Dizzy with hunger, the young boy clutched his abdomen as his stomach grumbled in protest. He pursed his lips. Before him lay a busy, dirt road that seemed to sway the longer he stared. People wearing dark suits, top hats and illustrious garments blurred past as he stood still, lost amongst a sea of strangers. The young boy shrank into himself.
Mother, where are you?
With his eyes fixed on the road ahead, the young boy forced his scrawny legs to move. Weary from wandering aimlessly, all the young boy wanted to do was to return home. As he scampered down the dirt road with aching limbs, he suddenly felt a burst of pain as a pebble ricocheted from his head. He yelped.
"I hit it!"
The young boy peered behind and saw a pair of older boys in pristine robes laughing at his misery.
"Look at it!" the tallest said, "It looks like it is going to cry."
"It cannot cry," the stoutest corrected. "It is a demon. Demons are not capable of crying."
The young boy glared at the pair. "I am not a demon!"
The pair were startled to hear the young boy speak their tongue.
"Yes, you are," the tallest sneered, regaining his composure. "You are a freak." A mixture of fascination and disgust crossed his features when he spotted the contrasting colours of the young boy's eyes. The young boy felt a stab to the chest as the tall boy jeered, "No wonder your mother abandoned you. Even she could not learn to love a half-breed like you…"