Death

As the golden rays of the setting sun bathed the streets of a quiet little town, the hustle and bustle slowly receded, giving way to a peaceful calm. Despite the challenges posed by the tough economy, the townspeople managed to find happiness and resilience in their pursuit of a better life. Half of the population dreamt of leaving for the city, hoping to start afresh and carve out a brighter future.

Slowly as the evening approached, shops closed their doors and schools called it a day. From one of the schools emerged a young boy with messy black hair and piercing blue eyes, opting not to take the bus home. The weariness on his face was evident with each step he took, seemingly impacting the entire town.

"Hey, Ethan!" a familiar voice rang out, causing him to sigh before turning to acknowledge his one and only friend.

"Hey, Becky," he replied as she drew closer.

"So, you don't wait for your friends anymore, huh?" she asked seriously.

"Friends?" Ethan continued walking, his strides taking on a sense of urgency. Not that he was intentionally leaving his friend behind, he just wanted to reach home a little faster.

"Hey--!"

Becky's voice spurred him into a run. He knew all too well that if he dared to stop, he wouldn't make it home before midnight.

Unwilling to be left behind, Becky chased after him with fervor. Seeing her unyielding determination, Ethan viewed it as a competition and sped up even more.

Meanwhile, as he darted through the streets, Ethan caught a glimpse of a man dressed in a sharp black coat and trousers, his polished shoes shining even as the sun began to disappear. The man carried a briefcase in one hand and a lit tobacco in the other. Even in his haste, Ethan couldn't help but notice the distinctive features on the man's face—a menacing scar over his left eye and a snake tattoo gracing his neck, more symbolic than decorative.

Odd, Ethan thought, quickly averting his gaze so as not to draw attention to himself.

Unfortunately, his distraction caused him to miss a step and he stumbled, giving Becky the advantage as she pounced on him.

"You're not going anywhere!" she declared, pinning him to the ground.

"Alright, alright! You win!" Ethan exclaimed, surrendering with a defeated tone.

"Of course I do!" Becky exclaimed, celebrating her victory with an exuberant smile.

Ethan let out another sigh. Walking would have been just fine, but with Becky around, he couldn't be certain if he'd make it home before dinnertime. However, what lingered in his mind was the image of the mysterious man and, more importantly, the intriguing briefcase he carried.

"Earth to Ethan!" Becky inserted herself in front of him, causing him to jolt back to reality.

"Why would you do that?!" he protested.

"You were lost in your own world, so I thought I'd bring you back," she retorted.

Ethan took a long, thoughtful look at Becky. Her blonde hair and warm brown eyes bore a striking resemblance to her mother. There was no trace of her father in her demeanor or physical appearance; she had inherited all her traits from her mother.

Despite being a year older, Ethan couldn't help but notice how responsible Becky acted like the older sibling.

"Lost in your thoughts again?" Becky scowled at him.

Feeling guilty, Ethan tried to defend himself. "No, I--"

"Anyway," Becky interrupted, setting down her bag and producing a box wrapped in an amusing manner. "Happy Birthday, Ethan."

Ethan's eyes widened. In the midst of school activities, he had completely forgotten that today was his birthday.

"Thanks, Becky," he exclaimed, his smile stretching from ear to ear. "I didn't realize you remembered."

Becky gave him a playful eye roll. "Why would I forget? I live right next door, remember? And I couldn't ignore your mom shouting, 'You're twelve years old!' first thing this morning."

Ethan's grip tightened around his birthday present. He had no idea his mom's voice carried so far. If Becky heard it, then surely the entire neighborhood did too.

"I'll swing by later for some cake!" Becky waved goodbye and dashed off with incredible speed.

"Don't leave me behind!" Ethan called out, chasing after her.

"Why shouldn't I leave you?" Becky shouted back as she raced away. "You're a genius, Mr. Smarty Pants. You can easily find your way back home, can't you?"

Becky knew she had a point. Ethan was brilliant, acing all his exams with straight A's. His memory was astounding, often leaving Becky in awe. It was also perhaps the reason why he never felt the need for more than one friend.

