Originate - Season 1

Episode 3 - Grief And Bearing

Episode 3 - Grief and Bearing

LUKA'S POV

Years went by and before I knew it I was 16 years old, already a junior in high school. I made a habit of skipping classes to help out the old folks with their store, it was the least I could do for them. After all, they took me in when I had no home to go to. I was about 11 years old at that time when I started my life living with them.

Whenever I had some time to spare, I'd either find myself laying in one of the grassy fields staring up at the sky, or fishing at my favorite spot down by the river. Formed from the natural ditch that rose into steep grass hills on either side, it wasn't a particularly impressive river. With it's lazy current and rather shallow depths it was more like an oversized stream, but the fish seemed to like it enough.

A tree sat up on one of the hills with a wooden fence in front of it, both old and sturdy, with the fence providing the perfect spot to sit and throw out a line into the river below. I spent a lot of my childhood sitting there, enjoying the breeze.

My hobbies may have seemed boring to some but the feeling of peace they gave me was worth more than all the gold in the world.

************

Today I was lying in the grass on the slanted, steep hill on our side of the river. I started to recall back to when I was 11 years old; I saved a little girl who almost ended up drowning in the river here.

It happed during a storm in the rainy months. The rain had lasted for over a week and had finally made the river earn its title, now risen up to over twice it's usual depth. On that day I'd braved the weather to go fishing. Getting a little wet never hurt anyone after all, and I found I barely had to throw the line to reach the water below. But nothing was biting.

The wind had started rising so I was about to pack up when I noticed two little girls playing on the other side of the river at the top of the hill. It wasn't exactly the safest place to play, I'd thought at the time, and was proven right almost instantaneously as I saw one of the girls slip on the slick ground. Her body went rolling down the hill and with nothing to grab on to, she tumbled directly into the river. The sound of the splash could be heard even above the storm and I sat motionless as I watched her fight for her life against the current. Eventually, something in me cracked and I dove in to save her.

I wonder how she's been doing since that day; I can't remember what her name was.

I closed my eyes as I readjusted the cigarette in my mouth, smoking on it slowly while I relaxed in the grass feeling the gentle breeze against my skin. I'd been letting my hair grow out and I watched, amused, as a couple of the long, red strands danced in the wind.

It wasn't exactly the best-looking hairstyle, but beggars can't be choosers. It's not like I'm well off enough to afford a stylist. I just make a little money to help pay for my basic wants and needs. I mostly work the old couple's store a lot of days so they can relax. It's my way of paying them back for letting me stay with them since their home is on the upper floor of the shop.

Today was supposed to be my day off where I could enjoy some well-earned peace and quiet!

But all that peace was suddenly ruined when I felt the ground start to shake.

I opened my eyes to the sound of something stomping towards me, something big. It looked to be the size of a 2-story house, with two ominously sharp metal legs that sunk into the ground on either side of me, one obliterating part of my beloved fence. The wood shattered into splintered shrapnel, a few scratching up my face and arm as they whizzed by. Two thicker back legs appeared to hold the thing in place as it leaned in, looming over as it examined me with one crimson eye.