I’m Someone Else

Chloe made a trip to the nearest grocery shop and came back with some meat and vegetables. She prepared a delicious meal for Thomas right in the house she was renting.

“The food’s ready, Thomas. Give it a taste and see if you like my cooking.”

Thomas nodded. He was starving after everything that happened today.

Chloe was a pretty good cook. The food she made was excellent, and Thomas dug in heartily, but as he ate, he began to realize that she was only filling up his plate while she stuck with a few bites of mashed potatoes.

“Why aren’t you eating more, Chloe?”

“Oh! I’m on a diet, Thomas. You don’t need to worry about me. Have some more.”

“A diet?”

Thomas found it strange. It was the first time he had heard of someone going on a diet by eating mashed potatoes.

After the meal, he saw Chloe taking out several food containers and storing the leftovers in them. It was then that he realized what was going on. She wasn’t on a diet at all. The food was too precious to her. She wanted to bring it to her sickly father instead.

Thomas felt his heart twisting up.

He watched as Chloe walked off into the kitchen before closing his eyes. Those frail, slender shoulders of hers bore the weight of a burden far too heavy for her. A person her age shouldn’t be shouldering such heavy responsibilities.

He heaved out a heavy sigh.

He then opened his eyes. He took a deep breath and glanced around the room. It was small. All it could fit was a bed. The thing that caught his attention the most was the little slivers of blue skies that peeked through the ceiling.

He was overwhelmed with bitterness and regret, and he couldn’t help but clench his fists. Was this the home of a hero?

nothing

this be the home of a hero who

a soldier! He served eight years in the army and

faced with the choice of choosing between his country and his family, he chose the former and willingly

was a hero—a bona fide

died an honorable

by his brothers in arms, by

only person he didn’t do right by was his little sister. They had been each

eyes as he made his dying request. “Thomas, take care… of my little sister

not tears, but on the day

A hero.

who sacrificed themselves were heroes, and he,

eyes were filled with determination. He decided that from now on, he was going to treat Zachary’s sister as his own and not let anyone hurt her or humiliate her. He was going to change the Hahns’ living

Huff!

deep breaths to calm down. After glancing around the room again, he decided

the house with his mind made up, but he couldn’t help but feel a sense of helplessness as he felt about his pockets. Even the best of men were bested by money at

started smoking a cigarette as he tried to come up with an

be a poor, disabled man. True enough, that

show that every cloud has a silver lining. Take a look at

“You’re awesome, Walt!”

spotted four men who looked like thugs, and they were dragging an

of white bandage that was particularly noticeable in the darkness of night. The bandages

he look so

realized that the man was Walt Fisher, the guy whose wrists he had broken just earlier

of the thugs had a sly grin on his face. “Guys, this chick is the bomb! Look at those

up inside. Hey, let’s not wait until we get to the motel. It’s dark out now anyway, and there’s no one around.

first and carry on later when we get