(Location: New York City, Intercity hospital)
Days passed since Ethan fall conscious; and a full week would go by before he would finally awakened and discovered that he was in a hospital bed. Both his arms, forehead and upper chest heavily wrapped in bandages with small stains of blood bleeding through, and be made aware of resent events.
As he laid there still and unmoving in a hospital bed facing up at the ceiling, he listened to a man who claimed to be his doctor. The doctor spoke Ethan on how he was the survivor of a large explosion likely caused by a gas leak that destroyed the orphanage. After listening to the man's explanation a depressing silent fell over the room until Ethan spoke.
"D.... did no one else make it .... did Ms. Leanna."
Ethan asked with much strain and effort, unable to hide the fear in his voice.
Hearing Ethan's question a lump quickly formed in the doctor's throat as he forces himself to answer, with a clear grimace on his face.
"I'm sorry young man from what the reports can tell use from the police officers and firemen on the scene of the explosion could tell us you were the only survivor"
(Ethan): !!!!!!!!!
Hearing the doctor's words Ethan's mind instantly went blank. His hearing paused, as if the whole world had gone deaf, time itself felt as if it was frozen. A deep sinking feeling stuck him in the center of his gut as he tried to process this new information.
(Ethan): (H ..... How did this happen, no, why did this happen?)
he repeated asked this question in his thoughts, but as expected on one answered.
(Ethan): (Ms. Leanna ... Mom)
Without making even a single sob or cry, tears began to flow down Ethan's cheeks like small streams. During which images and memories of his adopted mother raced throw his mind
Noticing this the doctor grimaced even harder, for a second sensing a deep sadness from the blind teen. Than resumed speaking.
"Mr. Ethan, I fear that there is more that I need to tell you about, when we finished stabilizing you after the accident. We took some x-rays and found some .... destressing signs around your lungs"
******
As the doctor continued explaining Ethan learned that after the gas explosion knocked him out, a fierce fire broke out throughout the orphanage. While the flames never made it to Ethan, help didn't arrived in time to save him from the thick smoke from the fire, that quickly filled his room.
As a result, while he was passed out he constantly inhaled the harmful smoke causing significant and irreversible damage to his lung tissue. It was diagnosed at the hospital that even now as Ethan breathed and flex the muscles in his lungs with each breath, the damaged tissue continued to tear deeper and spread. He was estimated to have a remain lifespan of only five more years.
After the doctor left Ethan's room social workers from child services would enter and to inform him that he would soon be sent to a new orphanage.
*****
Over the next year Ethan would be frequent be handed off from orphanage to orphanage due to none of them wanting to have to deal with his raising medical costs.
All the while his health continued to deteriorate from his lung injuries. Ethan was not even able to finish his online degree, due to the frequent resting he needed to coop with his condition. As he passed from home to home the great fear that his adopted mom Leanna once had would come to be, Ethan like so many before him and so many that will probably come after fell through the cracks of the foster care system and would be kicked out and left abandoned on the streets after turning 18 years old.
(End of Flashback - back to present)
Back in the alley rain continued to fall relentless on Ethan. He would feel an intense sharp pain suddenly erupt from his chest. He clutched at it as if his lungs were in a vice. He tried to scream in pain but no words would come out of his mouth. His faced twisting and teeth clinched from an unspeakable pain. As a mixture of saliva and blood drizzled down his mouth, he tried to stand up in a vain attempt to seek help, only to take a single step forward before falling to his knees and face planting into a small puddle of rain and dumpster garbage juice.
(Ethan): ("so I guess this is the end, seems my lungs cant take any more, the damage has finally caught up to me")
(Ethan): (Damn it ..... Damn it! why did my life have to be this way! What did I ever do to deserve this!)
Ethan's final moments were filled with these last thoughts. Lamenting the cruel fate that had robbed him on not only his sight, but made him a orphan as well. A fate that monstrously fooled him into believing he may get a real chance at happiness from meeting Leanna, only to have that taken from him. And lastly a fate that would culminate in him simply dying alone, cold, wet, and among garbage in the gutter.
And with one final breath his heart would come to know silence.
******
Location: The Void
Within a vast deep dark expanse, where the concepts of time, direction and space held no authority, floated a lone robed and hooded figure. A being made of pure white with an androgens form and faceless features. This entity was the sol being within the void that one could be said to exist.
(image of the entity)
That is until the white figure noticed a single ball of light flying across the vast void. Intrigued by the light the figure extended its arm and as if reacting to this action, the ball of light quickly flow into the figures palm.
The entity would gently cup the small light with both hands and slowly raise it to its face. Closing it's eyes and placing the light on to its forehead, it begin peering into the small lights essence to see that which can be seen. In an instant the entity saw the entire life of a young blind human. Beginning from where he was born into his world alone, all the way through how he ultimately died alone as well.
Having finished watching the entity lowered the small light and begin to slowly and gently stroke it, whether out of pity or genuine care, was known only to itself. The entity would then speak a single sentence.
(Entity): "May you live differently in your new beginning"
And with this simple phrase the entity released the small light and enveloped it in a mysterious aura before propelling the small light into a new direction within the void, its destination known only to entity. After watching the small lights figure slowly fade away as it traveled further and further from the entity, it would than turn its back, and resume its unending voyage across the empty black void.