It was late at night when the rain had finally lessened. A little girl who had been taking shelter from the downpour inside of a vegetable store poked her head out the door and smiled. It was finally okay for her to go home. It was still a sprinkle, but at least she could just run without being drenched after being under the rain for one second. 222Please respect copyright.PENANAGr8E5Xs4uS
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"Thank you!" her small voice yelled for the store owner to hear as she waved. The old lady just smiled warmly and returned her wave. With that, the little girl ran outside. copyright protection218PENANAlC2y0v5iEx
She ran, her small feet making splashing noises as she ran through the crowded city. When the time came she was supposed to cross the road, and she accidentally stepped on something before she left the pedestrian lane. copyright protection218PENANAv6R24aKrHO
It was a soft blue beanie. copyright protection218PENANAmC5nBrqZGt
With her tiny hands, the little girl picked it up even though the rain and the mud and dirtied it. She looked around wondering who could've lost it, but found that no one was looking for their hat. Though, she did notice that there was a crowd forming in the middle of the road. copyright protection218PENANAQPYMzv16G2
She had no time to be curious about that, though, and she had to go home soon or else her big sister would be worried about her. Seeing as no one would miss the hat, she held it in her hands and continued running home.copyright protection218PENANAsvMgb8Hfiq
She never knew that the owner of that hat was in the middle of the crowd forming. Eyes closed, hands stiff, and heart no longer beating as their loved one held them close, releasing cries of grief. copyright protection218PENANAq34V46mcZJ
The door was closed softly as the little girl took off her shoes, and excitedly yelled, "I'm home!" 222Please respect copyright.PENANAPPXcLvPYH9
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From the kitchen, she could hear her big sister yell back, "Welcome home! Get changed!"222Please respect copyright.PENANAgfxwuTtW77
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She wasted no time in heading into her room. Her house was just a small rented apartment. There was a leaky sink, a dead plant, and the wallpaper was peeling off, but it was her home nonetheless. 222Please respect copyright.PENANAf0ZfUpr60d
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The little girl opened the bathroom door connected to the room she and her sister shared and quickly washed the beanie she found. She was pleased to see that its real color was a pastel baby blue. If she dried it, it would be very soft and fluffy. 222Please respect copyright.PENANAVLxTjfYY1j
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After looking at it closer, she realized it had the initials K and J. She wondered who it used to belong to and what the letters meant. 222Please respect copyright.PENANA9IRSLqLDky
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Laughter rang throughout the small apartment room. It was a warm room that contained a variety of plants that were well cared for. There were many windows that despite the cloudy weather, the furniture was still able to bask in so much light. 222Please respect copyright.PENANAnZa9gpCD43
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"Stop! You're going to make me drop the hot cocoa!" a voice said. A young man with glasses bit his lip as he tried to contain his laughter, all the while trying to balance a mug of hot chocolate in his hands. 222Please respect copyright.PENANABmbiGdvURm
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"This is my revenge for you interrupting my game last night!" another man yelled mischievously as he poked the other gently in the places he knew he was ticklish. 222Please respect copyright.PENANAuHZAzn5UXf
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"No! NO! Jay, I swear! I'm serious!" but in contrast to his strict words, his face was scrunched up from the strings of laughter escaping from his lips. "My cocoa! My life!"222Please respect copyright.PENANA9KPnk6lWU5
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"But what can we do, Kevin? This is the price of your actions... ACCEPT IT!" Jay took the mug filled with hot chocolate and placed it on the counter table beside the soft, white sofa they were playing on so that he could continue the tickle punishment without a chance of an accident happening. copyright protection218PENANA4ylre2o3XW
They were just a normal couple. Spending their days away as they tried to make the best of the life that was given to them. Their earnings were average, they had people who loved them and people who went against them, but what was most important to them was the now. copyright protection218PENANAoL0Gkti5gn
Right now they were happy and that's all that matters. They had each other and their other loved ones. With that, they were content. copyright protection218PENANA8b3PSQS07z
"I love you... did you know that?" Kevin whispered. After the tickle war, they ended up crowding the same small sofa. Jay reading his book and Kevin just quietly sipping on his unspilled cocoa. copyright protection218PENANA4n4Hz6Ub0k
