Sion roamed the streets, amid countless strangers. He was confused
and shaken. His life had just been turned upside down.
He didn't know what happened. The memory was very blurry, but he remembered gunshots, screams, and a fire. Things were burning. His mom told him to run, so he did. He ran. And now he stopped, and realized he was in a part of town he had never been in before. He had been running for well over twenty minutes.
He stopped and rested his back on a nearby wall, breathing heavily after all this running. He looked around. Strangers. That was all he could see. Everyone, people he didn't know. He was surrounded by them. Sion was scared. It wasn't a situation that a six-year-old got into everyday.
He didn't know what to do. He wanted to return home, but he didn't even know which way to go. When he ran away, he had run in random directions, the only thought in his brain was to get away. And technically, he had gotten away. But now he was lost. He had no money, no parents, nothing. He just wished he was home. Home? It was possible he didn't have a home anymore.
With nothing to lose, Sion started walking in any direction. He kept his face down, as if that action would make him safer. It didn't, but it made him feel like he was safer. He wanted to walk in a store, as he always felt safer in there. When he was with his parents and they took him to a store, he always relaxed.
Occasionally he looked up from his downward look to check for any stores. He wasn't about to enter just any store. He was looking for a candy store, or an ice cream store, and maybe even a clothes store. That would make him feel better. But he had no money, so he wouldn't be able to purchase anything. Still, it was better than risking himself out here.
He looked around and, through the towering people, spotted a nice-looking store. It had Christmas decorations on the window, and a decorated tree inside. There was a warm, florescent glow coming from inside. He decided to go in.
Quickly putting his head down once more, he crossed the streets and walked to the store. He reached the door just as an adult pulled it open. The grown-up didn't see him, so Sion used the opportunity to dash inside.
He slowed his walk, grateful that he was here. If someone had hassled him he would have been helpless.
He looked around the store, but found nothing he was expecting. From the looks of it from outside, the store had looked like toy store, or a clothes store. But now he looked around and saw jewelry.
With his curiosity, he walked up to one of the showcases. It held several pieces of fine silver jewelry.
"Wow…" He whispered to himself.
The jewelry shined in the light, making it look beautiful. Sion knew he couldn't possibly afford something like this, even if his parents were with him. But if he ever had the money, he'd buy something like it himself.
A bell rang, snapping Sion out of his thoughts and almost out of his skin in surprise. He looked around, and saw the store entirely empty, except for one other customer, the cashier, and himself.
"Store's closing folks." The cashier said. He walked out from behind the counter and changed the sign on the to 'Closed'.
The other customer walked out of the store, leaving only Sion and the cashier there. The cashier noticed this.
"Hey kid," he started, "the store's closed. Where are your parents?"
Sion bowed his head again. He didn't reply, either. He didn't want to think about his parents. He knew something bad probably happened to them, something very bad. Gunshots. Guns. Sion knew guns killed people. When his parents watched TV he always heard something someone getting shot. Is it possible that…his parents were…?
"Kid!" the cashier said with a louder voice, "I'm sorry, but you gotta go. Go back to your house, all right?"
Sion wanted to yell at him. To tell him that he had no parents. That he had no home. But he didn't. He just stood there once again and was quiet.
"Kid, I'm serious, you have to leave."
Sion didn't reply, but started for the door. He reached it and pushed it open. He didn't want to leave, but he had no choice. He let the door go, and it closed by itself. He looked left and right. Not really sure what to do now, he started walking with the same bowed-head position. It was getting late. All the stores were probably closing now. Which wasn't good for him.
* * *
He didn't know how long he walked; he didn't have a watch. But he did know it was a long time. There was almost no one on the streets now and every store he passed was closed. Well, except for one bar. Sion found its dog-symbol next to the door funny but he didn't find curses coming from inside very inviting.
"Well, well, well," He heard a voice behind him say, "look what we have here."
Sion froze in place, prettified. He wished he was home badly.
