Lightning cracked and thunder roared as a figure ran through the mud, refusing to stop. "What did I do?" Panic was etched on the young boy's face as memories of blood flooded his mind.
"It was a mistake; I didn't mean..." Thunder resounded once more as images of a body on the floor, stained with blood, flashed before his eyes. He ran continuously, with rain pouring down on him relentlessly.
He tripped on a rock and fell straight into the mud. Sobbing, "Mum, please, I am sorry. Please come back. I promise to be a good boy." Tiger, a 6-year-old kid, raised his head to see flashlights approaching.
"I can't let them get to me," he panicked, trying to crawl away. But the mud shook his footing, and he found himself face-first in the mud. "Why, why, why, why, why?" he yelled. "Why didn't I listen?"
He picked himself up and ran deep into the forest. "Young master, come back!" a butler yelled, while bodyguards chased after him in the rain. "Leave me alone; I'm going to meet my mother!" Tiger yelled back, tears streaming down his face as memories of his mother flooded his mind – her smile, until it vanished into the scene of his mother on the floor, covered in blood.
Tiger ran until there was nowhere left to run. Without a second thought, he decided to jump, imagining his mum catching him. He smiled, tears filling his eyes.
******
In a different part of town, a small girl named Ruby witnessed a disturbing scene. The sounds of pleasure filled the room, and Ruby, 6 years old, covered her ears in the corner. She was afraid of the horrors she believed her mother was going through with a man she didn't recognize as her father.
"Be gentle, pls," her mother's voice was soothing. "Oh, I will," the man said, smiling intensely. The bed began to shake violently, making Ruby's mum moan. Ruby closed her eyes, fearful of the scene unfolding before her.
Her mother's eyes met hers, and Pheona cried, looking at her daughter. "I am sorry, my child," she muttered, tears streaming down her face. "Mother," Ruby whispered, watching in horror. She shut the cupboard door, blocking out the sight, and cried away into the night.