Into the Darkness

1: Happy Birthday to me

"Rohan! Rohan! Mommy made us breakfast! Get up, get up!"
My little sister jumped up and down my bed to wake me up. It took me awhile to realise that it already was 10 o'clock. I lifted Dana from my bed. She immediately ran out of my room downstairs. I quickly got dressed and also ran downstairs .

My mom and Dana started singing 'Happy Birthday'. I totally forgot my own birthday. When they finished I hugged them both tightly.
"Thank you, guys."
"Don't thank us yet! We still have presents to give!" My mom said. I smiled as they went to grab my gifts. Dana had this little gift, that was rapped quite messy, in her tiny little hands. My mom had a little box in her hands. Before mom could give me her gift, Dana already pushed her gift in my hands. I pulled the ribbon of the wrapping paper, revealing a little, hand made doll.
"Dana. Did you make this?" I asked. She proudly nodded.
"Yes. Do you like it?"
"I love it, thank you." I hugged her. Mom stepped forward and I carefully grabbed the little box. In it, there was a brown necklace made of rope with a shark tooth at the end of the string.
"It was your fathers." Mom said. Tears welled up in my eyes. My dad, Benjamin, disappeared five years ago. He was never found.
"Are you okay, Rohan?" Dana asked.
"I'm fine." I nodded. Mom hugged me.
"Happy birthday, love. Make it a great one." She said.
"I will mom. I will. I promise."

"Rohan? Come we need to do some grocery shopping!" Mom called out to me. I grabbed my shoes and left with mom and Dana to the centre of Little Ivywood. Little Ivywood is my town, located close to London. Me and my family lived in a neighborhood at the edge of the city. That is where the 'poor' people live.
We walked down a dirt road towards the town square. On my way I got a lot of congratulations. Everyone in town knew each other and every important thing they needed to know about others.
I thanked every single person.

We finally arrived at the town square.
"What shop first?" I asked.
"The butcher of course." Mom pointed towards a dilapidated building, with a sign that vaguely said : 'Ben's meat.'
Ben was the town's butcher. He had just a few employees. Me included. I hunted animals for him to sell.

We entered his shop. It looked brighter inside than out. The walls were white and the floor looked like a chessboard, because of the white and black floor tiles. Ben stood behind a counter cutting up meat. As soon as he heard the shop bell rang, he turned around with his huge smile.
"Ah! The Hill Family! Anne, looking gorgeous as ever." He said.
"Why thank you Ben!" Mom replied.
"And ya Young man! Already 15 aye? Congrats, boy!" Ben gave me a firm handshake.
"Thanks Ben."
"No problem kid. Well, how can I help this fine family this time?"
"We want two pieces of deer meat please." Mom replied.
"Alright Anne. That'll be 2 silvers." Ben said
Mom quickly looked inside her coin bundle. She took out our last silvers and handed them to Ben with a smile.
Ben handed us our meat and waved us goodbye, before turning around to cut his meat again.

'Mom? Do we have enough for a lollipop?" Dana asked. Mom looked in her bundle.
"Yes we do. We have just finished our groceries so we can go to the candy store."
Dana excitedly clapped her hands and took moms hand. She ran towards the candy store. The store was a pink building with a sign that said: 'Gilberts Sweets'. The bell rang above our heads when we entered the store. The store was candy cane-pink and its floor tiles were red and pink. Everywhere you looked, you saw jars and stands with candy. Gilbert, the shop owner, turned around, looking disgusted at the sight of my family. He had grey hair that was combed back tight and full of gel. But the sides of his hair were intentionally puffed up. Gilbert was one of the richest people in Little Ivywood and couldn't stand the sight of poor people.
"Well... what can I do for you." Gilbert said with a monotone voice. Mom smiled
"Can we have two lollipops?" She asked. Gilbert looked all of us up and down.
"Well, tell me, Anne. A special occasion I presume? The boys birthday, if I'm correct." Gilbert said taking two lollipops.
"Yes, yes indeed. Finally 15." Mom said while rubbing my head.
Gilbert put two lollipops on the candy-cane-themed counter.
"That'll be 4 coppers." He said. Mom grabbed the coins and handed them to Gilbert. He looked surprised when he saw we could  afford this.
"Well, enjoy your birthday... Rohan." Gilbert said, eye rolling.
I simply thanked him and pushed mom and Dana out of the store.

"What a horrible man." I complained. Dana wasn't paying any attention. She was to happy with her lollipop.
"Oh Rohan. It's just what money makes people do." Mom said
"But Ben is nice! And he is almost as rich as Gilbert!" I said. Mom just giggled.
"Eat your lollipop. You'll feel better." She smiled at me with her sweet smile and her sparkling eyes. I smiled back and ate my lollipop in silence.