Chapter 2: Chapter 2: No End To The Misfortune
Caleb huddled under the bridge in the park that had officially become his home for the last few weeks. His small nest of blankets and old cut up carboard was tucked away safely in the little alcove he'd managed to find while poking around the park and he was nestled right in the middle of it all.
Thankfully, it was mostly unnoticeable, and as long as he was careful no one would be able to recognize that he was living there unless they went out of their way to look for him.
Safe from the rain and thunder overhead Caleb found himself thinking about how things just weren't going as well for him as he'd hoped they would have been.
That day he'd decided to make the best of his situation and to keep rolling with the punches, no matter how hard or fast they came at him and at first things seemed to be working out for him after all.
He'd been glad that he'd decided to break back into the house when he did. His father seemed intent on having a grand bonfire the following day as his clothes, books, shoes, and even his bed had been piled up into a grand heap outside in the backyard.
He had been smart enough to bring a shopping cart with him on his return trip that he'd borrowed from the grocery store parking lot when no one was looking, which came in handy when moving all the things he'd decided to take with him.
The thought of lighting the house on fire when he left just to see how his old man enjoyed having all his possessions torched had crossed his mind more than once, but his better judgement stopped him from doing anything stupid.
Once he'd collected as much as he could carry, he'd quickly made a getaway and started searching for a place to stay.
Life on the streets had been much more challenging for Caleb than he'd thought it would be.
It was one thing to roam the streets every now and again when you wanted to avoid spending a night at home, and another thing entirely to be living on them.
Things he'd never really had to consider before became obstacles to overcome, and he'd had to learn the real rules of the streets as quickly as he could in order not to suffer to much.
He'd traded in his bed and a few other valuables at the pawnshop to get some funds, but he'd underestimated just how dirty the streets could be.
When he'd been surrounded by a group of thugs and dragged into an alleyway barely a block away from the pawnshop and robbed of his money, he quickly came to realize a few things. Always keep an eye out for thugs looking for an easy mark to rob, and never trust the pawn shop owner.
If he wanted to get through this, he'd have to move a lot smarter and be a little more ruthless to both others and himself if he planned to survive.
He was a quick learner though and it didn't take him long to memorize which gangs had a hold on which blocks, which streets where off limits at certain times, who he could shakedown for a couple bucks in a pinch and most important of all, what spots he could go to to access certain amenities.
Food was secured from the dinner or the dumpster behind it, The pawn shop was a good way to get some quick cash and get rid of some stolen goods all at the same time, the library was a great place to charge his phone and access the internet to apply for jobs, and the community centers locker room showers were pretty much open 24/7.
The hardest part had been finding someplace to stay. It had been surprisingly difficult to find someplace warm and dry that hadn't already been claimed by his fellow homeless brethren, or was a regular night stop for the girls and guys that stalked the streets late at night looking for their next customer, but he'd finally managed to find one.
Two weeks in he'd been lucky enough to stumble across the underside of the park bridge while chasing a quarter than had fallen out of his pocket, he really couldn't have afforded to lose a single dime. There he realized that there was a barely noticeable path that led to the underside of the bridge and while exploring he found his home away from home.
Thankfully the alcove was more than spacious enough for him. That meant that everything that he owned could fit in it with room to spare and it was mostly dry. The only downside to his new home, something that he would discover a few days later, was how cold it got at night. Especially on nights like this one.
Caleb pulled his jacket tighter around himself as the howling winds raged and the freezing rain continued to fall. He really missed the warm fireplace in the living room. His teeth chattered as he folded in on himself even more tightly, trying his best to stay as warm as possible. He groaned in pain as his movements caused the cuts and scrapes all over his body to tug against his clothing and the hint of iron that he could just barely smell let him know that the gash on his back had started bleeding again.
This week had been terrible for multiple reason but the one that stood out the most would be because news had spread amongst his old school mates that he was out on the streets. Normally it wouldn't have matter all that much, it wasn't like he every really interacted with other people and he'd avoided being bullied for the most part by keeping his head down and his eyes straight. There wasn't any beef that he had with anyone, and he made sure to keep it that way.
Yet once again he'd underestimated just how low people were willing to stoop to just to feel better about themselves.
It started out when he bumped into some girls who had 'generously' given him some money and offered to get him something to eat. He was overjoyed at first, thankful that there were still some kind people out there. That was at least until he realized they'd spit in the sandwich that he'd already started to eat.
Then he'd had to deal with a couple of guys recoding as he dumpster dived looking for anything that he could salvage for the pawn shop, all while they jeered and threw trash and eggs at him and his belongings. He'd had to spend a night at the laundry mat since most of his clothes had ended up soiled and smelling worse than the dumpsters he frequented.
As if that hadn't been bad enough, he'd been cornered by a few guys who either hadn't been able to graduate or had barely managed to in an alleyway on the darker side of town.
They seemed to have a bone to pick with him in particular and just wouldn't him go.
They were happy, thrilled even at the fact that he who had been seen as a respectable graduate was struggling to rise above being a mere bottom feeder of society while they, though lacking in credentials, were hard working men making a difference and were playing their part as decent competent members of society.
Of course, once they didn't get the reaction they were looking for; they beat the shit out of Caleb and only stopped after they seemed to realize that there was an alarming amount of blood on the ground.
Caleb was unfortunate to have his clothes soaked through in blood from the gash that had been made in his back, complements of the metal rood they'd beat him with. He'd spent a few days coughing up blood and bleeding anytime he moved too much thanks to them.
Settling into a somewhat comfortable position and with nothing else to do he pulled out one of the books he'd managed to grab from the library's disposal book bin earlier that week. It was a stroke of luck that he had happened to be passing by the same day they were throwing out some old, tattered books to make space for some new materials.
Something had made him take a second look at the box and on a whim, he'd pulled out what seemed like an old, tattered comic book. The majority of the book was in black and white, the only exception being a few pages colored in, maybe by a bored child who mistook it for a coloring book. Either way, he'd sat down at one of the vacant library desks and started reading.
Surprisingly the book he'd grabbed was the first instalment and as the story within unfolded he was surprised at how entertaining it was.
The main character was surprisingly likable enough and the overall story was drawing him in. He'd quickly finished it and found the second and the third books in the series before diving in once more. He spent the rest of the day simply reading the series, a feeling of understanding for the main character's drive for recognition resonating with him.
He enjoyed it so much he'd asked the librarian if he could have the box along with as many of the books in the series with him, to which she was happy to oblige.
As far as she was concerned, it was less work for her to deal with or so she had said.
The dim light that managed to shine into his alcove from under the bridge was just enough for him to make out the works on the page so he opened the book to his last saved page and read on. Losing himself once more in the world of the manga series called Naruto.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone