Chapter 33:Horrible reality hidden by the word humanity (2/5)

August and the kid made their way through the narrow paths. They walked past a lot of houses long abandoned, with shattering bricks, a natural colour that had already dimmed into something unattractive long ago. Roofs that had more holes than covered places.

The roads, unlike on the ground where the rich lived, were all made of mud. The smell of piss and shit was mixed with blood and sweat. Nothing pleasant could be seen in these streets that were abandoned by everyone, but bandits and those with nothing to themselves.

Rare screams and shouts were coming from all directions. They were a part of this city site. People lived here not because they wanted, but because they simply had no other place and way to get out of here.

Rape and murder were something that could be seen every single day in such a place. It is sad to think about that, but at the same time, who would be the one to take care of those that are left with nothing but their lives?

August and the kid arrived at the house that the man had just recently described. Without wasting time, August opened the door that was barely holding up together.

*Creeeeackk* with the creaking sound of the door, it opened, revealing what was inside.

As soon as they entered, a strong smell that he could barely stand filled August's nose. The smell of piss and shit with blood and semen all mixed in such a strong odour that anyone would struggle to endure.

Making his way back outside, August calmed down his senses. And put a cloth to cover his nose, at least a little. Making his way in, August almost instantly made his observations. The floor was decayed, making the wood very weak. A lot of insects already build their houses in every single corner of the house that could be possibly used as a hive.

The kid didn't even bet an eye on all the things happening around them. He went straight for the hatch that blocked the path in the basement's direction. A kid tried to lift it, but all of his efforts were futile.

It looked like the loops that were holding the hatch in place were too rusty and needed a lot of force to lift. August jogged the boy to the side to lift the hatch himself.

It took a bit of time, but the hatch could not resist the strength of a Witcher and the path was cleared.

The kid rushed there first with little concern for himself. There he saw his mother, or just a shell of his former mother.

Her body was lying on the ground, with her clothes torn into nothing that could even count as rags. Only rare bits of her skin were covered by those small pieces. Her entire body was covered in bruises with little to no place, which could tell how her skin looked before this horrible event took place. Her face with barely opened, bloodshot eyes that are almost completely swollen with ugly bruises. Eyes that were staring into nothingness, with a thin stream of tears dropping to the ground.

She was covered in a mixture of such disgusting components that it was hard to imagine. It looked like all of those 10 men had their fair share of her. She was violently raped by 10 men at the same time. Later, they decided it was not enough to satisfy their savage tendencies. They defecated right on her living body when she could barely move after the ruthless beating and sexual torment.

The eyes of the child turned glassy. There were no tears left to cry. His entire body froze when his arm was about to reach her, still alive, but barely functioning body. He tried to call her out, with a shuddering voice, "M-m-m-o-o-o-ooo-th-e-e-e-r-r-r-r-r-r".

Ghostly-like silence enveloped the room, rare sounds of a kid trying to say a word, failing repeatedly. It looked like a kid could no longer perceive the surrounding world. The picture of his mother is forever stuck in his mind. He fell into a trance, unable to keep going.

August, looking at the picture in front of him, didn't know what to do. He never faced a situation when he had to comfort someone, but the picture of Nenneke welcoming him rose inside his mind. Almost like a machine, August turned the child to face him and clumsily embraced without words. They were not needed. No words will help.

Almost like an invisible lever was pulled, and a child clung to the body of August. Like it was a last thin straw that, upon releasing, means death, void, nothingness.

Like a broken dam, tears poured out of his eyes, rolling down his cheeks. With an agonizing scream, almost like a hysterics, it fully swallows him.

Slowly stroking his head, August knew no words to say. All August knew it is that he could be here, to be the last straw for him, so he can grant him an illusionary sense of the wall, shielding him, not letting others break inside. A place to release all the emotions that are bottled up, having no way out.

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Sorry if I made you sad.

This is short chapter, but could not write more, if I would do it , it would be a comedy but not an emotional act.

I hoped you were able to feel at least tingling of your emotions.

Always yours and always at your service

Sir Pantsy