Chapter 1: Shattered Glass
Late morning. Scorching prickly heat irritates the skin as the sun approached high noon.
The dry hot wind blew on rotting garbages swarmed with flies, pungent and nasty smell pervaded the air.
Mountains of trash, junk, and scraps are scattered within the vicinity. Pests infested and overran the landfill.
A rangy youth with scruffy long hair wore a shabby shirt, old jogging pants folded up, and an old leather sandal.
He scavenged the heaps of unsegregated trash using his iron poke. He carried a sack on his back filled with metal scraps.
"I searched for a long time, I can't still even find any useful stuff." He sighed.
A brown-skinned lad had curly and thick black hair wore a slightly tattered dirty shirt, faded old jeans and a pair of rubber slippers. His body was well built and lean.
"Let's go over there. A dump truck just arrived a while ago. I think we can find something." He suggested as he pointed with his poke.
"Okay then. Be careful while going down, it is slippery."
As they walk down slowly, suddenly a glass cracked.
"Ah!!!" He exclaimed in pain.
"Oh, what happened? I just told you to be careful."
"Ugh! I feel sharp pain from the wound of my feet. This annoying stupid bottle!" As he bellowed from pain and irritation.
"Hold on. I'll remove the broken piece of glass from the wound. We'll go back home and wash it on the stream." He squatted then discarded the small chunk of glass, undressed and torn his shirt then wrapped it around the injured feet.
"Thanks, Eirwyn." He expressed his gratitude.
Eirwyn carried and supported him warily along the way until they got home.
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Afternoon. The sky was clear and the sun was still bright and hot.
After walking for a couple of hours, they arrived on an elevated shack made of bamboo, a nipa hut. A narrow stream flowing with cool and clean freshwater was nearby.
The woods had guava, mango, and coconut trees growing abundantly. The place was tranquil and rustic.
"I'm bushed." He plunked and settled to a wooden bench while groaning.
"Wash your feet. I'll collect some guava leaves and pound it." Eirwyn waved his hand like shooing a dog.
"Yup. I know." He stood up and walked away slowly.
"Hssssssss! It stings!" He sucked the air between his teeth as he took a step and complained about the pain.
"Its far from your intestines, Terrell. You'll not die easily since the cut was not fatal. Just rinse it with water to wash away the remaining pieces of glass and dirt stuck inside." Eirwen looked at Terrell in disdain.
"Hmph." Terrell nodded his head.
After a while, Terrell dipped and rinsed his feet on water while he rested on a rock beside the narrow stream. He rose up his feet and crossed his legs.
He wiped and dried his feet with a rag, then he applied guava leaves paste on the wound and wrapped it with a clean old torn cloth.
"Whew. Feels so much better." Terrell sighed.
"Good for you." Eirwyn as he bit and chewed a boiled sweet potato.
"Hey, gimme some." Terrell frowned as he begged.
"Get it from the cauldron on your own," Eirwyn replied while munching.
"I think we should continue tomorrow. Look at that, its hard to walk in that condition." Eirwyn pointed at Terrell with his half-eaten boiled sweet potato.
"Nah, don't mind it. It's not that painful anyway." Terrell stood up as he asserted while giving a thumbs up.
"Haist... suit yourself," Eirwyn replied as he shook his head.
"Then let us go back, quick! They might get ahead of us and get the good stuff!" Terrell wore his slippers then grabbed his sack and poke. He started running, ignoring the pain.
"Wait for me!" Eirwyn wore an old shirt, also brought with his own sack and poker.
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Afternoon. The blue sky was still bright and clear.
A dump truck unloaded a lot of refuse waste at the foot of a trash mountain.
Many scavengers were patiently waiting until the dump truck was empty. They chose a good spot and started rummaging piles of garbage.
The scavengers searched for things that can be reused and earn a meager amount of money.
Most of them were adults that had no job or not qualified to get into a job. There was also some youth lend a hand to their parents.
"Damn... We don't have a good spot." Terrell was annoyed.
"We'll go to another place instead then. Let's go." Eirwyn was optimistic. He pointed and led the way.
"Okay, okay." Terrell nodded and followed Eirwyn.
Abundant worthless trash made of plastic and wrappers are everywhere. Foul and nauseating odor permeated in the area.
Sometimes, dead animals with their rotten innards exposed and infested with maggots could be seen.
There are dilapidated shanties made of tattered tarpaulin and other light materials. Some people chose to live here.
Worn out rubber tires were messily stacked. Piles of assorted wood broken down from broken pieces of furniture to sold as firewood.
Meanwhile, Terrell and Eirwyn walked to the other side of the trash mountain.
"Is this the place? There are no other scavangers here right now." Terrell looked side by side as he asked Eirwyn.
"Hmm... Time to find for some nice stuff, then." Eirwyn nodded.
"I will go and search over there!" Terrell moved towards the direction he pointed.
"Hmph. I will look here." Eirwyn nodded as he begun to search.
They tear plastic garbage bags one by one, scour anything on their path.
Minutes passed. Terrell found a box in a good condition, he tore and opened it wide.
One cannot know what is inside without seeing it. One needed to rely heavily on luck.
"Oh yeah! I found something! Some old clothes! Hahaha!" Terrell was delighted.
"Where?!" Eirwyn heard Terrell and he approached Terrell.
"Pair of shoes! I can use this, sure these will fit me!" Terrell smiled as he held a pair of worn shoes.
"How you can wear those right now?" Eirwyn joked and he snide.
"Oh! You're right! Hahaha!" Terrell laughed loudly and he returnsreturnsair of shoes inside the box.
"We'll bring this back at home." Terrell carried the box.
"Okay then. I'll go to look again." Eirwyn replied and continued to search.
As they continue searching and scavenging. The sky darkened.
"Tsk! I ran out of luck." Terrell complained.
"That's okay. We still got some scrap metals. But most that we collected are bottles." Eirwyn replied as he checked the contents of the sack.
"Hayzzzzz... we're still short!" Terrell was unsatisfied.
"Let's go home." Eirwyn lifted up the sacks and continued to walk.
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Twilight. Sun settled down on the horizon. The atmosphere seemed gloomy.
Terrell and Eirwyn carried their sacks, even their bodies were thin, they were still full of vigor and strength.
They walked along the path to the exit of the landfill. Terrell saw a glowing light from afar.
"Hey, what's that?" Terrell spotted and pointed at the direction of the light with his right index finger.
"I dunno, let's check it out shall we?" Eirwyn shrugged.
They walked quickly towards the direction of the light. It glowed brighter and brighter as they got closer.
Terrell approached the source of the light carefully. Eirwen followed him from behind.
Terrell used his iron poker to set aside the plastic bag filled with garbage and filth that blocked the light.
A carton with a light glowing from within appeared in front of him.
"Open it quick!" Eirwyn insisted Terrell.
Terrell removed the tape that sealed the carton and opened it slowly. He smiled as he saw the contents inside.
"Awesome! Look at this stash of broken phones! We hit the jackpot this time!" Terrell exclaimed from surprise.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone