Richard roamed the streets, guilt hunted him like a ghost, "What did I do wrong" eh continued to think over and over again, until he reached his place in the street market
The merchant was no where to bee seen, the break continued to rot with each passing day, the kid never came out since that day
"Did he die? Did he go somewhere else?" question continued to follow after him but no answer in sight
Putting a fresh piece of bread by the dark alley he placed his goods and sat all by himself, at first people passed by him for they did not care for such things, now, they passed through in fear, the look on his face showed him crazy
The sun reached the highest, he picked his stuff and walked back, on the roads each wooden ball, each crop, piece of bread, or child, reminded him of what had happened, the day his curiosity led to someone's life getting destroyed
He walked into the bakery where he slept, walking by Brian, he greeted him with a low voice as not, Richard merely passed by
"What is wrong with him these days? Did he really lose hope in his trade?" said Marya
"What? Do you feel sad for him?" asked her father Brian mocking her, she walked by feeling disappointed in that joke of his
"Well, I don't think it is defeat that made him like this" said Brian "He looks more, depressed, than it defeated"
"And how do you know that?" said his daughter
"He feels, shocked, his face isn't one of a person who grew tired of his job," said Brian
"Then he is hopeless, if he continues like this, he will run out of money soon," said Marya
"Your worried for him?" said her father
"It would be sad to lose a client, especially at these times, keeping in mind how the capital is running nowadays," said Marya
"I got to check on him then" said Brian walking from behind the table and upstairs hr went
Hearing weird sounds, he rushed through to the room and knocked the door shouting
"Richard?! Richard!!!"
He went to try and break the door open but it was closed from the inside, he went back and hit it with his shoulder the first, he hit it the second, when he went for the third hit it finally opened dropping him on the floor
He saw Richard with a full backpack beside him and a rope, a message was left on the table, Richard was wearing a bright white rob with grey clothing beneath it
"No!" said Brian holding him down, "Your still young, a long life awaits you!" tying him down with the rope he had
"What the! Leave me!!!" said Richard
"No! Nothing is worth wasting your life!!, do not give up due to some failures at the beginning of your path!" said Brian pressing his chest and tying his hands by the back
"Your… Pressing…. My chest— cough, cough," said Richard
"Oh sorry," said Brian as he moved back a bit
"Wont you release me?" said Richard
"So, you can kill yourself? No way, we are going to solve this like adults" said Brian as he went to pick Richard up
"Kill myself? You've got the wrong picture here," said Richard
"I am no idiot; I saw the rope and the message you left" said Brian with Richard above his shoulder being carried like a box
"At least read it! then you would know the whole picture to you can judge afterwords," said Richard
Brian stopped in place, he took a moment of thinking, before he put him down
"Ok, I will do so, but know that no matter what is your excuse it is not worth your life," said Brian
Picking the message, he ripped it open and stared at it for a moment, his eyes looked blank, he seemed deep in thought as if the secrets of the world
"What are you doing," said Richard, but Brian was lost in the words
"It has only 3 WORDS!!!" said Richard
Brian took a deep breath into his lungs and said "I don't know how to read…"
"Then why did you take it?!" said Richard
"I thought it ha those little coloured drawings that will show, you know" said Brian his hands made the gesture of a man hanging himself
"I said I am not ending my life!!! Sigh… it says I am leaving, I, wish to change places, find some piece while at it as well," said Richard
"Don't make those people colour it to you, death is a serious matter, now we will go down and eat break until you feel good, and if it doesn't work, we will eat more," said Brian
"I wish to go to the dark streets," said Richard
"What?!" said Brian
"Can we set, and talk about it," said Richard
Brian laid him to the ground and made him back the wall
"Care to explain yourself now?" said Brian
"Ok, it is going to take long so you need to be patient," said Richard
He then went on explaining all the things that happened to him, from the day he reached the Capital, until the kid's disappearance
"And do you wish to search for him?" said Brian
"Not exactly, I noticed that fixing the Capital the way I'm doing it is near impossible, I'm changing strategies" said Richard "I am going to the darkest pits of it, people there yearn for a helping hand, with my skills I can create a difference, I just know it"
Brian thought for a moment and then reached towards Richard's back
"Look I know how it looks, and indeed it is stupid, but I can't continue on without doing—" said Richard, the rope was cut from behind him
Brian stood up and said "Well, I am in no place to forbid you of such things, as long as you wish not to end it. follow your dreams or whatever the saying is, you won't be able to sleep for long anyway"
He left the room after handing him some bread from his pocket
"Do you keep it with you at all times?" said Richard staring into his hand
Brain put his hand on the boy's shoulder and said "Just remember, this home shall always welcome you"
He went away leaving Richard behind
Going down his daughter noticed the faint smile across his face
"From your face I guess it went well," said Marya
"Well, we did lose a client today—" he said as his daughter cut him
"He killed himself? —" he shut her mouth with his hand shushing her and spoke
"He, just found his path"
"Whatever it is, his path won't unburn the bread" said Marya pointing behind her at the furnace
Brian rushed towards it screaming "Why didn't you remove it?!"
"It is hot!" replied Marya
Richard walked the empty streets, the moonlight was his only companion, he reached in front of the dark street, his eyes sharp staring into the unknown depths, and with a strong mind he took his first step