Rest in Peace [Noctis Lucis Caelum]

II

As you continued to walk down the concrete pavement, you suddenly heard the sound of crying in the background. You turned your head to the direction of the sound to see a mother and a child sitting on the steps of an old building. The child was balled up in the mother's arms, crying his poor soul out as the mother held him protectively in her arms as if she was hiding him away from the darkness of the night. They were dressed in dirty clothes, and shoes that were all ripped. They were thin and looked extremely hungry. Tightening your grip on the plastic bags, you marched up to them. The mother looked up as soon as she heard your footsteps stop in front of her. Her eyes looked weary, her expression pained. Your stomach churned as you listened to the child cry. Each whimper and wail made a crack within your heart. You crouched down to get closer to the mother and child. Immediately the mother flinched and tightened her grip around her son.

"It's okay, I'm here to help." you said gently. However the mother continued to eye you in doubt. You didn't blame her though, she had every right to be cautious about you. The slums weren't safe, especially for a vulnerable child.Reaching into the plastic bags, you pulled out a loaf of bread and an apple. "Here." you handed the food over to her.

The mother was shocked by you unexpected gesture. She looked down at the food and then back up at you. You could tell she was uncertain on whether not it was safe to take the food.

"Don't worry, it's edible." you reassured her with a warm smile.

With timid and frail hands she reached out a took the food from your hands

You placed your hand on her shoulder. "It's going to be alright." you said. "I promise."

The mother finally spoke. Her voice was very weak and scratchy. "Thank you so much." her eyes began to sting as tears brimmed the corner of her eyes. However she wasn't crying from sadness, but joy. And for the first time in a long time, a smile made it's way to her lips. "If only there were more people like you." she said between sobs. The mother saw the kindness in your eyes. She felt soothed when you placed your hand on her shoulder. Your words were calming her more by the way they were spoken rather than the actual words themselves.

You gave her a curt nod before standing up and turning to walk away. You were probably never going to see them again, but you hoped that what you did was enough to ignite that flame of hope they held within themselves. People barely paid heed to these poor souls. To them, they were as important as the chewing gum stuck on the concrete pavement. They had become garbage to their eyes. However that didn't mean they should be treated like dirt, because after all they were still human.

Witnessing things like this made you think back and realize how lucky you were. Despite living in the run-down district of the city, you had a roof over your head and a place to call home. You had a bed to sleep on and enough food to feed yourself, while there were others out on the streets desperate to get their hands on a small crumb. You couldn't bear to think about what it would be like if it was you placed in their shoes. This place was too cruel and it was heartbreaking for you to know that you had to put your little brother through this. His soul was too young to be experience such atrocities.

. . .

Finally, you reached the apartment building where you lived. You entered the weathered building, and trudged up three flight of stairs to your apartment. The building did have an elevator, but no one dared to use it. The floorboards creaked with every step as if they were threatening to snap at any given moment. The paint on the walls were peeling, some covered with uncivil vandalism. The lights on the ceiling flickered on and off, some dying as you walked down the long hallway. It was an old place worn down just like the rest of the area it resided in. Fishing out the keys from your bag, you unlocked the door to your apartment.