Pending Death

I grew up in an orphanage for most of my childhood.

My parents died a few months after I was born, so… yeah.

Let's just say life didn't pull its punches.

How did they die?

I have no idea.

I was too young back then, and now?

No one knows.

But really… what's the point of dwelling on it?

Who cares?

The orphanage was called Jader Will, named after its founder, Mr. Jader William.

That's where I met him for the first time.

JOVANY.

My memory's fuzzy—it was over twenty years ago.

But strangely, all I seem to remember are the bad times…

The ones where I was alone.

The good memories?

They all started with him.

We were two idiots abandoned by life,

and yet somehow… abnormally happy together.

Some call it love. Others, friendship.

For us, it was more.

Something deeper.

An indescribable brotherhood.

We shared a room.

Not big, but plenty of space for two kids like us.

Back then, the orphanage wasn't co-ed,

but we still lived in the same building as the girls.

And that's where we met her.

Jenny.

I didn't know much about her.

Just that she was a genius at chess.

Her intelligence? Almost scary.

Innovative—like science itself couldn't keep up with her.

She's the one who taught us to play.

Me and JOVANY.

The three of us became close.

Slowly. Deeply.

Until one day…

JOVANY fell in love with her.

Honestly?

I didn't care.

At that age, I didn't even understand what love was.

Didn't know what it felt like.

We were happy.

The three of us.

Inseparable.

Then one day, a new kid was assigned to our room.

His name was John.

A little stubborn, but he had that thing…

Always coming up with some stupid idea to kill time.

It didn't take long for our trio to become a quartet.

Unreal.

The war hadn't started yet,

but the world already reeked of smoke.

The Futurists—that pack of fanatics convinced they could build a better world—were gaining power.

Famine. Insecurity. Governments collapsing…

Then one day, the police crumbled.

And just like that, World War III began.

But us?

We were still there.

In our building.

Oblivious to the chaos.

The world was burning, and we were still laughing.

But the world hadn't forgotten us.

One morning, after class, the worst happened.

Jenny.

My memories are fragmented.

JOVANY in tears.

John, shattered.

And me…

I felt every cell in my body fall apart.

What I felt that day?

It wasn't sadness.

Not anger.

Not even regret.

Not hatred either.

No.

It was something else.

A pure, absolute pain.

Unbearable.

Worse than a thousand wounds.

Jenny… dead.

No.

It had to be a joke.

But no.

It wasn't.

I didn't hate life.

I didn't blame the Futurists for setting fire to the orphanage.

I didn't want revenge.

All I wanted, at that exact moment,

was a cup of hot chocolate.

With my three friends.

But even that…

was too much to ask.

Jenny was gone.

And JOVANY had never told her how he felt.

Maybe that was for the best.

He would've lost her anyway.

They say maturity comes with age.

I think it comes with pain.

That day, at 13,

I aged twenty years in an instant.

I wish I could tell you I cried at the funeral.

But that would be a lie.

And I hate lying.

I tried.

But nothing came out.

Just pain.

A crushing weight in my chest.

An invisible wound.

After that, we grew even closer.

Because death has a way of doing that.

Years passed.

I found myself in the army.

Not for revenge.

Not to defend some noble cause.

No.

Just… because life pushed me there.

Why am I telling you all this?

I don't know.

And honestly?

I don't want to know.

But it feels good to let it out.

I didn't have the worst life.

But I sure as hell didn't have the best one either.

And I think the future will prove it.

To be continued…Haunted By the Living...