4 Leaf Clover - ᴹˣᴹˣᴹˣᴹ

2.

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A challenging 2 months had passed. At that time, Clover had preserved his hard-earned money to purchase a miniature tent and keep himself afloat enough. He lived in a secluded avenue, just beyond the metropolis and many other individuals lived alongside him. Clover, compared to the others, was nicely off. He had a tent, which he shared with less fortunate people.

Surprisingly, the homeless were a lot friendlier than he anticipated. A part of Clover's mind informed him that if his own family could treat him horribly then it must be easier for a stranger to do so. However, his time living on the streets had been full of numerous individuals like him, some others were here from addiction but they never harmed him. Sometimes they would request him for cash, but he told them he didn't have any.

Clover had money - his own money for the first time in his life. He didn't have a craving to spend all of it, he merely purchased little feeds and drinks every once in a while, plus he made sure to share what he could. The individuals on his avenue were appreciative of him. He stowed his hard-earned cash at the shop where he worked, he judged that was the secure place. He trusted the people on his street not to abuse him for the money, but they would be relentless in asking for a share if he brought it to the tent.

His position at the shop was going satisfactorily. Clover had discovered he was a speedy learner despite the nerves of never working before. He was working almost every day, on his own request, because he desired something to keep him occupied and ultimately to save up enough to put towards something more secure.

He had attempted to look for that one book, every day after his shifts. His feet would ache by the end of the day but he was sincere enough to force himself around the city for an additional hour. When he couldn't locate the book for 2 months, he ended up giving up and subtly divulging himself to other amusements. He picked up a book called The Odyssey. He finished reading it in 2 weeks; the book was currently being passed around the homeless.

He was seated in his tent, looking at the road beyond the open zip. He was one of the few people on the street who didn't tolerate money from passersby.

Things were acceptable, kind of. He was doing more satisfactorily than he could've asked for. Life had got a bit more manageable than how it began and he had individuals he could count on at work. Clover, however, had begun to detect that the street he lived on was gradually becoming more muted. Fewer people would come and live here - when he transferred here, he found his area peaceful and integrated as a homeless person smoothly and some people followed behind him.

After two months, his 'friends' were vanishing. Clover knew they weren't moving avenues, the police didn't disturb them and certainly never showed any understanding to them. So, where were his friends going?

On the streets, there were rules among fellow homeless. If you want to move, you let others know. Homeless people have no safeguard - Clover knew he was in jeopardy every day, people strolling past could just decide he was worth slaughtering or beating up to get him off the street. That's why homeless tell other homeless if they move, it determines whether others need to be aware or not.

Clover, the people who shared his tent or slept beside him were all attentive. In the last few weeks, they discovered about 3 separate people had been missing from their avenue. Something was going on, Clover understood but he couldn't decipher what. The police weren't involved, he hadn't seen any authority around and the homeless weren't choosing to move.

So, what was going on?

Clover was alert, but he moved about his day as usual. He would work from 9 am till 6 pm and then he would return to the street. One evening, Clover detected that the woman with her little girl who lived on the street had unexpectedly vanished. He didn't go to his tent that dusk, rather, he looked for them. He glanced at other streets, glimpsed down unlit alleyways and even questioned passersby if they had spotted them.