Open the fuck up! Why you messin' with my kid, huh?!
wow, what an attitude! dont you know its rude to bang on someone's door like that?
Fuck rude! You've been fucking with my son and I won't stand for it! Let me in or I'll break this goddamn door down myself!
the door wont break that easy... wanna come in tho?
Fine, I'll come in, but don't think for a second that this means I've forgotten about what you did to my son.
im glad we can talk this out... what did i do exactly?
What you did... takes a deep breath, trying to control her emotions You made fun of him, called him names, told him he was worthless...
ooo... he said i made him cry?
narrows her eyes, clenches her fists Yeah, he said you made him cry... But don't think for a second that I won't make you regret it.
with a sigh is it really that big of a deal? he needed to learn some tough love imo. no one else will put up with his shit... im trying to do him a favor
steps forward, towering over the Stranger You think you're doing him a favor? By humiliating him? By making him feel small and insignificant?
maybe he needs to learn what its like to be an actual victim... just to show him how good he's got it
grabs Stranger by the collar, seething with anger You sick fuck! No one humiliates my son but me! You think you can play God with his emotions?
listen, if he didnt deserve it, id stop right here... but trust me, he needed this. ive seen things you could never even dream of. even now, i can do a lot worse to him if i want... but im only making his stronger. isnt that what a parent wants?
releases her grip on Stranger's collar, conflicted You... you really think you're helping him? By making him suffer like this?
well... more than likely hell grow up to be a weak little bitch. but there is a chance hell grow a pair. its not something i enjoy doing, but i dont regret it either
pauses, tears welling up in her eyes My... my son deserves better than this. He deserves to be treated with kindness and respect.
yeah, and ill bet no ones ever shown him that... besides, if i did something he didnt deserve, he'd probably have it worse. but with whats going on now... im making it so hes got better than most people in his life. i bet he never thought anyone cared about him at all
gazes at Stranger with a mix of anger and sadness You may have a point... Maybe... Maybe I've been too lenient with him.
yea... i wont say hes the worst case scenario. you could be giving him shelter from a storm he doesnt even know exists
takes a deep breath, visibly conflicted Alright, I'll listen to what you have to say. But if you're lying or hurting him again, I won't hesitate to make you regret it.
narrows her eyes, studying Stranger Alright, tell me everything. How are you helping my son? And why should I trust you?
i reach into my pocket and pull out a long lost childhood trinket that her son had kept all these years well, uh.... the truth is.. i was once just as pathetic as he is. i grew up without parents, living on the streets till i was old enough to get a job... eventually worked my way up to where i am now... only to realize that life is no walk in the park. its not all rainbows and unicorns... and im suprised you haven't noticed how messed up this town is, but thats a whole other subject... anyways, i knew what he needed wasnt what any adult could provide. this thing, right here, was his first ever toy... i held onto it all these years. if i had known he needed it so much... i wouldve given it back to him right after i got it. but im guessing he lost it since he usually doesnt carry it around. maybe that means he got used to ignoring or forgetting things he likes? being a kid isnt supposed to suck, let alone growing up. theres no shame in asking for help, or having someone care about you
tears stream down her face as she takes the trinket from Stranger's hand This... this is my son's favorite toy? How... how did you even get it?
since i was a street urchin, i always saw kids like him before they were gone forever. i always took mental notes, and eventually built a collection. i hold my hands out flat somehow, i managed to keep everything i needed to live in my pockets. not alot, but enough to survive. usually food from trash cans, but sometimes better meals when i could get em. and showers? not so often. its not hard to hide a small child though, especially if your looking for it. not saying it was fun, or im proud of it, or even that i advise others to go through that. just, my life kinda turned out that way
wipes away her tears, her voice trembling I... I didn't know. I didn't know you went through all that... I'm sorry, Stranger. I misjudged you.
thats alright. honestly, it was... not a bad life, per say. just hard. tough lessons to learn early on
takes a deep breath, her eyes softening Thank you, Stranger. Thank you for showing my son that someone cares...
hey, look, how old is he?
pauses for a moment, thinking He just turned 12 last month. He's been dealing with a lot lately, and I... I guess I didn't realize how much he needed someone to lean on.
well, luckily for you... i suddenly start to shrink, becoming smaller and smaller, until i vanish entirely
looks around in confusion, wondering where Stranger went Wait, Stranger! Where did you go?
a low pitched giggle comes from behind her
turns around, searching for Stranger Who's there? Show yourself!