field he didn't do well and limited social involvement due to his mental health condition . 

His friends and colleagues all landed their dream jobs, leaving him with a sense of inadequacy, like a loser.

 He never had a romantic relationship, and his own parents stopped talking to him. They only called when they needed money, making him feel unloved and alone.

Walking on the sidewalk, he looked at his bank balance and said, "I almost don't have enough for a meal." His money was low after paying his student loan and bills literally making him poor as a beggar.

When he got to his room, he changed into his comfy clothes and lay down on his bed. "Ah, this feels good," he said, hugging his pillow tightly.

His room also showed the depression he felt, with trash bags and clothes scattered on the floor. It seemed like it hadn't been cleaned for years. 

"Man, if everything in the world was peaceful like this," he said while hugging his pillow. After a while, he got up from his bed and sat in front of his laptop, trying to continue reading the novel he had on his phone.

Later on, time slipped away without Sam realizing, as he was deeply immersed in it.

.

"This is really good," said Sam as he kept reading. He had already finished around 400 chapters and was excited about the next one. The characters in the story were well-developed, and the storyline was quite engaging. 

However, he couldn't help but wonder why it hadn't gotten more attention. Despite having over a thousand chapters, the number of views had gradually decreased. Now, there was only a single view, and that was Sam's alone. 

"Well lets go to the next chapter" he murmured as he continued reading.

As Sam's eyes scanned the chapter list, he noticed something intriguing. Among the chapters listed by numbers, there was one titled "Author's Message." 

"Author's Message?" thought Sam as he clicked the chapter and saw only a single line with an email address. The line read, "Are you happy with your life? Please reply via email for a gift." 

Even though it felt a bit silly, he opened his email in a new browser tab and typed in the address written in the chapter. Quickly, he typed a "No" and pressed send.

It wasn't about expecting a gift, he just wanted to chat with the author. The story was quite good, but unlike other novels it had no cover or author's name, so he was really curious about who wrote it. 

He then waited a few minutes, but however there was no reply. Feeling a bit let down, he thought maybe the author didn't see his message.

Deciding to take a break, he got up, realizing he needed to eat something before bed. Checking his almost empty fridge, he sighed, seeing there wasn't much food left, just like his wallet.

Since he was quite hungry, so went to the nearby store to get food. He then bought tuna and beans, then walked towards his home with the groceries.

While going back, he heard a strange sound in an alley. Wondering what it was, he decided to go and see. 

Since it was dark, he held the metal pole he found nearby, thinking it might be useful, and then started walked towards the noise.

After walking for a bit into the alley, he saw a troubling scene—a man in his forties threatening a teenage girl.

Knowing about the frequent cases of assault reported in similar areas, he couldn't help but worry that a similar incident might happen in front of him. So, he stepped forward, determined to help the girl.

As Sam started moving forward the man noticed him and shifted his eyes towards Sam with a killing glare.

"What the fuck are you looking at, huh? You wanna end up six feet under?" the man sneered, his voice dripping with anger.

Undeterred by the man's tough-guy act, Sam kept his cool and turned his attention to the girl whom seemed to be in trouble.

"Hey there, miss. Is this jerk giving you a hard time?" he asked, in a concern voice.

As the girl nodded, In one swift move, he whacked the man square in the gut, bringing him down to his knees, moaning in pain. 

Even though Sam's school days were pretty boring, but he was good at boxing and won some awards for it. He was also strong, even though he was still in his thirties. 

Then he walked up to the girl, who was still frozen with fear, and asked her is she was OK. Before she could answer, she urgently whispered, "Watch your back!"

Confused, Sam spun around just in time to catch the man lunging at him with a knife. The blade sliced through his flesh, and wow, the pain was like a fiery explosion inside him.

The sudden attack caught Sam off guard, making his muscles tense up and stealing his breath. The girl wasted no time and bolted, not even bothering to look back. Her silhouette disappeared into the distance.

Meanwhile, the man who stabbed him was left in shock. He didn't mean to hurt Sam, it was just a burst of anger, and he realized it went terribly wrong. Now, fear washed over him as he sat in a corner, whispering a feeble apology. 

"Shit, man, I'm sorry. I don't want to go to jail," he mumbled as he fell into the corner, remorse dripping from his words, trying to hide from the mess he made. With one hand pressed against his searing knife wound, Sam clenched the metal pole, his determination unwavering.

"Don't worry about jail, buddy. If I'm going down, I'm taking you with me," he muttered through gritted teeth. In a swift and brutal strike, he swung the pole, smashing the man's skull

A sickening thud reverberated through the alley as blood gushed from the guy's cracked skull, and he collapsed to the ground.

Exhausted and in pain, Sam sank to the ground, feeling his vision darken with each passing second.

"Well, I guess, this is it for me" said Sam sat on the ground, his vision fading into darkness, he couldn't help but reflect on the moments of happiness he had missed throughout his life.

A bittersweet pang coursed through him as he thought of the chances he had let slip away, the laughter and joy he had failed to get in his life.

"Friends, parents, love—I missed a lot of things," regret started washing over Sam.

"If only... If only I had another chance," Sam murmured, his voice barely audible as his vision faded into darkness. 

.

Meanwhile, on Sam's laptop screen an email popped up.

{Conditions met}

{You have received a special gift}

{Processing...}

{Processed}

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