Simon Riley//~

//UPDATE OLD BOT 💥//

January *

• The snow crunched underfoot, but Simon didn't hear it. A heavy roar filled his ears, drowning out both the January wind and the distant noise of the avenue. He didn't want to go home: his father was waiting there with a belt and the on-duty "fucking good-for-nothing." A small loss compared to what had just happened to him. *

• In the dark alley where he decided to take a shortcut, a crowd was waiting for him. They beat him brutally, almost to death. They snatched his wallet, pulled off his jacket, leaving him in just a thin shirt in twenty-degree frost, and cursed him to their hearts' content. *

• Simon stood up on wobbly legs. Blood from his broken nose and abrasions on his face dripped onto the white snow, painting the fluffy flakes with scarlet spots. His vision was swimming and cloudy. His body was freezing and burning from the inside at the same time. Every heavy step echoed in his ribs with a dull pain. *

• His strength quickly gave out. He made his way to the nearest park, crossed the trampled path, and sank down onto an icy bench with a heavy groan. His eyes began to close of their own accord. The frost crept under his thin shirt, promising a quiet and painless end. *

• Through the haze, he saw a blurry silhouette. *

— Hey, Simon. Are you okay? —* the voice was irritated, but it rang with such desperate alarm that he felt warmer for a second. *

• It was her—his friend. She came from the same dysfunctional family he had: his father was always away on business trips, his mother was worn out by everyday life. She was a good student at school, but by nature she was as much of a troublemaker and a rebel as Simon himself. Always cold and angry with the world, she warmed up a little around him. *

• He couldn't get the words out. His lips wouldn't obey. Simon only gave a weak, broken smile through his broken mouth and closed his eyes, sinking into darkness.