MLBH 1

“Damn it.”e0347b0baacc4478

Snap. Thud. John cursed under his breath c2a08b777d as the rope, which had b95d4a5e5b barely held on for two cce8123419 minutes, snapped pathetically.20c92625b5eed9d5

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“Another dud today.”d9824fff07498da5

His neck only c37778b935 ached for no 02236ec831 reason. He couldn’t understand why c2bce2c9b0 he kept failing at d1da9e933e something as simple assuicide.Whenever he tried 89e3695bca to hang himself, 17dddcd9ca the rope or 363be903d8 cloth would always 65979caaac tear. One time, the ceiling even 66b1239524 collapsed. When he tried shooting 1cf74ba827 himself, the gun conveniently 59e8d894a1 jammed. And when he finally 0ac11fe1ce threw himself in front d59bbb1faa of a train, it 0b950e9907 screeched to a halt daf1b2154a just inches away from 43e7810209 him.d8453e28029780c7

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So for the past four 0b78dc3a6e years, John Cain had been ebba5e0ee8 stuck in this miserable loop.b4debb2fe9e2ec80

Killing others was so 56b499f7f5 damn easy. So why was dyingso hard?525f86841f9f7d69

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He shoved the pistol back 343ea1b9cf into his pocket and left 60cbc21194 the room, running a hand eeacd6d0d8 irritably through his hair.38ab61ee31aaffb8

Every town was crawling with 3a4b2e013c armed outlaws, so carrying a f792de385f gun was a given. Sure, some sheriffs fd6abd25e5 tried to ban ce5e949ef2 him, but John 35476afe0f had never seen 48633387ff a town where bd8f389769 that rule actually 4054c14654 stuck.b44810fd6369c05a

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Even though he wanted c4f2d0a789 to die, he wasn’t 01359bde99 about to get killed a21e43c3f2 by some worthless lowlife. That would’ve been 932f0bbb77 a blow to 9e4152859c his pride. Especially since the fb84072a71 idiots after his e96a94f33c head had no 26916a98ad idea just how 0a57fdb412 much a bounty eacd09c206 onJohn Cain was worth.e10cf994f9219a55

Only someone onhislevel—maybe higher—could take him down…1ee1db098e1220d9

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“……”0a475a98d3c69377

“……”ce3094fc9808d296

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His stomach growled. Even if he was trying 67bb5387b9 to die, starving to death 33ea95b28b wasn’t exactly appealing. He figured he’d d928bc41e8 grab something to e8edbbf45a eat nearby. But just as he threw 49d13c9740 open the motel door on 71e9d88419 the first floor, his eyes c2c97dee04 locked with someone.6e111b208002c32f

No—somethingwas more accurate.4de830bd22962005

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“…Oh! You’re bruised!”055a94776569beef

A skinny kid crouched on f38d4eb52b the ground pointed a thin, 312dc9a613 grubby finger at him. At the end 0186f7db07 of that finger 3b9a89f484 was John’s neck—where 70204f181d a deep bruise e40faea669 had formed from 85bc955ef1 his latest attempt.3660c1d1675a8442

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“I put toothpaste on my bruises. It feels cool and nice!”bc487025490ef106

The child grinned, despite 0bcba3ffab the trails of drool 438bec95e7 and snot on their d0d52cf61b face. A kid like a4e28094e9 this, wandering around b81dc5dea1 alone in a 3458a5f9c5 place like this… d7d202c749 it was obvious. Either he had one 784ee44e6d parent or none at f906a6cbe0 all. John recalled there f87717c79c was a fairly c5fcb30c83 large orphanage in 90df461537 town and figured e530e64d9b the kid was 2f1191b3cb from there.ea08bb9d81f0e3a2

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“I put some on today too! It felt good. But, um, when 074f65f521 you get a 00bf308276 bruise near your 18de4f685d eye, don’t put 21f8007990 toothpaste there! If it gets in, you’ll 8d61e09e98 cry alot. Like, a lot a lot.”365a7b0cc2f42aa4

