Charlie's No Good Very Bad Day

Charlie groaned. He knew he had to get up and get out of bed but he really really didn't want to. Even more so than most days.

"Owwwww." He felt his cheek gingerly. The blood had dried but the scrape was more sore than yesterday. It was going to leave a big bruise. Charlie had been on his way back from a secluded bend in the river where he had been fishing quite unsuccessfully at dusk. Gloomy at the prospect of no fish for dinner Charlie wasn't paying attention and crashed right into Peter, the mayor's only son who was out strolling with his little suck-up friends. Peter did not like that one bit and pushed Charlie back before he could get his bearings. Charlie tripped over an exposed root and spun around just in time to break his fall with his face. Those brats thought it was the funniest thing in the world. Laughing it up until they saw that Charlie was bleeding. Then they all scattered, afraid of getting a beating from their elders. Any serious harm against another villager was not taken lightly. Peter looked had looked slightly stunned for a moment but then left without another word. Didn't even ask if he was alright.

'But then why would he' Charlie thought while laying facedown in his rough bedding. 'I'm two years older than Peter but he and his little friends had no respect at all. After all, he's the perfect mayor's son and I'm just some pathetic orphan who everyone in the village shuns. No one would believe a word if I accused him.'

Before Charlie could get more lost in a spiral of self loathing he heard the distinct sound of breathing and felt hot air on his neck.

"Ahhhhh!!!" He shrieked and and flailed around under his threadbare sheet before sitting up with eyes wide open.

No one was there. Just the inside of the only home Charlie had ever known in the dim dawn light. It was a single room rectangular shack. With one table, one chair, and one bed. Nowhere to hide.

"Phewww." Charlie let out the breath he was holding in. 'I probably just didn't sleep very well and imagined things.'

He still got got out of bed and checked the door latch but at this point felt it was just embarrassing. 'Who would bother breaking in here anyway?'

Now fully awake Charlie bagan his morning routine. He ate some leftover porridge and started the kettle so he'd have hot barley tea for the cold morning walk to the farms. Ever child over the age of twelve had to contribute half a day's work on the villages community farm, no family, not even the mayor's was an exception. You don't like farm work? That's fine, get used to not eating.

Charlie was now thirteen and understood that there was no place for him in the village if he didn't contribute but he hated working on the farm to the bone. It was monotonous, backbreaking labor and the thought that he'd be stuck here in Clearspring Village for the rest of his life farming filled him with an existential dread. It wasn't that he couldn't leave, no villager would stop him. But Clearspring was nestled at the foot of an ancient forest and insurmountable mountain range. Traveling by the main road it would take weeks to reach any other civilization and if the tales of the visiting trade caravans were true the road had its own dangers. Beasts, brigands, and basic survival. Charlie had no coin to pay his way in a caravan nor the knowhow to forage and hunt in the wild. How could he possibly make such a journey? He was well and truly stuck.

Charlie put his work clothes on slower than usual, in no hurry to start the day. He tried an experimental smile but winced in pain from flexing his bruised right cheek. , "No one will care enough to ask how I got hurt. Golden boy Peter sure won't get in any trouble. It's not even a good enough injury to get a work exemption. Everyone will just talk behind my back like they always do."

Charlie mumbled mockingly to himself as he walked to the door, "What a clumsy oaf!" "Thinks he's better than us but he can't even put one leg in front of the other!"

The rusty door hinges squeaked in protest as Charlie pushed the door open. He didn't bother to lock up on the way out. Even in his misery Charlie couldn't help but notice how nice it was outside. Still cool enough but Spring was well and truly here. The air smelt like life itself. Rather than feeling comforted by the glorious weather Charlie felt even worse now that the day was a fine one. Like it was mocking him, that his sour mood was not in step with the world, he was in yet another way shuned.

Charlie snorted and with a scowl on his face took the long way along the village outskirts heading to the farms so as to come across as few people as possible.

...

Back in Charlie's lonely cottage the stove fire under the kettle still flickered, forgotten in haste. The now empty kettle bottom was starting to blacken from the heat but then a breath of air, appearing if by magic in the still stagnant room, extinguished the flame entirely

Darkness returned to the empty room and then suddenly there was a voice. Spoken by nobody and heard by no one. "The beginning of a new day or an OLD day!!! Hahahahahahaahahahhahhhahahahwhahahahahah!! Hah..."

"What a dream this has been..."