The Basement, The Boy, The Spark

Synopsis

The place where I was born was shrouded in perpetual darkness. In my memory, it was filled with the musty smell of moldy walls, the rusty odor of iron gates, the stench of spoiled food, and the foul smell of urine. There was a woman living with me. She was a taciturn soul, rarely speaking and even less inclined to interact with me. Most of the time, we'd huddle in our respective corners, lost in our own thoughts. The only time she came alive was when the iron gate creaked open. Then, her eyes would light up with hope as she crawled towards the entrance. She'd nuzzle the man's calves incessantly, after which he'd lead her away. I had no idea what the outside world looked like. I could only assume it was a far better place than our dismal abode. Every time the man visited, a pleasant fragrance would linger in the air for ages, making me even more curious about the outside. I thought if I crawled towards the man like the woman did, I'd finally get a chance to see what was beyond that gate. But the woman lashed out at me violently. Who would've thought that bare-foot kicks could hurt so much? And that short flight of steps leading to the iron gate suddenly seemed an insurmountable distance. I assumed my days would drag on like this indefinitely. However, everything changed the day Simon Bright opened the small window on the roof.