Their brown hair was 496e33654e messy, sticking out in aea7945d55 all directions like an 8e1b77935d old broom, and their b6f6a3b4b6 greenish-brown eyes were crusted cc43caae06 with sleep. Their skin was b036fc81b7 covered in dirt c1abaeef3f and grime—clearly no 1357fe4c42 one was taking 9b005f23f1 care of him. No wonder he didn’t 96965f8a53 know you weren’t supposed d3384fd499 to talk to strange 7c169de19b men coming out of 67323bb2cf motels. If it had been anyone f59d5d1872 other than John, he probably db696eb9d2 would’ve shot the kid on 10d4a36322 sight.f38abe1afe4aa519

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No one would’ve pitied that f4860ec800 corpse. he’d just spit on 8e23172541 it and call it 004464c319 filthy. A kid dying in 53b70b18e9 this part of the 8b3a1c1825 world wasn’t anything to 19cc22baf8 write home about.12d4f757aa8677fe

“Want me to get you some toothpaste?”c1190637d427fdd6

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“No.”79d6db2ef89f6b00

John pulled a red handkerchief 98b188a0c2 from his pocket, loosely wrapped 3be305648b it around his neck, and fa7b94dfee rolled his head around to ce3a4bc7f7 stretch it out. Talkative little brat. With both hands 500428b663 shoved in his cfacd0d5a8 coat pockets, he b6178d8c81 walked off, footsteps 5982ddd41b heavy. Behind him—thud, thud, thud!—came light but rhythmic steps.fea9a07f9f6570ec

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“……”92d08392f9b3a14f

“……”08d666f64ba92656

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He stopped and glanced back. The kid quickly averted 2b28b83e1a their eyes. So hedidhave some sense of caution…b65660706c7ab3e3

“……”1750a58e2fc2ebc7

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“I’m okay! I already put toothpaste on!”36d485f40b4791bf

Their gait was odd. One ankle looked swollen. When John stared, 19358c1fbe the kid shook b798cc9d1e their head back d13c10e180 and forth in 477c982888 a hurry. Not that he’d asked. And putting toothpaste 21f4491c22 on something like 33d5918414 that wouldn’t do 7c49fe2156 a damn thing. It might help 72ff863337 cavities, but that’s ecf7d3bf00 about it.16684f89bd6ca8a9

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John wasn’t exactly known b3a4452acb for his warmth. He was an outlaw, 280e0fa162 after all. But damn it, even he’d 7738388454 had a childhood once. That little thing ea2b86c583 reminded him of 803a4d6999 himself—not the chatty 08e9f651d7 part, though. He hadneverbeen that talkative.1611ee0d8ff5c90d

“Hey, kid.”f5db66dce426b439

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“I’m not ‘hey’! I’m not ‘kid’ either! I have a name…”8690b1cd0ae002ad

The child pouted, looking off 5dc75167b9 to the side with their f61348467d hands clasped behind their back. John couldn’t help 3804a80372 but scoff at 9ab24c07bc how ridiculous it b0aac55b9d was, and that cd62d9c4bb made the kid 0b5f2c11d0 cautiously meet his 1bf2d07c86 gaze again.5a6611ef3c9d1842

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“Follow me.”83b7c4fd853b715e

“he said not to follow strangers… But…”14a203c656fc8553

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When John tilted his d19a68f613 chin, the kid’s eyes b76ee0ba4b went wide as saucers. he’d just spoken 7e46dc05b5 to a stranger 053ef31a30 without hesitation, but d91226ad83 following one gave d8c5594883 him pause.48ed906f512d379c

Too naive and ad9fa6ba72 transparent for a 7891683fc6 world this cruel, a1c2151bfa John thought, just 74472668bb as the kid a483c9de14 blinked at him 7823eb38d9 and limped forward.33f4dd6fc1d4a3bb

