The Boar's Hat (5)

It was no less than a downpour, the air was cold, and puddles began plinking as the rainfall became heavier. It sounded like the buzzing of angry, ferocious bees.

Somehow, mustering up the courage to run away from everything, I ended up in this alleyway.

The only roof above my head was the broken lid of a garbage bin, which had somehow managed to stay on an incline between the garbage bin and the floor.

At the end of the dark alleyway, an obviously drunk man walked in my direction. He walked weirdly, unable to maintain his balance.

Wait!! This scene! I remember this scene! Was this a dream of my memory? Strangely, I have been having a lot of these recently.

But, this alley! This is where I first met Master!

Smashing his empty beer bottle in front of me, he ordered, "Spare me a few coins, brat!"

All I had with me was my backpack full of clothes and a few thousand citz. Should I just give the money to this man? After all, money is not as important as staying alive.

I should stay calm! The man was middle-aged and huge! Almost six and a half feet tall. He had a bulky physique and only had a biker's jacket and jeans on. Probably my best bet is t-

"I guess you are a little hard of hearing," the man yelled, interrupting my thoughts.

Pulling me out from underneath the garbage bin's lid, he threw me against the wall almost effortlessly.

"Brat! Can you hear me alright now! " The man shouted as he gripped my hair and pulled me up. It hurt!

Without even waiting for a reply, the stranger kneed my stomach.

"Aghh!" That was all that I managed to moan before he punched my face, knocking me to the ground.

Blood had started gushing out. From where? I didn't know. I felt my life slowly leave me as the red liquid flowed out.

Was this all I was worth? Was losing my parents and then blowing up their entire fortune to find them not enough? Why did I need to suffer more?

Dying in this pitch dark valley as a lost boy who no one knew. Was this my fate? I guess it was. After all, nobody is strong enough to fight the fate the Gods wrote for them.

The man said random things I could not make out; all I could hear and see were blurred noises and images.

Kicking my abdomen once again, the stranger tried to pull away my backpack, which I had been holding till now. But, wait… why was I holding it so tightly? Why couldn't I just let it go?

After all, the only contents in my bag were a few clothes, some money, some food and water, and ... the only photo of my parents that I had.

No! I couldn't give that photo to this man! I gripped the bag tighter, covering it with my whole body. But the man was stronger. He repeatedly kicked my face until I had no more strength or resilience.

Snatching my backpack, the man opened it.

"Hohhohoo!! You are pretty loaded, boy! This looks to be around thirty thousand citz! Thank you for your kind donation!" Yelled the man as he laughed maniacally. He put the money in his pants pocket and dug deeper into my bag, throwing away my clothes to find something more valuable.

Finally, after a few moments, he pulled out a photo frame from the bag. It was my family photo. The only object I had to not forget my parents' faces.

"Who are these beautiful people? Brat! You are from a family which has an amazing fortune! Brats these days really love running away from their homes, I guess I can get a pretty hefty sum if I tell them that I kidnapped you!" shouted the man as he cracked out laughing.

After some contemplation, the man shouted again, "Nope! Kidnapping a rich brat like you would only bring me trouble. Well, I got my money; I don't have anything else to do here!"

The man threw away the photo frame, breaking it to smithereens.

Noo! The photo would get wet! I need to save it!

Mustering all my strength, I tried crawling toward the photo, but the stranger stomped my back with his leg, pinning me to the ground.

"On another thought... You are too much fun to play with! I guess I can spare some more time for you!" the stranger shouted.

The photo would get wet! I need to reach it! I swung my arms around, trying to hit the man, but he kept laughing.

My hand felt something; it had sharp edges. It was a piece of the bottle that the man smashed to the ground.

Not thinking anything, I stabbed the man's foot with the broken glass piece. He erupted into a loud cry.

I don't have time for him. Crawling as fast as I could, I finally gripped the photo in my hands and sat upright, leaning my back on the wall. I looked at the picture. How beautiful my parents were. Their warmth was the only comfort I had in this world.

I will find them! If not today, then tomorrow!

"You shit!" cried the man as he stomped his way to me.

But, before he could reach me, he fell to the ground, unconscious. What just happened?

Behind him stood a middle-aged man. Although I couldn't make out his face due to the lack of light, his body was almost perfect. Although he was filled with muscles, he didn't look huge.

"Child. What is it that you want to do?" The strange man asked.

There was only one answer.

"I-I wa-want to live!" I managed to say before collapsing to the ground.

.

.

.

My eyes opened! My body was covered in sweat, and my hands and legs were trembling.

Why did I see such a memory? This was the third time in the past two weeks. This had never happened before.

With my shivering legs, I sat on the chair at the dining table and gulped down the water directly from the bottle.

It was only a memory. It is normal sometimes to think back or dream about memories. I don't need to overthink it.

My entire tracksuit was covered in sweat. Not to mention that it had started stinking horribly. I wonder if Margaret can arrange some clothes for me.

After some more minutes, I got up and pressed the calling bell. Within five minutes, a knock could be heard on my door.

I opened it and behind it was the waitress, Margaret. But wait. Was this my first time seeing her? Was she always this beautiful?

She wore a different dress today. Her long white sleeves were folded up neatly till her elbows, showing her fair white skin, not to mention her long slender legs were visible below her green skirt that reached just above her knee, with a clean green apron draped around her waist.

Her auburn-reddish hair was tied into a beautiful bun, leaving a few strands that looked golden under the lights in the hall, dancing in the wind to nature's choreography; even though there was no wind here.

The features of her small face resembled her cuteness and adorableness. A simple but mesmerising frame that radiated every time she put up a smile while doing her work, a passion that was held up in her eyes.

The hair strands of her flawless hair that were curled moved freely, reminding one of the most beautiful autumns leaves playing in the daytime. Her aura seeped into the air, spreading enthusiasm everywhere. Moreover, she had a smile that was a unique God-given feature, attracting attention towards her not only to her physical features but also to her sweet and energetic character.

"How may I assist you?" she asked.

Snapping out of my train of thought, I asked, "Can my clothes be repaired?"

What was happening? Why was I even thinking this way? Did she use some sort of charm skill? That was the most probable answer.

"Of course!" she energetically replied, "just leave your clothes outside your door when you go to freshen up; I'll repair them and keep them on your bed before you return."

Would it even be possible to repair them so quickly? After all, my tracksuit was on the verge of collapse. She may have a 'skill' for it.

"Would you like me to apply some enchantments to it, too?" she inquired.

"Enchantments?" I asked. Did she mean that she would embed magic in my tracksuit?

"Yup! With the enchantments, your clothes will get quite a few new functions!" she replied.

I had no reason to pass on such an offer.

"Sure!" I replied.

Margaret left after offering me a slight bow. It looks like she will be very helpful during my stay here. Anyway, let's go wash my face first.

Making my way to the washroom, I opened its door. What was this?

I was welcomed by the sight of a grandiose bathroom. The walls were snow white and all the faucets and taps were golden. They were letting me stay a month free of rent here! Amazing!

A huge white bathtub and a shower were in the middle of the bathroom. It was covered with shower curtains on all four sides. The bathroom was about half the size of the room!

I removed my clothes and wore the white towel, which was kept on a rack. Now that I had removed my tracksuit, it felt like I had been born again. I had gotten used to the feeling of it sticking to my body for the past week.

Folding my tracksuit, I kept it outside the room's door and headed for the bathroom again. I first took a short shower before finally filling the bathtub and lying in it.

It was amazing!! What I felt right now could only be described as extraordinary comfort. All my muscles relaxed in the water, which was neither too hot nor too cold.

I could get used to this kind of comfort!