I have a superpower

One day, a child was sitting by a riverside, playing pretend alone.

He was in a place where he had to play silently. 'Playing' in itself was a means to save himself from breaking down.

''dear mom and dad, I have what they call a mind-reading superpower!!''

he was talking inside his head, it was a developed habit of his. He was not a quiet child by nature, however, his environment made him one.

''Looking at people's expressions is a way for me to realize new things. Sometimes it allows me to know what's going to happen.''

while taking in a childish manner on the inside he looked so calm and emotionless on the outside.

''Sometimes it's hard for me to use this power, but it's easy to use on children!''

A family walked in the distance so the child looked at them while continuing his little game.

''For example, when a person does something called smiling by lifting the corner of their mouth, it means they 'feel' happy! And if their eyebrows get near each other, that means they feel bad and sometimes water will come from their eyes!''

He wasn't a child who could not feel since birth, his circumstances made him one.

''Children are really good to observe! oh, wait, why... is that child 'crying' after looking at me?"

The child he was looking at, started crying when she saw a skinny, dirty looking child looking at her emotionlessly.

''No no no, do not cry, or they will be angry and hit me again.''

(Oh...What's wrong baby girl, why are you crying? Why do you look so scared? What... My God!! it's that creep again!...)

The girl's mother looked at the child and screamed in disgust as if forgetting she was one of those who caused the poor child to look as he does now.

''Oh, it's happening again... But it's okay, today, for some reason, I didn't get beaten up by any of them.''

The child calmed his fears thinking so when he heard another voice.

(shhh don't do that now, you have to calm down!)

''That man is probably the 'father'. I have one too... He is always with me, but he said I can't tell anyone that he is with me, and I remember, dad told me that a father is a man who 'protects'!''

''But, what is that father trying to protect by closing the woman's mouth with his hand like that? That woman must be the 'Mother'. She is the one who 'loves'! It's also a secret, but I have a mom too!''

''When I get beaten, dad closed my ears and eyes, he would look so angry and sad but that's when I feel 'protected' the most, and mom cries and hugs me, that's when I feel 'loved' the most.

Ah! when I sleep beside the animals the two of them hug me, but then sadly, they do that for only a short time, because it feels cold when they hug me. but then they keep watching over me till I wake up. I feel loved and protected then too! But anyway, it's really hard to understand...''

( I know, I know, but still!! That creepy thing...)

(Shhh, it's okay...we don't know what the kid's and that thing's relationship is yet, what if something even worse happens now?... Let's go, please?)

Oh, they went away, what was he even saying? what is "that thing"?

(It's strange lately... I can't see most of the villagers and they are all doing different things from usual, right mom, dad?)

Liam worriedly looked at his parents' souls and asked.