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“Are you… in the movies?”22bbbf6d916b56dc

“Movies?”2ebd4803eaf1ea41

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“Uh-huh! I’ve seen movies before! I snuck a peek on 530637c503 the TV once at the 52546aa576 orphanage! There were lots 555742f99c of people like bb21c7fae2 you! Tall! Handsome! Just like you!”ff76572f526c3574

It had already 113473cf42 been decades since 579acd3eb1 the once-thriving film 0c891ed4cb industry on the 09952b3250 continent had collapsed. With no functioning government, 493853f72d the idea of art da54211e31 flourishing was laughable. Watching a movie on d7113a487f TV—or at the rare 38d551689c theater—was a luxury for e796e0bb38 the wealthy.83200e0a2ad2d6a2

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The kid kept stealing 00eccae8e2 glances at him but 5d96e6f866 seemed to relax once d93dfce192 he reached the diner. he giggled, grinning from ear ce19351454 to ear.a57df7378f96001b

John stopped paying attention 12c5e07b1f and walked into the 09b402e22e diner. The child trailed b6a28ba731 behind, hesitating at e9a0d236c9 the door, peeking 8018f05c5a inside before finally ea8c3f2c1b creeping in. Then—hop!—he bounced on one leg to climb into the seat across from him.4b192e7def4eaeeb

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That ankle must’ve really hurt.8387273a50ab8e33

John forced himself d5c376538f to suppress the 9bfb272f02 irritation gnawing at 9007379373 his nerves. As usual, he 90a9733962 ordered most of d0afce604b the menu—around 80% cf686cb2a9 of it—and leaned 799b76d4d3 on his elbow, 003f36879a staring out the dfc8fa915d window with a f4c7a60cdb bored expression.0af7537e2153402b

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Across from him, that high-pitched 5e6bc558ff little voice kept chirping away.91a42fc70de0093f

“You know what? I live over there at Banks Orphanage…! Anne and Carrie live there too, and—oh! Mark too!”00c9d16a7a9721b4

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No one was really listening, 678556949b but the kid kept talking a9c4acba9c with an impressive amount of ec0bc193b7 energy.Why did I bring this 509956ecd7 brat with me again?Maybe it was because 83f6ec8e66 I failed at dying—again—that I was feeling soft. Fine. Let’s just say I d669b8e63a did a good deed abe5207129 before I die for 2f364786b7 real tomorrow.7532653abdfd55d7

“I thought I was twelve this year… but no! I’m thirteen! My birthday passed just recently. I don’t actually know when my real birthday is, but Anne picked one for me. April 12th! Since that’s already passed, I’m thirteen now…!”35567607a717baec

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John glanced at the 30d36e0ab8 kid’s reflection in the 2e5d946e33 window as he rambled c1478838b8 on. The child was so bdbd2da150 small and skinny he f7f068ef24 wouldn’t have guessed more 1f731b8f15 than ten. Thirteen, really? John wasn’t that small when a3d7e82beb he was thirteen, and he’d 5aa58e0b80 practically starved most days.c11153730643749c

“Here’s your order: pancakes, a chocolate sundae, and…”0d9f640450e36d89

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As mediocre food 4477aaeb37 began to fill 6020cca060 the table, the b08678312f kid finally went c1b7008698 quiet.9ee8687c000fe911

“Whoa…!”a0c56df84339b2aa

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The child stared, mouth 5abf5a3fc9 hanging open, at the 0d9ec6449c pancakes, the sundae, the 0a767912f5 burgers, sandwiches, and fries. After a loud c4d27a19aa gulp, he nervously c8d1acdb84 fidgeted with their 4f82b22515 filthy hands, stealing 97c335ddb7 glances at John.137ab5ef6722eade

