Who He Struggles For

After some time, the two girls drifted back into sleep, curled up together for warmth. Their breathing was soft, calm, even if the cold crept in. The boy slowly opened his eyes. He yawned quietly and sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.The snowy light from outside made the alley glow faintly. The world beyond their little shelter was silent and white. He glanced at the girls—still asleep, their tiny bodies trembling slightly in the cold.He looked down at the thin blanket covering him. Then, after a moment of hesitation, he carefully placed it over the girls, making sure they were covered well. A little smile touched his face.Then he stood up, stepped out into the snow, and disappeared into the city.The snow crunched under his bare feet as he walked. The cold stung, but he didn’t stop. He walked for a long while until he reached a place where people passed by—a busy corner near the marketplace.He sat down beside a wall and quietly took off his shirt. He spread it out in front of him on the snowy ground. That was his way of asking for help. He couldn’t speak, but he hoped people would understand.People walked by. Some stared. Most didn’t. The cold wind blew against his skin, and his hands shook. Still, he waited. Every now and then, a kind person dropped a coin onto the shirt. He lowered his head in thanks each time.Hours passed. The snow didn’t stop. But slowly, coin by coin, he gathered enough.When the shirt had a small handful of coins, he carefully picked them up and tucked them into his hands. Then, with slow steps, he began walking back. He couldn’t wait to wake the girls and show them. They could eat today.But the snow was thicker now. The street was slippery. As he hurried along, he suddenly slipped and fell. The coins flew out of his hands, scattering across the snow.His heart jumped. He crawled quickly, brushing snow aside, searching. His fingers were cold and red, but he managed to find them all.He clutched them close to his chest, panting.But his body wasn’t keeping up. His legs were tired. His skin burned. The cold had soaked into him, and he was already feeling sick from before.He tried to keep walking, but the snow was too much. He stumbled into another alley and sat down against a wall.His hands still held the coins tightly. He tried to warm himself, rubbing his arms and legs, but it didn’t help.The shivering got worse. His eyes felt heavy.Eventually, the coins began to slip from his fingers. He fell forward and everything went black.It was night when he opened his eyes again. His head hurt. His arms felt weak. He tried to stand, but his body collapsed again.He hadn’t made it back. The girls were still waiting. Were they cold? Were they scared?He gritted his teeth and pushed himself up again.Step by step, he walked. His feet dragged. His legs shook. But he didn’t stop.Just when his body was about to give up, he saw something small in front of him—feet.Then everything faded.“Hey! Hey! Wake up!” a voice cried out.The gray-haired girl was kneeling beside him, shaking his shoulders. “Come on, say something!”“Sister! I found him! Over here!” she shouted.The white-haired girl came running, her face pale. Together, they pulled him back to their little alley, step by step.They laid him down and covered him with the blanket.“He’s so hot! He’s really sick!” the white-haired girl said, worried.The gray-haired girl looked at his hand and gasped. “Wait… he’s holding something.”She gently opened his fist. Inside were the coins.“He still has them,” she whispered.They both looked at each other. Their expressions changed. They were shocked. And sad. And thankful.“He went out… just to get food for us,” the white-haired girl said, voice soft.“I’ll go get some medicine for him. You stay here with him,” she added, standing up and taking the coins.The gray-haired girl stayed close to the boy. She wiped his forehead with the corner of her sleeve.“You didn’t have to do that,” she whispered. “You should’ve stayed. We could’ve waited…”A while later, the white-haired girl returned. She had a small bottle with her. The liquid inside was green.“I found an elixir,” she said, kneeling beside the boy.She opened the bottle carefully and tilted it to his lips. Bit by bit, she helped him drink it.“You’ll feel better soon,” she whispered.Once the bottle was empty, she placed it aside. The girls stayed close to him, watching over him through the cold night.They didn’t have another blanket, so they held each other for warmth. Their eyes stayed on him, waiting, hoping.Eventually, they drifted to sleep too.Morning came.The boy’s eyes slowly opened. He looked around. He was back in their little alley. Safe.He saw the empty bottle beside him. Then he saw the girls, still sleeping, huddled together.He gently shook them.They blinked awake.“You’re okay!” the gray-haired girl said, smiling.The sister hugged him tight. The boy blinked, a little confused. But he hugged them back.Then they sat down, all three of them together again.The snow was no longer falling. The cold was still there. But for now, they were safe. And they were together.And that was all that mattered.