The Boy With Splinters

An eardrum rupture could most probably be the first thing every human would experience with those dreadful alarms while walking through the front entrance of the old pathetic looking factory. The chirps of the bird or the moans of the wind are never to be expected as this worn-out factory is located near a barren land. The boy, a 16-year-old chap, looked at the building with a desolate sigh as another day is guaranteed to be wasted with a profit no bigger than his waist pouch. With his father off to war and his mother bedridden and mute since her husband's departure, 1940 is turning out quite tormenting for him. In order to support his mother and himself, the boy joined a wood-based factory where he was assigned as a general worker which turned out to be more bedeviling than he ever imagined.

For a boy with small clavicle, he was forced to carry several 6 feet planks that each weighs about 15-16 pounds on his shoulder. Making this a routine, the boy got used to the pain though sometimes splinters of the planks would puncture right through his shirt. Months of hard work and the boy couldn't even provide a fine stitched dress for his mother, has made him regret his every life decision. Every step he took puts him in a life that has left him alone and desperate for money and most importantly a warm love and care in which he hoped for every single breath of a time.

It all started on a usual Tuesday morning, where the boy saw a new young typical American girl that seems to be around 13 years of age roaming in the factory. While child labor is quite common these days, the girl seemed unusually recognizable. A redhead she was, with a thin body and had been wearing a black and grey uniform with a silly looking head cap that surprisingly suited her fair pinkish face that's covered with freckles. The boy felt as if he knew the girl before, he was happy to see her as days were passing faster than before. The girl never came across the boy and had never even made a single eye contact with him even accidentally.

A shy boy he was and never had enough courage to face her. In the end of the day, the boy with his heavy and tiring body slowly walked across the factory platform back to his home and a couple of miles walking he came to a surprising halt as the girl he saw earlier was standing in front of him in a straight posture with her hands tied at her back. The girl looked into his eyes and said "Sorry, I wasn't there for you" with an oddly recognizable voice and handed out a silver ring. The girl took a sprint towards the opposite side before the boy could even open his chapped lips. The boy then examined the ring which looked very much familiar to him. Reaching home to his mother still in the bed covered in a blanket, he then unwrapped two pieces of oatcakes and left one for his mother. He took the ring out of his pocket and studied it once more which only left him clueless.

The next day, the boy searched for the girl everywhere and even went to the parts of the factory he was restricted. With no sign of her anywhere the boy gave up on the girl and continued his job. Yet he was still wondering about her making the day grow longer and longer. It was 14th May, the boy decided to go to the local town after his work hours which let him off late in the evening. He headed to a tailor's shop which was not far from his factory, maybe a 20 minutes' walk at a fast pace. The boy was excited, he now had enough money to buy a fine, well made with high caliber fabric. Since it's Mother's Day, he taught this would be the excellent time to present his mother a gift that might make her crack a smile. He bought a long blouse that radiated with light blue with a shade of purple in it using his hard earned cash that took months to preserve. The boy charged back home with all his might.

The boy was extremely excited to gift his mother something that she would appreciate. He opened the front door with his hand, tightly taking hold of the dress and went on inside to still see his mother lying on the bed. The boy noticed that his mother hasn't touched the oatcake he bought yesterday which became a joyful nest for the ants. The boy sat beside his mother and placed his hands on her head and was surprised how cold his mother was and shook her shoulder. The mother showed no interest as she was motionless as a barnacle. The boy decided to turn his mother to his side so that he could at least show her his gift and as he did, the weight of his mother's torso was too much for his embrace. He watched as his mother's lifeless body fell on the ground with a loud thud. The boy stared at his mother's body in horror, wrinkled, shrunk body followed by a stench.

The boy took a sprint without even looking behind as he slammed through the wooden door and ran as fast as he could. His body is being flooded with adrenaline as his heart was pumping faster and faster. The boy's throat was dry with his palms sweaty and yet a cold pulse spiking in his spine. He ran with a blank mind like bullet never to stop and look back. He finally came to a halt and begged for air as his lungs were dry and started to hurt. The boy was gasping as he looked around to see where he ended up and to his surprise, he was back at the factory. It looked dull and with no souls around it felt haunted and unpleasant. The boy decided to walk in as the entrance wasn't sealed and lead himself into the warehouse where he sat down, still gasping slowly but his thoughts were running back to him at a slow pace.

The boy reached into the pocket of his pants and retrieved the silver ring and stared at it. To his surprise, the boy was still clinging on to the long blouse which he meant for his mother. He turned his attention back to the ring and as he looked closer, he saw the names of his father and mother printed underneath the ring. He finally came to realize that the young girl he saw yesterday was, in fact, his own mother handing him her ring. His head was starting to get heavy and started to talk him. The boy began to hear whispers coming out of his head. It started to get louder and clearer though he couldn't catch the right word. The boy decided to breathe slowly and calmed his heartbeat and tried to hear the whisper again. Without hesitation, the boy reached into his vest pocket and pulled out his father's old lighter and sparked the flame towards the long blouse. The blouse immediately carried the fire and as it grew larger, the boy threw it at the stacked wood planks. It took only a couple of seconds for the flame to build a strong foundation and it spread further while growing larger with every blink of an eye. Soon the whole factory was on the blaze with the boy inside sitting there still looking at the ring.

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