Markus

Markus narrowed his eyes at the figure walking ahead. The presence of faint street lights cast shadows upon his surrounding, conjuring monstrous silhouettes fueled by his imagination.

He gulped back the urge to weep and stalked after the figure with determination.

It's now or never.

With stiff and rigid limbs that are plagued with exhaustion, he followed his prey.

There's no going back now! I have nothing left there!

Are you sure about that? His consciousness rebuked.

No, I don't. He affirmed.

He put an end to that though reluctant to go that path.

What's done is done! This is my life now. The past is the past, no use of crying over spilled milk. Besides, no good comes from looking back, right?

Despite his encouraging pep talk, the words felt hollow, empty and so very wrong. And the mass of guilt burdening his consciousness attested to that.

Enough! What's done is done.

He shook his head as if the action itself would swat away the buzzing thoughts.

Despite his best effort to be stealthy, his footsteps echoed in the deserted street where the woman walked, in her arms the prize he desires.

He was determined to succeed, but his mind and body failed to cooperate. His small malnourished limbs trembled from exertion and hunger and mixed emotions.

The most prominent one being self-loathing.

He hated himself for what he is about to do; for what circumstances drove him to do. Markus never even entertained the thought of stealing, even that time when he felt that all hope was lost and his insides started contracting painfully from the lack of food, he never took something, not his.

However, hunger is a crazy beast; it can drive the most patient and committed monk to sin.

Little by little, as hunger gnawed at his insides, his resolve crumbled slowly against the push of poverty.

The decision hasn't been easy. He argued with himself all day about whether to commit the act or not. But his resolve deteriorated as his belly protested.

Morals and ethics were a small part driving his reluctance, the major issue being that small pull that kept tugging at his guilt strings.

Guilt for betraying his principles and most importantly for betraying all those kids back at the orphanage who are probably suffering the same thing.

I'm not going to look back anymore! And it's final! They at least don't suffer hunger every day unless they irk the headmaster, so it's okay if I do it just this time! After all, I have no one to provide for me now, I am the master of myself and an independent person.

Now as the helplessness and hopelessness seeped through his veins, settled in his bones and poisoned his mind, he decided that morals, principals, and guilt should take a back seat.

After all, no human is sin-free, and being an honest individual with hoards of good deed fails to fill the stomach with food.

Aren't most crimes committed because of desperation? That doesn't necessarily make someone completely bad, but a slave to circumstances.

Besides, there is another reason other than guilt that held him back: disappointment.

What would they think of their hero, stealing? They will surely hate me!

He cursed his fate for the cruel hand it dealt him. Even though he keeps looking at the bright side, the small things that count, he can't help but hate life for damning him with such difficulties.

I am going to do it. To hell with the consequences!

The street light beside the woman flickered as if warning her of a stalking danger - as dangerous as a ten-years-old amateur and hungry thief can be.

Markus took that as a sign to strike, he forced his small limbs to action. He passed the startled woman and snatched her plastic bag from her shocked hands. He scurried away like a little mouse thief and took to the darkness of a nearby alley as protection from her searching eyes.

"Hey! Get back here. Thief!" The woman hollered, flustered, and went after him.

Markus forced himself to run faster, adrenaline and fear of getting caught and sent back to Master Adam - or worse to prison - fueled his limbs. But his malnourished body can only take so much.

When he rounded a corner in the alley, he stumbled on a stray, small rock in his path and staggered a few steps forward until a force from behind him knocked him to the ground. With an 'oomph', his breath left him in a forced exhale.

Markus struggled in getting away from the woman as she clamped a vice grip on his wrists. The plastic bag was thrown a couple of steps ahead, it's content on full display.

He tried to disentangle himself from the bat-shit-loco woman who kept growling like a crazed animal trying to contain his flailing limbs until one of his knees struck her in the stomach and his hand connected with her nose with desperation.

Damn, now she's going to get really pissed!

He crawled like a scared animal to the back, seeking the protection the darkness offered, by hiding his small frame in its black embrace.

But alas, the woman spotted him and came toward him with the rage of a victim seeking justice.

"Now listen here you piece of shit! No one steals from Ta-" she started between heavy pants, her voice laced with a threat, but was cut short when she got a clear view of the thief.

"I'm so sorry! Please, lady, don't hurt me!" Markus whimpered.

The lady was a nut case! What would she do with him now that he was caught?! He started shivering in fear. Years of abuse trained his body to recognize signs of violence and the lady in front of him looked like she was going to burn holes in him with a hot poker or stab him with a needle until the holes in his body bled to death. She looked like she was going to punish him...brutally!

His limbs spasmed and moister pricked his eyes but didn't fall. His breath came short and shallow. He was going to die! He just knows it!

If only he stayed inside the orphanage instead of running away, none of this would be happening!

Stupid! Stupid! I am such a stupid fool!

By now his breathing was mixed with sobs.

I should've stayed and endured whatever fate signed up for me, it is better than the outside world.

The master always warned them of the cruelty residing outside the walls of the orphanage. He made the orphanage sound like a sanctuary instead of a prison. Markus didn't believe him until this very moment.

He thought that there is still goodness in the world and he just has to seek it or stumble upon it which spurred his rebellion. So, he decided to seek it disregarding the headmaster's warning. After all, he wasn't living a peachy life at the orphanage so whatever he might encounter outside he was sure it wouldn't be as ruthless.

How wrong he was!

He wanted to put an end to the misery. All days, he put on a brave heroic face, with hope for a better future and faith in his heart.

Look where his fanciful mind brought him: far away from everything he knows, alone, hungry, and in the dark.

He just couldn't handle it! Was it so bad that he wanted to run away from all the abuse and mistreatment? He waited for the good things to come to him? To happen? But apparently having hope and faith weren't enough, he needed to act!

And now it was futile! It was all futile! His own existence is futile!

She snatched back the plastic bag and nestled it in a tight grip betwixt her slender fingers. She grappled with curses to spew and her body buzzed with violent vibes.

I'm dead!

That was Markus last thought before it was cut short by the woman's action.

Thoughts, anyone?!

Personally I'm not satisfied with this chapter, I might come back to it and fix a few things. I wrote it in a hurry because I needed to write something to be able to update soon. So yeah, hope it wasn't that disappointing.

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Eva.