The Summer We Met

Part 1: Chapter 1

"Oh Lord is it really that bad?"

"Yes it is and you better come fix this. Because if you don't you know the consequences, right? Don't make me repeat myself. Be prepared with the money. I ain't kidding one bit!"

"Wait! Wait! I need more time! Please try to understand! I can't provide with so much money! My mom is sick! She is at the hospital. And my dad cannot afford to even pay the hospital bills! How the hell can he provide with 60,000? How?"

"Well you should have thought about all this before. Now what is the point of crying, huh? Either you bring the money to me or I will take it by force. I don't care if you can afford to lose so much money or not. People like you who take other people's hard work for granted deserve this. The only people I really feel sorry for are your parents who will have to suffer for your misdoings. God forbid if I ever find myself in a place to have a son, be it nothing like you! You are truly a disgrace to your parents."

"But is there no other way for me to pay this back? I mean there must be something else I can do right?"

"There is. But you sure want to know?"

"Yes! I am willing to do anything to make up for the mistake that I have made."

"Fine then. A few minutes later you will receive a package. You will find a few packets in there. By tomorrow morning, before the first bell goes off at eight, I want those packets to be distributed among the students."

"Okay. But how am I supposed to know which students to give them to?"

He laughs. "Oh you don't have to worry about that. They will be there waiting for you with hunger and greed in their eyes. But if anybody gets to know about this then...."

"Then?"

"Well then, keep a close eye out for your dear mother. She might not be around for long anymore."

And with that the call ended and only the haunting remains of it filled the dark room and the young boy's mind.

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As promised, a few minutes later a package was delivered at his doorstep. He had quickly put it in his bag in fear of his father finding out, who was sound asleep after hearing that his wife was recovering quickly and he could expect to able to even talk to her tomorrow. He hid the packages well and kept on reminding himself of his task tomorrow and spent the better part of the night lying in bed fearing the consequences of his actions.

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The next morning, he waited outside the school exit gate, hidden from the few staff present there. Soon the students came to him and took their packages without a word and went away. Although the students had not stayed for long, the looks of sheer desperation, greed, unhappiness and tiredness was evident from their body language.

The teenage boy, oblivious to what crime he had just committed, went on about his day with the faces of the students etched into his mind.

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"So did you successfully execute the job?"

"Yes."

"Nobody saw you all, right?"

"No. Nobody saw us."

"Good job then. I will not bother you anymore with the money. The money I got from those students have already made up for your mistake."

"If you don't mind, can I ask? What exactly was in those packets?"

"I can't give you the full information but it contains the secrets to making being alive a little bit more bearable while at the same time killing you a little more. You will slowly start to rot away bit by bit all the while being uncontrollably happy and uncontrollably sad. You will start to depend on it everyday. You will start to think that you might not survive without it. You will be addicted to it. It will become as valuable to you as the air you breath and until your last breath you will waste your life living the illusion of a better and happier life."

And with that the call ended and so did the last doubts of his crime.

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