The Exchange System

The slums of Old Zemo district.

A young boy could be seen scrambling through the deep trash pits with a big basket on his back. Every once in a while, the boy would let take something out from the trash pile and put it into the basket.

The boy continued to scavenge for more materials, picking out metallic scraps and other substances. The detritus of the ignorant people above the forgotten districts had become the very basis of bread and butter for the junk harvesters below.

"15...16..17....Just one more...", the boy talked to himself.

The boy finally stopped collecting trash and took a trip down a dirty road.

"Recycling Centre - HERE!", a vivid neon light could be seen in the distance. Stragglers of all shapes and sizes waited impatiently for the queue to loosen up. But no one made trouble, oh no. They were not foolish enough to lose their only hope of life.

The boy too, got in line, just like everyone else. His thin, ragged body seemed like it could hardly bear the weight of the massive basket on his back. But no one batted an eye. Life was hard down in the blights.

"Recycling confirmed. Please visit again.", a robotic voice sounded out as a starved skeleton like figure came out. The boy knew better than to stare at people, especially in these parts.

"Next person, please come in.", the robotic person sounded again.

The boy huffed as he walked into the cold grey room with the basket on his back.

"Please depos-"

The boy dumped the contents of his basket into the hole in the ground before the voice could finish it's speech.

Lord knows he had grown tired of it by now.

"Analysing....Confirming...", a series of beeps rang out.

"Total confirmed price is 52.4 Tenars. Accept?", the voice sounded out again.

"Accept.", an uncharacteristically pleasant voice came out of the boy's mouth.

The boy was long ready at the deposit counter. He took the money that came out of the machine and thoroughly counted it over.

"Recycling confirmed. Please visit again."

The boy walked, somewhat hastily, out of the door and made his way towards the central plaza. Taking a short detour from there, he made his way towards a small wooden inn that looked as if it may crumble with the slightest breeze.

The boy took a deep breath before walking in. He was both nervous and excited.

Sounds of laughter and thick smells of beer, smoke and cigarettes wafted out from the room.

"That's a pair of twos! I win!", a tough male voice sounded out.

"Damn it. Fuck you!", another voice grumbled.

"Hahaha!", more voices echoed out.

The boy walked inside but no one paid any heed to him.

"Hey, Uncle Wang, do you know where Boss Shi is?", the boy asked a tattooed bald man.

"HUH? Why do you want to know?", he hollered back, prompting another round of laughter from the men around.

"Hahaha! Leave the poor boy alone, brother Wang", a scantily dressed woman laughed.

"Please, Uncle Wang. I have to see him.", the boy pleaded.

"What you looking for me for, boy?", a voice sounded out as a massive and tall goon came out of a room with two women by his side.

The boy took 50 Tenars out of his pocket and gave it to the boss.

"Um.....", the boy hesitated before continuing, "You promised me a Leave Ticket if I could earn 10,000 Tenars for you."

There was silence in the room for a moment. Then, an uproar like no other started again with such loud laughter that it seemed like the sound would collapse the inn itself.

"Ahahaha! Oh my sides! Hold me!"

"HAHA! Are you fucking serious?!"

"Fuck! This boy can't be real!"

"QUIET!", Boss Shi shouted. The room slowly regained it's silence again.

Patting the boy, he said, "Of course I said that, and I always fulfill my promises! But tell me, how are you sure that you've collected 10,000? After all, it may be 5,000 or 3,000. Or maybe even 1,000. Or perhaps your memory is not good and it was 50 all along? That along with this 50 makes a hundred."

Snickering voices sounded again.

"Go boy, you still have 9,900 to earn. Then, you can come look for me again.", the fat man said and shooed him off as if he were shooing off a fly.

"B-But you promised! I have been tracking it all this time!", the boy insisted.

Running out of patience, the boss directly grabbed the boy by the clothes and threw him out of the window.

"If you ever dare come back, I'll kill you!", a voice came out of the window.

The boy finally broke down. In face of his nervousness and determination, he had stayed strong. In this dog eat dog world, in labouring and working every hour, the boy stayed strong. He stayed strong for a hope to get out of his life.

He knew that it was a bit idealistic to expect anything at all from people like these. But in the confronting reality of having his dreams be broken directly, ths boy finally wept out for the first time with a bitter cry.

He ran all the way back to the degrading landfills that he was most familiar with. He laid down in a fetal position as he bitterly cursed the world, tasting the sour salty taste of his tears as it ran down his face. Then, he finally fell asleep on the cold heap of trash.

A beautiful azure butterfly flapped across the black night and landed on his head. It turned more and more corporeal until it fused into his head with a blinding glow.

"Beep! The exchange system has been activated!"