"A little kid," he heard another voice, "all by himself."
"Haha, I say we have some fun," a third voice.
Sion felt a grip on his shoulder, and was roughly turned around. He looked up at three men. They had ripped clothes, messy hair, and some beat up shoes. Two of them had worn out leather jackets, while the middle one just had a checkered shirt(also ripped).
"Hey, so what if the wife wants a divorce, right?" The man in the middle said to the others, "we can take all our frustrations on our own little personal punching bag."
Sion closed his eyes. He hoped this was all just a bad dream. He wished any moment now he'd wake up in his own bed, home, and hear his mom say, "Breakfast is ready!" But it didn't. He was still there, standing in front of three dirty men. How was he going to get out of this?
He slowly opened his eyes but didn't look at the men face to face. He looked past them…and saw an old man. He had a long white beard, and hair the same color. He had on weird-looking clothes for a place like this. The old man had his hands behind his back and was walking calmly towards the men. Was he crazy?
Sion kept on watching, ignoring any comments thrown at him. The old man closed in on the three; hands still behind his back, still walking calmly. Once he was a few steps away the old man frowned, and in a flash shot out his arm.
"Hyaa!" He yelled. He hit one of the men, who was sent flying, and didn't get up. The other two looked at him with shocked looks on their faces. The old man just got into a fighting position. The two men reached into their pockets and took out switchblades.
"You're way outta your league, old man." One of the men shouted.
The old man threw his hands in the air, and suddenly flew across the gap between him and the men, striking one man right in the stomach with his elbow. He also went down and didn't get up. The last man standing looked to his fallen companion. His eyes grew.
"Jesus. What are you?" He lunged at the old man, swiping with his knife. The old man ducked a shot and punched the man three times. He kick the man in the stomach, then rolled on the floor, and used the momentum to suddenly kick up the last man high in the air.
Now all three of the men that had threatened Sion were down and motionless.
He had always had an interest in martial arts, and seeing the old man use it to dispose those criminals made all the troubles in Sion's mind go away. He was mesmerized by the old man's power.
Sion looked up at the old man, who looked back at him.
"It is dangerous out here." he said, "You should go home." The old man walked past Sion, obviously not waiting for an answer. But soon enough, he felt someone following him. He turned around, and there was the little kid again.
"Why do you follow me?" the old man asks.
'Because I think you are amazing', Sion thought. He knew the old man obviously had a lot of talent. This time Sion knew what to say, or at least what he wanted to say, and said it.
"Will I ever be...as strong as you?" Sion counter-asks.
"That is up to you." was the reply he got.
Sion suddenly got an idea. He had nothing else to do nothing else to lose. He might as well try and make something out of himself.
"Hey, will you teach me?"
"It is my policy not to take any disciples. It is late... Go home." The old man turns around and continues the way he was walking.
Sion stares at him for a second, his troubles beginning to rush back to him. He blinks; feeling his eyes getting wet.
"I..." Sion started, "don't have a home..."
The old man came to an abrupt stop. He once again looks at the kid. It didn't take him long to see the sadness in his eyes.
"I see…" the old man replied. He was quiet for a moment, but then walked to Sion and got down on one knee. "What's your name?"
"Sion."
"Well, Sion, what happened to your parents?"
"I don't know…" he said, starting to cry, "I just heard gunshots and screams and my mom said to run and I did!"
"There now," the old man said, putting a reassuring hand on Sion's shoulder, "it's okay. Everything's going to be all right, Sion. You can go home with me."
Sion momentarily smiles. "Really?"
"Yes." the old man stood up and continued his walk, "but we must make haste. It is getting late, and this part of town is rather insecure."
Sion ran after the man to catch up, but then could walk to keep up. He felt safe now. After seeing the skills that the old man had, he didn't think anything bad could happen.
"Um," Sion stammered, looking up at the old man, "what's your name, mister?"
"Wong," he said, "Wong Leung."