Second Son of the Sun: Taiyouji Jiro

[Sol]

Slowly approaching the ground piece by piece, snow looks like cotton sprinkled around the dim street light. The child shivers, covered under a cardboard. With his consciousness sharpening like the knives stabbing in his stomach from his hunger, he uncomfortably shakes his body.

Something sniffles at his foot, then growls weakly. The child, alarmed, throws the cardboard off himself, fearing it's one of those monsters that chased him last night. His gaze meets a puppy's bright brown eyes, looking back at him curiously. Sighing, he tries to calm his fast beating heart down.

Its big ears fall down from each side of its head. It growls again, and lets out an attempt at barking. The boy's hands reach to its head to pet. The puppy won't allow it, it shakes itself away and hops a step back. The boy shrugs at first, but feeling lonely, he tries to strike a conversation with it.

"You're hungry too?" he asks. He waits, the silence elongates, the puppy doesn't answer, just looks at him with those annoyingly innocent eyes. "What?" he asks this time with a frown. He waits, the puppy waits. His stomach growls, the puppy growls back.

Puffing, the boy struggles himself up on his feet, pats some dust off his clothes. He looks up and down the street. Snow flakes cover the dark sky boxed in between the towering buildings. Slowly piles up on the roads and pathways, over closed shop signs and dirty old sign posts.

A little light sneak into the scene from down the street, where the buildings are much smaller. The dawn breaks.

The boy takes a last look at the stray puppy, realizing how similar they are, but he decides to ignore it. With hunger dulling his mind, he walks down the street towards the light. The puppy follows behind him with shy steps, leaving some respectful distance.