Jared navigated the shadowy alleys of Zo-Zo City. The polluted air made each breath a struggle. He pondered why Osa had chosen such a dangerous location for their meeting, notorious for its rampant crime.
As he walked, Jared's gaze caught sight of Osa's distinctive black leather coat, causing him to halt abruptly on the sidewalk. A part of him yearned to run home, but he knew what Osa was capable of. If he skipped the meeting, Osa might arrive at his door and put his mother in danger.
"Jared. Do you have my money?" Osa's smile was twisted.
"I've got it." Jared dug into the pocket of his blue jeans and handed Osa the envelope of money. Osa eagerly tore open the envelope, but his expression quickly soured as he noticed the mix of blue and green banknotes.
"You're one hundred dollars short," Osa growled.
"No. I gave you Technation money." Jared's heart raced as he pointed at the blue dollar bills.
"It's fake money! You're ripping me off!"
Jared bit his lip. "No, it's real! I'd tried to exchange it at the bank, but it was closed!"
"Shut up!" Osa slapped Jared's cheek, and Jared winced from the pain. "I've given you more than enough time for you to get me my money!"
Jared kneeled on the pavement. "Take my watch! You can sell it!"
"Take my watch! You can sell it!"
Jared tore the wristwatch from his arm and offered it to Osa, but Osa barely glanced at it. With a sneer, he crushed the flimsy plastic in his fist, tossed it to the ground, and stomped hard, shattering the glass face. The crunching noise caused Jared to weep in despair.
"I don't want your worthless watch!" Osa growled.
Osa swiftly retrieved a knife from his tunic pocket. The blade glinted ominously in the dim alley light. He plunged the knife into Jared's right eye, causing a surge of crimson to erupt from the wound. Blood cascaded down Jared's face, staining his blue jacket and seeping through to his white t-shirt beneath
A piercing scream escaped Jared's lips, a visceral expression of the agony coursing through him as he crumpled to the ground, the world around him fading into a blur of pain and darkness. Osa spat on Jared's jacket before brutally kicking him in the rib cage.
Osa screamed, "ᶢǃ͡qʼ oNom pil kon ᵑǃ͡¡ .
Desperate and disoriented, Jared cried out, expressing his confusion and fear, but his pleas fell on deaf ears as Osa turned and fled, disappearing into the shadows of the alley. His face, now a canvas of blood, sweat, and tears, reflected the turmoil within him as he grappled with the possibility of death looming ever closer due to the loss of blood.