11 Years Ago
At the playground.
The chubby boy launched an uppercut, large, hard, and impossible for little Jamie to dodge.
Pwah!
It struck him square in the face, sending him flying backward like a sack of sand. Instantly, a deep bruise bloomed across his cheek.
Curling into himself, Jamie clamped his arms over his head, shielding his face as a storm of kicks rained down. Earlier, he'd tried to defend himself, had done everything in his power but there was nothing left to do. He was outnumbered, just like always.
Phu!
Phu!
They kicked him mercilessly, taking turns, trading blows with cruel precision. Two kids beating another—just standing there, proving how harsh life could be. Jamie didn't scream. Only soft murmurs of pain escaped his lips.
The girl he'd tried to save watched the whole time, her eyes brimming with tears. But her sorrow wasn't for herself—it drowned in the sight of him suffering.
