Matteo's trembling fingers closed around the fallen water bottle. His chest rose and fell with desperate gasps, his parched throat burning. The sun glared down on him, merciless and unrelenting, heating the plastic of the bottle until it felt like it would melt in his grip.
He turned it over, tipping it toward his mouth.
Nothing.
A single drop clung to the edge of the bottle's lip .....just one drop. He watched it, eyes wide, mouth open in silent prayer. It hovered there, teasing, shimmering in the sunlight, promising salvation.
And then...
It was gone.
Vaporized in the heat.
Matteo let out a choked sound, something between a sob and a laugh. His vision blurred, his breath shaky. His body was exhausted, but the weight of his suffering was heavier than anything else.
"Oh? You wanted water?"
Noémie's voice sliced through the dry air.
Matteo didn't respond. He just sat there, staring blankly at the bottle in his hands.
"Poor Matteo," Seraina mocked, her voice dripping with fake sympathy. "Born into such a helpless family. What a shame."
"Shame on your parents for giving birth to you." Annelise's words were sharper than the heat, cutting deep into Matteo's chest.
Matteo's fingers clenched around the bottle. His breath hitched, his heartbeat roaring in his ears. His mind was a fog of exhaustion, his body too drained to even tremble.
But inside....something snapped.
He lifted his gaze.
A gaze devoid of anything but silent, simmering darkness.
Noémie's smile faltered for a moment. Just a moment.
Then she laughed.
"Oh? That look…... what are you trying to do?"
Matteo didn't answer. He didn't even blink.
"Here," Noémie said suddenly, her tone bright, lifting another water bottle. "Drink it."
Matteo hesitated. He wanted to resist.....he wanted to push it away.
But thirst won.
The moment the cool liquid touched his lips, his entire body shuddered with relief. He swallowed greedily, the sensation of water rushing down his throat almost euphoric.
And then.....
A taste.
A rancid, bitter taste.
Matteo coughed violently, gagging. His stomach twisted as the realization dawned.
It wasn't water.
It was...
Shoe-washed water.
Dirty. Filthy. Used.
Matteo's eyes widened in horror, his stomach revolting. He coughed harder, his body convulsing as he fell forward, hands gripping the dirt.
The girls' laughter surrounded him, a cruel chorus of amusement.
He barely registered the moment his body moved on its own.
His hands shot out.
His fingers curled around Noémie's collar.
The laughter stopped.
For a moment....just a moment.....there was silence.
Then.....
"Let go, Matteo."
Annelise's voice was quiet.
Seraina's gaze was steady.
Matteo's grip faltered.
"Do you want us to remind Eliane about today?" Seraina whispered.
Matteo's breath caught in his throat.
His hands fell away.
He dropped to his knees, coughing, trying to spit out the vile taste. His hands clutched his stomach as he tried to force it out, but the bitterness remained...inside his mouth, inside his mind.
His body shook violently, but no more tears came.
The girls left, their laughter fading into the distance.
Matteo was alone.
Alone with the scorching heat.
Alone with the dirt.
Alone with the weight of everything pressing down on him.
And then.....
A shadow.
His eyes lifted, unfocused, barely able to make out the figure standing at the top of the stairs.
Eliane.
Their eyes met.
She said nothing.
She only smiled.
And then.....
She gave him a thumbs-up.
Matteo watched her turn and walk away.
And in that moment.....
He broke.
His fingers dug into the dirt.
His forehead pressed against the ground.
A choked sob ripped from his throat.
And then another.
And another.
His cries were quiet, muffled against the earth that refused to comfort him.
Even the grass didn't touch his tears.
Because even the ground knew.....
That he was nothing.