Jay raised a brow and smiled, his attention switching from his book to the one he loved the most. "Of course I do. You've only said that like a hundred times." Jay put down his book and urged the other man to come closer. "Let me tell you a secret." Kevin leaned in and turned his head so that he could whisper into his ear. "I love you too." and with a peck on Kevin's cheek, Jay succeeded in turning his lover into a red tomato. 222Please respect copyright.PENANATtizQ5YHQk
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"You're so cheesy!" Kevin pushed Jay away, adjusted his glasses, and put his full focus on drinking his cocoa.222Please respect copyright.PENANAe5CnIzIPzs
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Chuckling, Jay went back to his book and said, "Say what you want, but you know you love it." he smiled and placed his hand inside of his pocket, feeling the cold metal of a ring. He turned his gaze to Kevin and thought to himself.222Please respect copyright.PENANAFBzYz3ybl0
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There's nothing he wanted more... but now wasn't the time. 222Please respect copyright.PENANAiwWxvvMyL6
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Kevin looked at the clock on the wall and remembered something. "Oh, right. I needed to get the groceries for next week."copyright protection218PENANAkAxM8fHAJp
"Do you want me to come with you?"copyright protection218PENANA9YPWTRtAbt
"Nah," Kevin shook his head and jumped off the sofa to grab his coat and the blue beanie Jay gave him for his birthday. "We don't need a lot of things so I can handle it by myself." copyright protection218PENANAepZpFzgD1W
"You should get an umbrella. It looks like it's going to rain today." Jay said as he looked out of the window to see the cloudy weather. copyright protection218PENANAouiY2veSZL
"Got it!" he waved the umbrella to show that he had it and then opened the door. "See you tonight!" copyright protection218PENANAjGzUMCQvJ1
When Kevin had finished getting the groceries the sun had already gone down. Jay was right and it really did start raining, although it was harder than he thought it would. The crowd was bustling about, and it amazed him to know that there were still so many people wandering the streets despite the fact that it was basically a waterfall outside. It was a good thing that he brought an umbrella. 222Please respect copyright.PENANAD9JGZ6qrVF
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"Excuse me...pardon me!" Kevin yelled as he pushed through the crowds of people trying to get home as fast as they could to avoid the rain. copyright protection218PENANAolWFeo5drR
It was at that moment when he bumped into a rather large person, his face colliding onto their back causing his glasses to fall down. Before he was able to say sorry, the man had already left. While he was looking for his glasses, he took a step forward and heard a crunch of glass underneath his shoes. He knew that he had experienced bad luck. 222Please respect copyright.PENANAdQXoAX1Kft
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It's alright. Their apartment was just right in front of him. He'd be home soon. He just needed to cross the street and then he'd be warm again-copyright protection218PENANAPL8j8axNkP
Someone cut through, accidentally pushing him off the sidewalk and onto the road. copyright protection218PENANA4CNr6ssxcR
Jay closed his book, satisfied that he had finished reading it. It was a good ending. Realistic. Granted, the couple didn't get together in the end, but the decision made sense and he couldn't have thought of a better ending. copyright protection218PENANADpPEFr5p1A
He looked out the window and was shocked to see that it was already so dark. It was raining hard too. Jay wondered what was taking Kevin so long. He stood up and walked closer to the window to glance at the roads to see if his lover was already on his way, but instead, he saw there was a crowd forming in front of the building. copyright protection218PENANAJw6DzfwTNC
Wonder what that was about. Curious, he took his coat and left the apartment so that he could take a better look at the commotion.copyright protection218PENANAKwTtot5gQJ
Jay approached the crowd of people, but he wasn't able to get a good look. So, he asked the person right in front of him. "Excuse me! What happened here?" He asked after tapping the woman on her shoulder.222Please respect copyright.PENANAqZve4TJVCE
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The woman turned and gave him the saddest look. "There was a car accident... someone died." 222Please respect copyright.PENANAPm10NjCSQ6
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That was sad... Jay clicked his tongue and stuffed his hands in his pockets. Condolence to them. It's such a shame. Yet another life wasted. You never know when you're going to die. 222Please respect copyright.PENANAAf4KPWL4Vi
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He didn't want to see the dead body so he turned away to get back inside the building, but he caught something from the corner of his eye.222Please respect copyright.PENANAWw6qAdCQ8I
