HOUSE

“Ah…”

Blazing heat. That’s what defined this morning’s weather. Due to this, the kid started to feel dizzy. The fact that he hadn’t eaten since two days also influenced him.

“Just a little longer” he unconsciously smiled.

He had finally achieved his goal, that’s to obtain a ‘seed’. They can be regarded as godly items that produce endless amounts of food, or as the devil's incarnation that eradicates every existence nearby. This last was the main reason why people, such as farmers or merchants, didn’t want to utilize them. The risk was too big and, as for high-quality seeds, they’re just too expensive, so they wouldn’t reap any profits.

“*Clunk* *Clunk*” Drops of water fell. The smell entered through the kid’s nostrils and made him frown.

“Ugh…” Those drops turned out to be urine. He looked above him and saw that their origin was one of the building’s windows.

The street he’s going through at the moment was dark and dirty. Rats could be seen and various homeless people coughing were lying on the floor. Similar to the slums, it could be regarded as a place you shouldn’t visit if you weren’t part of it. Narrow streets in which only two people at most could walk. However, the kid was moving flawlessly while dodging every possible danger. Suddenly, a voice was heard.

“Aaah… No, do...don’t come any closer. Ge… GET AWAY FROM ME!” An old man without one arm shouted. He was crawling and hiding behind a corner. Anyone who was in that situation would definitely ask what was happening, but no one did so. That’s cause he’s alone.

“He is having those episodes again” The kid thought hopelessly. The old man was known for being crazy or losing his mind often. He would always scream the same words over and over again for one hour and then he’d fall asleep. At first, everyone was concerned a little due to their safety, but after two days they just left him alone. It was a common occurrence for some of them to lose their sanity in these conditions.

“Let’s go home quickly” He turned his gaze and carried on moving. The scenery didn’t change at all during his journey. Although he had been walking for almost ten minutes now, the buildings and streets were still dull. With a medieval design, the houses were mostly made of wood and stones. In the majority of cases, the foundations being made out of stones and the rest of wood. If a fire were to begin, it would probably wipe off the whole place.

“*Dom… criii… dom*” The kid entered one of those dull houses and went straight to one of it’s rooms. The house was divided into three rooms which all together formed a rectangle. It was spacious enough for two people to reside in and it consisted of a little kitchen, a bedroom and a shabby toilet.

When the boy entered the bedroom, he was called.

“Edgar?” A faint voice which almost couldn’t be heard.

“Yes, I’m back.” He quickly responded.

“I’ve brought the seed, mom. I exchanged it for the cow that was given to us as dad’s compensation.” He continued talking. The woman resting just nodded, telling him to carry on.

“Because we wouldn’t have been able to feed her and selling or eating her wouldn’t have been any better because of our neighbors, I thought this was the best option we had.” He added cheerfully.

“You did well. I’m glad I have such a smart son.” She smiled. Her pale face indicated that she’s probably ill. She’s fair-skinned and poorly-dressed, this could be seen as she was only covered with a thin blanket. Even that could be considered a rare sight in the slums, though the rest of the house was mostly empty, there’s a well-conserved bed.

“Um!” He was elated. Being complimented by his mother was something he was really proud of.

What he did, was, indeed, the best thing. Two people couldn’t eat so much meat and in the end it would have been wasted. Moreover, selling her for money would have attracted other’s attention and endangered their situation. Unfortunately, living in the slums didn’t help at all. So, the only option left was to exchange the cow for something that would quietly help them. The ‘seed’.

“Look, mom. The shopkeeper gave me this glass to keep the seed until it grows.” He pointed at the glass and showed it to her. She just nodded because she probably couldn’t talk too much.

“I’ll leave it in the kitchen. He told me that in one or two days it should start to grow. Meanwhile, I’ll try to gather some fruits and herbs to eat, so don’t worry, we won’t starve.”

“Thank you, Edgar,” After saying this, she fell asleep and silence filled the room.

“Please, grow quickly so that I can save mom. Please, I beg you.” After placing the glass on the table, he started to pray.

Right after doing this, he left the house and went to collect some water to the nearby river with a bucket that was hidden under the table.

“I’ll be back soon” The door was closed and there's nobody left at the house, apart from Edgar's mom.

*glup* *gulp*

The noise echoed and came from the kitchen. However, no one heard it nor would have been able to guess what it meant.