Packet of donuts

Ethan's thoughts froze as the vivid memories flooded his mind. The scene of his uncle slamming the door in their faces and his aunt pretending not to know them was etched in his memory. 

Looking around, Ethan desperately searched for something, anything to sustain them. A rat, a bug, an ant—anything would be better than the emptiness gnawing at their stomachs. The hunger fueled their determination to keep going.

This new town was unlike their own, with an abundance of bakeries. However, they closed their doors early, adding to their struggle in begging for food. Relentlessly, Ethan continued walking until he found himself near an open bakery that would soon close for the day.

His gaze fixated on a young boy, approximately nine years old, who clutched a packet of donuts in his hands. The boy's eyes darted around, surveying his surroundings.

Ethan paused, his attention captivated by the tempting packet of donuts. His hunger had reached unimaginable heights, pushing him to consider stealing the pastries from the little boy. It didn't matter if he couldn't eat them himself; as long as his sister could have something to eat, it was all that mattered.

The boy's gaze met Ethan's, and he recognized the pure hunger reflected in Ethan's eyes. Ethan's frame had grown so thin that the sound of his bones clashing together echoed with each step he took. The little boy understood that Ethan was in desperate need of sustenance, evident in his tattered clothes, now stained with dirt.

As the boy's mother finished paying for the cakes she had purchased, she held onto her son's hand and walked towards their car. Unbeknownst to them, Ethan instinctively hid beside the shop, unsure why he felt the need to hide.

"Mommy, Mommy, there's a thin boy–" the boy began, but his mother quickly silenced him with a stern command.

"Okay, get into the car," she urged, cutting off any further discussion. However, her son persisted, concerned for the hungry and emaciated boy he had spotted.

"But he looks hungry and thin, Mommy..." the boy protested. Before his mother could respond, a man approached them, someone familiar to her.

As they engaged in conversation, the young boy stealthily moved away from his mother's line of sight and made his way towards Ethan. With a burst of energy, the boy rushed over to Ethan, who stood frozen in place.

"Here!" the boy exclaimed, handing Ethan the packet of donuts. "Eat this. You look hungry."

Tears welled up in Ethan's eyes as he observed genuine kindness in the stranger's act of providing him with much-needed sustenance. "Thank you," Ethan choked out, accepting the packet of donuts. "I won't forget this act of goodwill. One day, I will surely find a way to repay you."

A smile adorned the young boy's face as he witnessed genuine happiness wash over Ethan. "You don't have to–" the boy started to say but was interrupted.

"Remember, this is a small world. One good deed deserves another," Ethan declared.

Before the boy could respond, his mother called out, "Christopher, where are you?"

"I'm coming!" the boy called out before sprinting back to his mother. However, before he could reach her, Ethan posed a question.

"What's your full name?" Ethan inquired with tears streaming down his face.

"Oh! It's Christopher. Christopher McClellan," the boy replied.

"Christopher McClellan, I will never forget that name," Ethan vowed solemnly.

"Okay, what's your name?" Christopher asked with curiosity.

"Ethan..." Ethan responded.

"I'm coming Mom!" the boy called back again, his voice carrying through the air. With a final farewell, he waved to Ethan. "Goodbye, Ethan."

"Goodbye, Christopher!" Ethan replied, his face beaming as the boy hurried back to his mother's side.

Ethan raced back to his sister, his smile stretching wide. For weeks, they had survived on discarded leftovers and wasted food, scavenged from various homes. Castaway meals that once seemed abundant had become their sustenance.

Some nights, they would stumble upon morsels to chew on, while other times, they found nothing. In those instances, Ethan would wait for rats to gather near the trash, which he would catch, roast, and eat to stifle their hunger. On other occasions, they resorted to eating crickets, whether roasted or raw, embracing whatever seemed repulsive to others in their desperate state.

But now, clutching the packet of donuts gifted by a compassionate stranger, Ethan knew they would finally have something delectable to eat. The mere touch of water puddles on the street invoked anger within him, kindling the memories of their heartless relatives.

"They were all trash! And if given the chance, I will seek revenge. I will be the karma to pass judgment on those evil souls," he muttered, determined.

As he made his way back to his sister, he called out, "Elizabeth! Food! Elizabeth, food!."

Elizabeth, clutching her stomach tightly, looked up as she heard her brother's voice. His presence brought a smile to her face, instilling hope even during their darkest days.

"Brother!" she called out as he crawled back under the shelter they called home.

"Look!" Ethan exclaimed, opening the packet to reveal twelve round donuts, adorned with delicious icing. He took three for himself and gave her four. Before long, they both devoured the donuts, tears streaming down Elizabeth's face.

While Elizabeth had resorted to consuming molded bread, sharing pizza with rats, and even eating rats themselves, she never imagined her brother would bring her a packet of donuts.

"Did you steal these?" she asked inquisitively.

"No!" Ethan replied with a mouthful of donut. "A boy with blonde hair and blue eyes gave them to me. He was wearing a white turtleneck, black trousers, and white shoes. He's around nine years old, and his name is Christopher McClellan. I'll never forget his face, especially those blue eyes and his friendly demeanor."

With each bite, tears trickled down Ethan's face. He knew that even more challenging days lay ahead, but one thing remained certain: one way or another, he would seek justice against the relatives who had abandoned him and his sister. And also those men who destroyed his town, killed his family and Becky.

"I'll take revenge on all of them," he muttered to himself. "I'll make sure their doorstep welcomes Death."

As he took another bite, he realized that Aunt Pamela would be his final visit. If things didn't go as planned, he would have to rely on grace. In times of despair and helplessness, true colors reveal themselves among those we consider friends and family.