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It was a hat in the mud. It was dirty, but he could see it. A blue beanie with the initials J and K. 222Please respect copyright.PENANAEzwVExup1V
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His heart began beating quickly. 222Please respect copyright.PENANAdInUXqKSeJ
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Quickly, he turned back to the crowd and pushed through. "Move! MOVE!" with his heart beating in his chest, he forced his way through the bodies hoping for everything that it wasn't who he thought it was. "I said MOVE!" he yelled, finally making his way to the front.222Please respect copyright.PENANAg1Zf06aLcH
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His heart stopped.222Please respect copyright.PENANATtpv8UifY9
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In front of a car that had yet to have its engine turned off was the body of a young man. His curly chestnut hair was damp, making it stick to his face and covering his closed eyes. His mouth was half open, but it was clear that those pink lips were beginning to lose its color. 222Please respect copyright.PENANAggInnefA4M
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"W-what..." he looked at the crowd, his eyes crazed and in a frenzy. "Why isn't someone calling the ambulance? CALL THE AMBULANCE!" he collapsed in front of the scene and pulled his lover's cold body closer to him. "Kevin? Kevin are you there? You're going to be okay... I-" he turned back at the whispering people and yelled. "What are you DOING?! Help him! Somebody! Please!" 222Please respect copyright.PENANAoUd1zx8HL3
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Someone who had been on the phone beside the car put his phone in his pocket and approached Jay. "Is he your relative? I- I'm so sorry- I-I he just appeared out of nowhere and I-"222Please respect copyright.PENANACxE7oOd8jG
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"Did you do this?" Jay asked, eyes locked onto the stranger. 222Please respect copyright.PENANAqQJzVZdf9f
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Panicked by such a sharp gaze, the stranger stuttered, "Y-yes... I'm so sorry I-" the man took another glimpse at Kevin's unmoving body and then gagged. "Oh god-" he turned away and proceeded to puke out his guts on his own car wheel. 222Please respect copyright.PENANACht5ItXVhF
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Jay could hear the sound of sirens coming closer and then turned his attention back to Kevin. "It's okay... it's gonna be okay, Kevin. It's almost here- you're going to feel better soon." he tried so hard to ignore the amount of blood that pooled on the ground, quickly washing away with the rain that was turning gentle. 222Please respect copyright.PENANAUgFAAq4i2c
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He tried to hold back his tears, but they just began flowing. Soon, he wasn't able to control his screams and sobs either. 222Please respect copyright.PENANAh6fc5jupS6
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In the midst of this, he had forgotten about the blue beanie, not knowing that it had already been taken away.copyright protection218PENANA28mMdP4G6y
A week later, the little girl was admiring herself in the mirror, happy with how the hat looked on her. It was a little big, but it was very cute. 222Please respect copyright.PENANAZdJtUapPCV
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"Josephine Kerstine, I swear, if you aren't dressed by the time I enter your room I'm going to take your crayons!" Josephine heard her sister yell. 222Please respect copyright.PENANAwN3aN8Kx5O
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"I'm dressed!" she yelled back. 222Please respect copyright.PENANAhWp1qQXUP1
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"Get your bag! You're going to be late for school." 222Please respect copyright.PENANAXa2XaeyKyi
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Josephine picked up her bag and put on shoes, but she didn't forget to look at the small altar right next to the kitchen table. 222Please respect copyright.PENANAT0EWu9eKCZ
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It was a small altar that had a candle and a picture frame that contained the image of a beautiful woman.222Please respect copyright.PENANA7Gtd7awTKA
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"Bye, mom! See you tonight!"222Please respect copyright.PENANAEhA8RwEjXk
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On her way to school, she decided to take a shortcut by passing by the local cemetery. It was a bit scary, but she was running late. As her little legs rushed her body forward, she didn't take notice of the fact that there was a burial going on at the moment. 222Please respect copyright.PENANAFvR5PcapCr
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A burial where a young man was crying, the cold metal of a ring placed once again in his pockets. copyright protection218PENANAJuMG0enrha
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