"Darn it!" Ethan pushed himself even harder. "If I catch up to you, I'll make sure this never happens again."

****

Although he didn't win the race, Ethan made it home safe and sound. He had no idea Becky was that fast, but he couldn't help but suspect that she ran so swiftly as revenge for the time he had escaped from her clutches.

Ignoring this, he was glad he managed to slip away from her endless discussions about romance (which was precisely why he had started running in the first place).

As he arrived home, he saw his mom holding a beautifully decorated two-tiered cake. His hopes of a low-key celebration were immediately crushed when his mother's eyes lit up at the sight of him.

"Oh, my little birthday boy!" his mom exclaimed, rushing towards him.

Ethan knew there was no escaping his mom's embrace, so he resigned himself to her tight hug.

"Help me!" he pleaded with his younger sister, who happened to appear at that moment.

"Huh?" she blinked at him.

"Please, don't act clueless. Help me!" Ethan begged.

"Mama, the cookies are burning!" she suddenly yelled, and in a flash, their mom was off to save the day.

"Thank you, Elizabeth!" Ethan brushed off his clothes, offering her a grateful smile.

"No problem! Let's go inside and get ready for your big celebration! Mom has lots of surprises for you, and Dad... well, he bought your favorite thing... oh, and Becky came by after begging her parents, and she brought some gifts... and, and..."

Ethan stood there, perplexed, as his sister continued listing a seemingly endless stream of "and"s. He couldn't quite fathom why that rascal, Becky, had shown up, especially after outrunning him. But deep down, he knew she had come bearing gifts and with a cunning plan to snatch anything sweet.

"... Elizabeth," Ethan interrupted as they walked inside.

"Yes?" his sister responded.

"Thanks for earlier."

"No problem! I'm always here for you." She grinned.

Ethan's face lit up with a smile upon hearing his sister's words. She was actually his second closest friend, right after Becky. Despite being four years younger, she was always by his side, and they did almost everything together.

"Don't worry, Elizabeth," he reassured her. "When I'm older, I'll take you on adventures around the world!"

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow at him. "Is my big brother rambling again?"

"No, I'm serious!" Ethan replied with a determined expression. "Just you wait and see. I'll become the best of the best, and..."

"Let's go inside and celebrate your birthday," Elizabeth cut him off, playfully interrupting his ambitious speech.

"Eli!" Ethan called out as she walked past him. "I promise."

___

Seated at the dining table, Ethan watched as Becky sneakily swiped a dollop of icing from his birthday cake. Unfortunately for her, his dad caught her before Ethan could utter a single word.

"We have a sugar thief here!" His dad chuckled, amused by Becky's embarrassed face.

His father, a thirty-five-year-old man with black hair and brown eyes that matched his daughter's, played a significant role as a father. He always wanted the best for his children, especially his son, who was undeniably intelligent and had the potential to achieve great things in the future.

"Girls love sweet and sugary stuff," Ethan's mom chimed in, carrying a tray of sweets. "That's why I brought these for the girls..."

"Mom!" Ethan grumbled. "I'm the birthday boy—"

"Ethan!" Elizabeth, who was sitting next to him, called out. "Happy birthday."

She presented him with a handmade necklace as a birthday gift. Though the strings were painted yellow, a large colorful stone made the necklace truly eye-catching.

Ethan wasted no time putting it on. "Thank you, Elizabeth!" he exclaimed. Then, turning to his parents and Becky, who had just swiped another bit of icing from his cake, he added, "Thank you for everything."

His father beamed warmly. "When you grow up, I'm sure you'll be a great father and a smart man, just like me—"

Ethan's mother coughed, clearly taken aback by her husband's words.

"Huh?" His dad looked at her, disbelief in his eyes. "Are you telling me you didn't marry a smart man?"

The woman averted her gaze and began mumbling to herself.

Meanwhile, Ethan smiled, grateful for the precious time spent with his family. However, the happiness was short-lived...

It happened so suddenly...

In the blink of an eye...

Bang!

A gunshot rang out, and all Ethan could see was blood.