Those who were raised in darkness

The wild

I woke up to the sunlight beaming down on me. I got up slowly, my back ached. What happened? Where am I? Mommy? Then, yesterday afternoon hit me like a brick. Mommy isn't with me anymore. I put down my sack and walked back to the village. Maybe, just maybe this is a dream. I turned the corner and my heart sank at the reality.

Small lines of smoke rose up from the burned houses of the town. I was really shocked. What happened? Where is everyone? Who did this?
I walked into town, wandering. I soon realized that I had stopped. My feet just took me to my house, or where it once stood. I began to cry. My home, my safe Haven, my life, unlike other houses, was a pile of ash. And I was too weak to save mom. I'm a horrible person. My mom did so much stuff for me.

I'm alone. "Waaaaaaaah! Moooommyyyy!" I wailed. I love you. I can not imagine my life without your sweet kisses. You tucking me in at night. I felt very weak. After a while, I calmed myself down. Mom told me that things happen. And that the world is cruel. But this is too cruel!

'Be a big boy, even when things are tough, Yudai. Even when I'm not there.' I can remember my mom saying.

"Y- Yea. I have to be tough for mommy. I have to live for mommy." I said out loud. And then, I heard a loud growl. What is that? I've never heard that before. I looked around for the growling sound. Is it a monster? I finally found out where the sound was coming from. My stomach.

"Well that's odd. This hasn't happened before... Why's it doing that?" Then, I felt something painful in my stomach. "Ow! Why does my stomach hurt?" What's going on? And then, I felt a craving for the first time. I craved food. I wanted food in my belly right now! I stood up and ran back to the flower bed with a shocked expression on my face.

I've never felt this way before. It was because I was properly fed by mama. I ran back and there were foxes poking their heads into my sack. I'm usually good with animals, but this time, I felt a little.... Different.

"Graaaa!!" I shouted. They had two apples in their mouths. They heard me and fled like the wind. Why'd I do that? They would've listened to me if I lightly shooed them away.. Why'd I do that? What was that?

"How did I know that?" I asked myself as I rummaged through my sack. I took out a shiny red apple. Yum. A map from home fell out of my sack. That's when I remembered that I was not alone. Big brother! Last I heard from him, he was in Fiore. I opened the map. I checked the location of Fiore. It was not the of the village. If I just head straight, and took a left on the forked road, I could make it there in about two days. The idea of being outside for two whole days really displeased me.

But, if I could find brother, he and I could help find the people who did this to mom and the rest. They were... What's that word? Oh Yea, innocent.
I will repay their kindness, and avenge them. I know that me and big brother Yuta could do it. I finished another apple and went into the village for one last thing.

"Ahh. Finished." I sighed in relief. The large cross that I made to represent all of my friends and family that's now.... Gone.. Be a big boy. Don't cry. Don't cry. Mama wants you to be strong, for her. But the thoughts of mama only made me burst out in tears. I miss you already. I made it stand and carved into it,
To those whose lives were lost. Family and friends.