Diablo's Contract

Theo only has canned chicken and dried beans during short breaks which leads to stomach ache and exhaustion. But every time he sees a happy family, he stands up, clenches his teeth, and continues to search for trash.

For 5 years Theo had wandered around the city. He became well known as the "Trash Kid". Not a pretty nickname, but it's nothing to him as has been called worse. So he kept pushing on.

Walking... Investigating... Crouching... Grabbing... Standing... Throwing...

Walking... Investigating... Crouching... Grabbing... Standing... Throwing...

Walking... Investigating... Crouching... Grabbing... Standing... Throwing...

...

Walking... Investigating... Crouching... Grabbing... Standing... Throwing...

.....

.....

.....

Walking.....

Investigating.....

Crouching.....

Grabbing.....

Standing.....

Throwing.....

.....

The evening sun cast long shadows on Theo's heavy feet and disconsolate arms. With each step he takes, the world appears bleak. On the last, his feet froze with his arm feeling numb—ultimately, led his body to fall to the ground.

Thud!

"Cold..." The frigid air and chilled ground made Theo mutter his mind for the first time. Every cell in his body feels like a cave full of emptiness brimming with his heartbeat. In his chest, an overwhelming sensation streams to his head, opening a memory he wishes to forget.

"The trash kid is causing trouble and tainting the community's face, how troublesome..."

"He is just pretending to work while corrupting our name. He must have spread nasty rumors about us."

"Why can't he let us catch a breath for just one f*cking second?"

They still hate me... The community never appreciated Theo's hard work. They never acknowledged his dedication. They never sympathize with him. No matter how much Theo contributes, he is no different from garbage loitering in the gray world.

"Hurts..." He wants to cry. He wants to scream. He wants his parents.

No.

He needs them. He needs their presence. He needs more of their love. He recalled his mother's advice. "Be careful where you go, Theo. The outside world is a dangerous place where predators hunger for prey-."

Tap... A faint sound impedes his remembrance.

Tap... Tap... Tap... Tap... The sound of footsteps gets closer to Theo. He instinctively grabbed the person's pants as soon as he sensed someone. The unknown person stopped.

"Food... please..." Theo didn't see the person's face. Despite everything, he still wanted to live. Even if the community didn't accept him, he still had hope for his parents.

"Hey, you're the trash kid that's been soiling around the city huh?" Theo didn't hear what the man said clearly.

"Hold on, I know you. Aren't you Umar's son?" Theo is shocked when the man says his father's name. "I'm his boss and I gotta say, you look a lot like your parents. Both Umar and Alena."