The Forgotten Land: The Return of the Giants

The Cursed Little Boy

There was a boy living in the row houses of Buckeye-Woodhill in Cleveland. His father died due to sickness, and a mother was desperately trying to move on from her heartache for her five year old son. Every day the poor boy would be waiting by the door as he holds on to his teddy bear.

"When are we going to eat, mommy? I’m really hungry." His little voice echoed inside their small home. Little fingers clenched on his stuffed bear and his eyes gleamed with hope. "Jimmy said his mom got a burger and curly fries for him today. Can I have that too, mommy?"

The mother couldn't say anything and her lips remained sealed and tight. She looked down at her little boy, forcing herself to not cry and remain calm.

The boy was thin and frail. His eyes were sunken and so were his cheeks. They were at their lowest, they belong to the poorest of the poor. While the mother's hand holds on the doorknob as she thinks... 

‘What reason could I possibly think of this time?’

‘Hold it in, don't cry. You can't let him see you cry.' She told herself as she looked up at the ceiling. How many days since everything crashed and burned? Since when did she feel her life is cursed?

"I’ll try to get it for you today, sweetie." She lied, again. And she doesn't know how long she can keep it up. All these lies. The lies that she tells his son. The lies and broken promises that she had made to herself, and the lies she told her son that she has it all figured out when clearly she doesn’t.

She owes money to the bank for their business which had failed. It did not grow, and all the investment and savings they’ve poured on it went down the drain.

Her husband got sick. She owes a big sum of money to a shady man who belongs to an even shadier organization to keep themselves alive and to pay for the hospitalization of her husband. Not only that, but this house will be taken from them too. They weren’t able to pay for the bank loan since her husband got sick.

And now, her husband died. 

Now she needs to look for money to pay for the funeral. 

She smiled at the boy, bent down and kissed him on the forehead. A sign of her pure love. And she thinks… if it weren’t for her son, she would’ve ended her life. 

For what’s the point of her existence. 

 “Mommy’s going to go for a while, okay, Kane?" Kendra smiled. “Be a good boy to Auntie Cindy.” 

The woman closed the door, leaving the boy staring at the closed door and enclosed walls. He silently waits for a companion while counting with his chubby little fingers. He waited and waited and waited. Good thing there's always his imaginations to keep him company. He daydreams whenever he’s lonely, whenever he’s alone. For in his imaginations, he could be anything. His imagination takes him to places, and when the door opens a smile curls up on his cheeks... He stood up, almost jumping with happiness---thinking that it was his Auntie Cindy---but it did not take long for that smile to turn into a frown when an unknown man stepped inside the house. A dark aura enveloped the man wearing a white tuxedo, looking holy and clean and yet the smile on his face was nothing but pure evil. 

More footsteps resounded on the building, then soon a few strong men were standing outside the little boy's home. Some men had baseball bats resting on their shoulders. And some were just standing there, staring.

The boy could not make a move. Where is his aunt? Who are these men? And why are they staring at him like that — as if they’ll devour him.

The scary looking man took something from his pocket. He flicked the cigarette box open, and the man behind him automatically lit it for him. The man inhaled a puff of smoke. And blew it near the face of the little boy. "You look scared... little one." His deep voice uttered. Threatening and hoarse as it resounded in the small living room.

"I---I'm not." The boy stuttered.

The man wearing white huffed from his cigarette and laughed. "Aren't you a tough one..." He noted. He looked down at the boy once more and said "Where is your Mommy?"

The boy looked up and down and all across the room. He did not know what to say, but most of all... he did not want to answer. "I don't know."

The man clicked his tongue as the others stayed silent behind him. He bent down one knee to stare at the boy eye to eye. "I'll ask you one last time." He said, then he smudged his cigarette against the floor. "Where is your Mommy?"

The boy bit on his lip and felt his chest tighten up. It's a sensation that is somewhat new to him. And it felt like his stomach was being squeezed. "I told you, Mr. I don't know." Was his brave answer.

"Aren't you something?" The man said in amusement. "I tell you what though kid... If you don't tell me where your Mommy is at, how about I tell you something first... Then you decide if you want to tell me where your Mommy is."

Not knowing what else to do, the little boy agreed.

"You know how I know your Mommy, boy?"

The boy shook his head. "No."

"I know your Mommy because she owes me something. And she owes me something big." The man stopped and stared at the boy. "Now... if she doesn't give me back what she owes there will be consequences. Big time consequences. If you come with me nicely... and get in my car, I promise I won't hurt 'cha. Alright?"

The feeling on his stomach became worse and the boy started to shake. His Auntie Cindy is not yet here, and what he greatly recalls is his mother's teachings. To never listen and go with strangers. "I... I don't want to. I'm waiting for my Aunt."

The man's face darkened and his stare at the boy was menacing. "I'm losing my patience kid." He scratched his head and stared at the kid once more. He was still bent down on one knee, then he prompted his right elbow on his thighs. "Now, I don't hurt kids. But if you don't listen... I may have to."

The boy's breath became erratic and he started to breathe in faster and faster and faster as if his lungs were about to explode. With another deep breath, he closed his eyes and screamed loudly. "I don't want to!"

The boy scrammed and ran as fast as he could until he reached his room. He locked the door and soon enough he heard screaming and banging on his door. The loud noise echoed and it made him cover his ears. All the men outside began to rage and the door was banging loudly even more. He wanted to cry, he really did. 

"Come out little boy! Or else I'll break this door and beat you up, cut you open and sell your mother fucking organs!" The man screamed as he continuously banged on the door. "Your mother owes me! Fucking tell her to give me back my money!"

Tears threatened to fall from his eyes as faint sobs came out from his lips. What is happening? He doesn't understand. Why is no one helping him? "My Mommy doesn't owe you anything! She doesn't!"

The banging and the kicking stopped. As if his answer made the men vanish. But then... the little boy heard a loud laugh.

"Oh poor little guy." The little boy heard the man said. "He doesn't even know the shit his mother got into because of his Daddy."

He heard another roar of laughter and seemingly the little boy felt his stomach twist again. It seemed like he couldn't move, and it was getting harder to breathe. He wanted to cry, and scream at them to go away and stop. But then the little boy heard something, that made him turn to the door and the tears that were threatening to fall had finally rolled down his cheeks.

"Let's just bury him near his old man after we get his organs. Poor little guy, his Mom owes so much money. Yet the father died."

Another voice... "Now they will all go to heaven." And they laughed once more.

The boy screamed and cried. He did not fully understand what the men were saying, but the immense ache on his heart cannot be explained. He threw his teddy on the floor and the pain on his chest grew---as if his chest was burning.

His surroundings felt warm as tears streamed down his cheeks. His screams became louder and louder---so loud that he could not hear the panic that was happening on the other side of the door.

The boy's auburn eyes turned blue. Small sparks of electricity appeared on the tips of his fingers.

Lightning covered his little body as he screamed and it flowed around him---almost consuming everything inside the room. It did not take long before a fire ignited, took over the house and engulfed everything on its path.

Everywhere he turned there was fire. And anywhere he looked, he could hear screaming until it suddenly went dark and all he could see is black and white.