Lost | k.th

Chapter 3

Lost

After intense hunting in newspapers and online job engines, I realised what despair really felt like.

I dropped my head onto the table in frustration and whimpered as the sting coursed from my forehead to the very back of my skull.

Why was it so hard to find a well paid job that would accept a 16 year old?

I minimised the 30+ tabs on google chrome and stared at my desktop wallpaper. It was a picture of the night sky. The stars seemed to gleam with enough pride to swallow me up whole.

I placed my the side of my head on the table having little fear of getting splinters on my cheeks surface.

The exhaustion from my eyes miraculously travelled around my body making it feel small, weak and fragile.

One single slight touch on my bare skin would make me fall into tiny shredded pieces.

My eyes flickered slowly as they struggled to stay open.

A dream of walking and jumping around in the garden which I treasured while looking at the yellow sunflowers when the moonlight shone above me giving a slight drizzle.

An idea creeped up into my head before I could finally feel the sensation of pure abyss,
"Oh!" My head shot up from the table, "I Could ask Sam for money!" I grabbed my phone out of my bag and scrolled through my contacts.

With the number of times I heard a monotone long ring, I knew he wasn't going to pick up.

I sighed almost on the verge of giving up and breaking down again.

I pressed the green button,
One
More
Time.

Heard the same thing and before I hung up a voice breaks in,

"Hello?" Sam said with a deep sigh.

"Hey Sam it's Holland, the government is trying to kick us out of the house and we have a month to pay $40 thousand. Could you give us at least $500?" Sam kept silent, and all I could hear was his fingers tapping against his table. A few seconds later he replied with an uncertain "okay" then immediately hung up.

But he didn't sound like he wanted to help, there was annoyance and hate in his words.

I would not be happy to receive $500 if I couldn't help them back and definitely if they were not willing to help.

Now, I felt bad.

I have to apologise for suddenly forcing this on him.

I dialled his number over and over again, receiving a nice red screen saying that he declined.

I texted him "I'm sorry" and there were two ticks and he read it.

This relationship was over. He blocked me.

He didn't want to lend me money.

Even though he agreed.

I thought that I could go to his house.

But I didn't even know that much about him.

I didn't know where he lived.

Or his secrets.

I cursed and swore at him, throwing my hands and legs in the air.

SAM'S POV
I didn't do this to hurt her,

I didn't do this cause I don't want to help her.

But one thing she never knew, was that I wasn't a loyal boyfriend, and I had been cheating on her.
_______________________________
HOLLANDS POV
I felt the cold tiles bite into my clammy knees as I muttered under my breath.
My sweaty palms clasped together.
I was praying to my dead mother.

I pleaded for help.
I just wanted a bright future.
If that was even possible.

I was begging for a new life, a new beginning, or to meet someone who could take care of my father and I.

I begged and prayed, my fingers turning slightly purple from the force of my hands holding them together, them getting more soaked as my tears kept streaming down, hopefully washing all the sins away.

Tears found its way out of my eyes, down my hands and dripped mercilessly onto the floor.

As the floor glittered with golden circles circling around me, soon spreading all over the house, secretly hiding itself from any of us from realising.

I relieved my numb aching knees as I stood up.

Did I even deserve this relief? Maybe I should just kneel there for the rest of my life.

A sigh of exasperation escaped from my mouth as I dragged my soulless body out of the room and out the house.

I thought to myself, let's go find you a job near here.

After almost a lifetime of rejections, I felt hope slowly seep out of me.

The sun seemed to be giving up too.

It was getting dark.

The glowing orb was quietly lowering into its bed, almost like it was trying to tell me to just give up.

I shuffled into a little rundown shop, eyes glued to the uneven concrete floor. From my peripheral, I could see a man on a ladder tending to his cupboard stock, stoically ignoring me.

Maybe I should go beg on the stree-

Just as I was about to come to my sad conclusion, the man stepped off, and placed the metal ladder on his shoulder, completely unaware of my presence.

The lovely ladder found its way to my innocent forehead, and met it with a joyful bang.

Pain engulfed my head as the floor unhelpfully caught me.

I groggily propped myself onto my elbows as I felt heat rush to my very-upset forehead.

A searing headache throbbed at my temples, almost like a balloon was being inflated in my head. Black dots and stars swarmed my vision as I squinted my eyes.

I faintly made out a figure rushing toward me, concerned and frantic, eyes so wide it could have popped right out.

As my hearing came back, I could hear him shooting out words and pleading for forgiveness. I waved a hand to him telling him to basically go away.

I climbed onto my feet and made my way out of the shop, gripping the side of the door for support. 

I closed my eyes, as I felt the warmth of the afternoon sun on my face. It was almost enough to make my sadness and emptiness disappear. Wait. Sun? I thought it was setting already?

My eyes shot open, and I met instant regret.

I doubled over, groaning in pain, again, as the bright light seemed to burn a hole through my eyes. As my eyes recovered, I looked around myself

The first thing I noticed was the full blown sun. It shone so brightly like in the morning .

The next thing I saw was the road. It was previously empty. I could just walk anywhere.

But now it was absolutely jam packed.

One step of a foot on the road would be a permanent farewell for that foot. I turned around, and the little run down shop was gone.

It had disappeared into thin air.

Instead, what rested behind me was a very large and posh hotel.

Streams of gold and silver lined the outside of the building. Inside the building, a grand chandelier hung gracefully on the high ceiling, looking down on all below it.

I scratched my head and blinked my eyes profusely.

Panic stared to rise up my chest as I spun in circles, my neurones were firing way to fast for my overworked brain to function.

Where am I?

I...I'm...lost.