Chapter 7: The Road

The entire world turned quiet for a moment.

The death of one happened, yet the world continued to spin.

As if the death of one mattered not.

The boy stared at the world.

Gray.

Everything is still gray.

Red.

Blood dripped from the skies as hell burned across the country, creating a hellish landscape of destruction and suffering.

Why are we born into this world?

When we are going to die at the end?

If that is so, then does everything, anything we do in this world matter?

It's cruel.

Life is cruel.

Very cruel.

The boy stared at the compass on his hands, the arrow pointing towards the west as he stood there.

The wind blew gently across his skin as if to console him, but the boy only felt a chill, stabbing him through the pores of his skin.

The boy held the compass and placed it back on the bag, and 9⁸then he looked down.

To the deep canals made from the abyss.

The canal that was hidden by the manhole seems to pull him in. 

Inviting him to jump.

If the world doesn't care what happens to us, if life would only leave us once we meet death....

Isn't it better to leave life first?

"..."

The boy stared at the darkness, and then he looked up to the sunny sky. Behind him were gunshots roaring in the distance. 

"..."

The boy continued moving forward.

He had someone helping him, aiding him back then.

Now he had none.

He was lonely.

He was...

Alone.

***

The forest was dense. The boy had already left the city and was now located on the outskirts.

Trees upon trees upon trees upon trees. The skies were clear. For now, planes would occasionally paint the skies with explosion.

Long roads that lead to somewhere.

No birds chirping in the background. No animals could be seen.

These endless scenes repeated itself over and over and over and over again.

For eternity.

For what was he doing all these for?

Was it a correct decision to leave the house?

Why did he even leave the house in the first place?

He was curious.

Curious about what?

Curious about a world that he had only seen on tv. Curious about happy families. Good food. A happy life away from pain.

Then did he find it? Did he find what he was seeking?

No.

He didn't.

All he found was that the world outside was the same inside his world [Room].

It's just full of pain and suffering.

Just like his home.

Maybe that was why he existed.

He existed to suffer. To be in pain.

But did he feel pain?

Probably. Physically, he felt pain.

But he's pass that now. He's used to it.

After all, since he came to this world, all he felt was torment.

Maybe that's why he was here. The world wants to torment him.

Why?

Maybe because the world enjoys it? After all, he was born into this world of pain.

But is he willing to be in pain forever?

.... What do you mean?

To suffer for eternity. From the day of his birth to the day of his death.

.............

Isn't that what was fated to be?

To suffer and be tormented for eternity.

That is his destiny, after all. He couldn't do anything at all.

Anything, at all.

***

The boy continued his journey to a city where they take refugees in.

He didn't know why he should go there. 

He was just told, so he did.

The boy walked on the road. 

Sometimes stopping to rest and eating, but he pressed on. And on. And on. And on. And on.

Just as the boy felt that this was repetitive, he found a man kneeling by the side of the road.

The boy stared at him for a moment.

The man was wearing a black robe with a red cross on his back. He knelt on the ground while holding a necklace with a cross on it. He held both of his hands together as it raised to his forehead.

The man mumbled silently, but it was loud enough for the boy to hear scraps of it.

"Oh lord.... guide me... for you are the father...."

The boy studied him for a moment, seeing that the man didn't have any intentions of hurting him, he continued walking.

"Won't you worship the Lord with me, boy?"

Just as he left, the man suddenly asked.

The boy stopped, and then he turned his head around.

The man was still kneeling on the ground, mumbling stuff out of his mouth silently. 

The boy stared at him, then cocked his head to the side. Confused.

Seeing that the voice didn't come back, the boy turned and walked.

"So, you won't?"

Again, the voice. 

The boy turned around, and now, the man was standing. He wiped the tears off his eyes as a benile smile formed on his face.

"Good afternoon, child."

The man held the necklace with a cross and it and smiled.

"Would you like to learn about our lord and savior?"