Love In The Time Of Outbreak

At three in the afternoon, under the scorching sun, a young boy was running without stopping, his body showing signs of malnutrition, pallor, and cracked lips. He was pushing through the crowd, ignoring the heat of the pavement.

As he ran, he seemed to be looking around, as if someone was chasing him. He kept running until he reached a small, ramshackle house.

"Kuya," a young girl called out to him, lying on a cardboard mat. He sat down beside her, panting heavily.

"Sorry, I had a hard time getting your medicine," he said. He took out the medicine from his pocket, a small pad. He got some water and gave it to his sister.

"Are you feeling better now?" he asked, and she nodded weakly.

A loud knock on the door startled them, and a chubby man appeared, almost not fitting the small doorway.

"Boss is calling for you," he said, his voice firm. The siblings exchanged a fearful glance.

"stay here I'll be -"

"No, bring your sister too. Boss wants to see her." After saying this, he left quickly.

"Kuya, I'm scared," the young girl said, clinging to her brother's hand.

"I'm here, don't worry," he reassured her, helping her stand up.

They went to an abandoned building, and as they approached, they saw many street children, some people moking, others gambling, and a few using drugs. The atmosphere was chaotic and dirty.

When they arrived inside, many children were there, all around 15 years old or younger. A man sat on a sofa, smoking, his face twisted in anger.

"Why didn't you report, Tan?" he threw his cigarette butt away before stepping on it. "Where's the money you collected?"

A loud bang on the table startled everyone. "Did you think I'm a fool? Are you messing with me?" he glared at Tan-tan.

"I'm not," Tan-tan said weakly, but the man didn't believe him. He approached Tan-tan and forcibly separated him from his sister.

Tan-tan held on tight to his sister, but the man was stronger, and he dragged Tan-tan away. "Kuya!" Tan-tan's sister cried out, scared.

The man slapped Tan-tan. "Where's my money?!" But Tan-tan didn't answer because he didn't have any money. He used the money he earned from begging and stealing to buy his sister's medicine.

"Come here, Tin-Tin" he ordered Tan younger sister.

"Please don't hurt my sister, I'm begging you." Tan-tan spoked up.

"Answer me where my money if you don't want your sister to get involved!"

"Sorry, my brother used the money for my medicine." Tin-tin knelt down crying, Tan-tan shook his head.

A strong whip landed on Tan-tan's thin back, and he fell to the ground.

"Did you see this?" He said to the other children. "This is what happens to children who don't follow me."

After that five consecutive lashes of the belt hit Tan-tan back. Other children being scared and Tin-tin can't stop crying.

"Locked him up." The man ordered his men to lock Tan-tan up.

"Tan-tan!" Shouted by Tin-tin while crying loudly.

"Tin.." Tan replied weakly before losing conciousness from the weakness.

*******

Tan-tan woke up in a dark room, with only a small light coming from the bars. He was hungry, but he didn't care about that. He was worried about his sister.