Corgan, a bustling city filled with ringing, murmurs, and footsteps. In the west corner there's a small unsanitary apartment where unlucky residents live. Cramped, grimy, enclosed with unpleasant odors, and toured by unwanted pests. The residents sacrifice all of their blood sweat and tears to survive. In light of their shared hardships, they established a community. Theo's family is one of them.
Theo's parents are among the fortunate few to be employed in the city, so they are valued by the community. Theo's dad works in construction. His mom is a waste collector. Their neighbors took care of Theo when his parents left for work. They would only feed him and accompany him to sleep.
"Why did they have a son of all things?"
"This varmint only burdens the community."
"If only he was not the chief, I would have thrown this baby into the sea and let the sharks eat him whole. How troublesome..."
Theo was never taught how to talk nor to walk. He doesn't have toys to play with In the grand scheme of existence, he is but a minuscule creature, seemingly insignificant, only coexisting within the treacherous ambiance that surrounds him.
As he reaches the ripe age of 9, he ventures outside. He learns how to eat without feeding. He can walk on two feet, and converse with adults effortlessly. The neighbors are relieved.
"Finally, no more babysitting."
"I can't believe I didn't get paid for this."
"I can finally sleep peacefully without hearing his obnoxious screams. I'll never see that creature again."
Theo learned that the community hated him for existing. He didn't take it to heart as he has been living with that expression ever since he was born. But he couldn't socialize or ask to play with them since they are busy with routines.
Maybe if I contribute to the community, I can play with them! Theo's idea is to help his mother work as a waste collector. He has seen, touched, smelled, and tasted all kinds of garbage from solid to liquid since he was born. So picking up a litter wouldn't be a problem for him. He asks his mother to work together.
After a few conversations, his mother allows Theo to work outside as a waste collector. But she informs him first. "Be careful where you go, Theo. The outside world is a dangerous place where predators hunger for prey. So it is better to stay low and never cause trouble."
Theo learned how to walk, eat, and talk by observing others. He doesn't ask for help when he wants snacks. He doesn't beg when he needs a break in the toilet. He had to do everything by himself. This is the first time someone has given him something.
An advice.
Or.
A lesson.
A lesson that can guide him to a future where he can be liberated from his worries A guide that shows him the path to happiness. But most importantly, a sign of his parents' love. After considering all of those, Theo takes her mother's advice to his soul. As a result, the outside world in Theo's eyes is gray.
Pick Pick... Grab Grab... Collect Collect... Gather Gather...
Day 1, Theo starts working as a waste collector. He vows to be useful to the community.
Pick... Pick... Grab Grab... Collect Collect... Gather Gather...
Day 4, Theo is getting used to the work environment.
Pick Pick... Grab Grab... Collect Collect... Gather Gather...
Day 7, Theo collects 35 dollars. As always, he gave them all to his parents.
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...
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.....
.....
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."
This man knows my parents. I'm saved! The first thing that comes to his mind is an image of his mother caressing his hair and his father complimenting him. Something he always dreamed of every time he finished working.
"Brainless beggars wandering around the city with all of their germs. The only thing that sets you and them apart is that you love them and they don't."
...
...
...
Huh? The man's unexpected comment resuscitated Theo's mind. My parents don't love me?
"Be careful where you go, Theo. The outside world is a dangerous place where predators hunger for prey. So it is better to stay low and never cause trouble to others."
"Lies...
You're lying! Why would you say that about my parents? They love me. They tell me to be careful. They give lessons to me so that I don't need to worry about my future. They love me!" His fatigue disappears as rage fills his void.
"How pitiful. You're a kid so you don't know anything," the man remarked. "They always whine and complain about you. About how you weren't supposed to be born, about the troubles you bring to their pathetic community. About how much it takes for them to keep a straight face and seal their mouth around you!"
Theo feels outraged at every word the man spouts. Theo stands up and attempts to punch the man's face. But in the eyes of the man, Theo's slow punch is a woeful sight. The man kicks Theo's stomach and steps on him. "I once asked them personally, what will they do if you die," says the man. "Their answers are not so different!"
"It doesn't matter, it'll ease my burden."
"I told him to not cause trouble, but his breathing alone distracted the community. I prefer him to die."
Cold air fades. The cave that enclosed him shatters. The gray world he has lived for his entire life turns darker—as Theo listens to the man's hurtful words, and looks in the eye of his parents' who are standing in front of him and walk away.
That is when he finally understood. "Be careful where you go, Theo. The outside world is a dangerous place where predators hunger for prey. So it is better to stay low and never cause trouble to others." Preys doesn't represent Theo. It represents them, his parents. His mother's advice was never to keep him safe but to avoid inconvenience for them. It was never a lesson to help her son, it was fully for her own benefits, their benefits. They didn't love me...
Theo returns to his house, soaked by the rain. He hides himself in the grubby toilet with air pressing him down like a weight around his neck. As soon as he closes the door, his legs break. Theo sits on the floor curling up on himself.
...
...
...
Nothing...
He can't think of anything. Only numbness exists in his gray and empty world. He feels naked. Naked in the void that devours him bit by bit. He can't see his feet. He can't hear the sound of rain. He can't smell the fetid smell of the toilet. He can't taste his saliva. He can't feel himself. He can't feel his parents. He has lost all his senses.
"Poor thing..." A voice from nowhere echoed in his mind. "How the world treated you. Seems you need salvation."
"What salvation?" Theo muttered. "There is no such thing as hope in this world."
"Who said I was talking about hope?"
"Huh?" Theo is taken aback.
"No matter how rough the world is, humans want survival. You hearing my voice is proof of it. There are some cases where people commit suicide. But that is not because they want to die, it is because they want to feel alive in their last moments."
Shiing! Theo's mind feels like a thin line of water cuts through his head as he listens to the unknown voice. Out of curiosity, he asks, "Wh-who are you?"
"Theo Ando. I have a proposal for you. Join me and you'll feel alive. Do you want to accept this contract?"
Unknowingly, Theo raises his right hand in the air and grabs something like a demonic hand. "I accept."
Warm sunlight shines on flying birds chirping around Corgan. People in formal suits and uniforms crowd the road. On the west side of this peaceful city, an inconceivable event took place in an unsanitary apartment.
"Umar Ando and Alena are dead!"
"How gruesome, there are knives sticking on their necks!"
"Who could have done this? Where is Theo?"
That's the first time they asked Theo's whereabouts. Knowing that made Theo smile. Happiness streams around Theo's body. He can see the world colored with pure darkness. He can hear the community's screams. He can smell blood. He can taste expensive foods. He can feel countless pieces of paper money lying on his bed.
Theo is in joy. He wants to dance on rooftops. He wants to laugh till his stomach hurts. He wants to sleep on his enormous bed for years. He no longer remembers his numbness. He no longer recalls his pain. He no longer remembers his parents. All he can feel is pure satisfaction—till the next thing he knows is his body chained in an iron cage that clips his wings.