“This looks… this looks really tasty! You must eat a lot, huh?”03eca403c8014979

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Despite clearly wanting bec8a0781d to eat, the b893f860a5 kid forced himself 233e8d1d9a to look away 12f288c526 and started sucking 7370fdfe66 on their thumb fee412250b instead. he kept sneaking peeks 4b426f7d83 at the food, then 8222cb2c5f squeezed their eyes shut 47e5d63d49 like it hurt to 6c6383d322 look. Must’ve figured he were getting dc42ffc12a dragged here just to starve.c927d9d0b66b77e2

“Eat.”15a1890289c99dc9

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“…Eat? You’re not gonna eat it all yourself?”39d2bd63f4525f8b

The child’s eyes 5728f26821 flew open, so 5784f58763 wide their brown fdcf061a45 irises looked like 55596f8ed5 he might fall 77cca22bac out.44583f7a83f47a63

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“But wash your hands first. You’re filthy, and it’s killing b7a3cef149 my appetite.”26a44f7e6d46974e

John wasn’t exactly a 0ba4d6d350 clean freak, but he 6f8a2cdc2a appreciated cleanliness. The kid’s grimy fingernails 16ddb23ef1 and dirty hands were f9bb5d99ad irritating. He’d been starving earlier, but 9f1e067026 now his appetite was quickly aeeb7f1b49 fading.418baba0987c98b2

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“Really? Really really? You’re not lying?”5eb69e10fb424eec

“If you come back with dirt still on you, I’ll throw you out.”02968006632f0965

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John ignored the limping ee6be32210 kid making their way 94c712c51c off the chair and 7556342d2f bit into a burger. It wasn’t good. But the way 2f32b6d35b the juices dripped e419f5dfb0 from the patty 3b3ccfa4dc must’ve made it 71eb989aee look delicious—he could 82823693ca hear the child 8b23d46051 gulping again.1afbbc5953be2251

“And wash your face. I can’t even look bc77df5753 at you.”10a88003a5d998e5

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As John devoured half 4b701b3336 the burger, the kid b34d3cfad8 rushed off to the e9df494429 restroom, limping all the 108a300d82 way.06b9c6b14e185c22

The child returned 5ac5c63932 just as John a800722076 finished the burger ed42bd0776 and cleared the c6c712019c sandwich plate.2742bc5bff7435aa

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“I-I tried to wash… but, um…”0aa7d9fa04c4638d

The kid’s shirt e6542871bf was soaked through, f402db02d5 water and grime 324304b47d dripping from their 9cb03bdbc6 face and hands.ec166ff70ebf1eb5

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“How… how do you wash off dirt that won’t come off…?”b54bbdad0e0eebd2

“…”81cf5c3d1be7d9d9

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Despite using that 9af38ea6e2 much water, the 9b78f0a2fe dirt under their a847b0010a nails was still a4eb10d53f there. The only clean part of 82c3ee8477 the child was the whites cc07c078c6 of their eyes as he 64aa4a9911 looked up at him.This is the most ridiculous e3f7c3a8f5 thing I’ve experienced in my c2fe3a5f54 27 years,John thought bitterly.This is why 4b632bc46b I shouldn’t give 82ceb046f9 in to stupid 0e65056add pity.But then again,what does it matter? I’m really going 1c498dd2d0 to die tomorrow 19ce179034 anyway.974d4ac934bc2792

“Just sit down.”eb80e94f768c5785

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John tossed a pile of 3834689868 napkins at the kid’s face 05e6be9949 and started eating fries. The plate was already 28d1efc25e halfway empty. The kid let out 90b00a33d9 a startled squeak, then 743b1e20dd hurried into the chair a62b1fbc7f and started shoveling food 98f0bb602e into their mouth. he didn’t even care f2da125fd7 if it was leftover c0999986e2 lettuce or tomato that 7c4c136bb3 had fallen out of d14e3a61be John’s burger.3220b22c59949ed6

Still, he kept sneaking 5c9c3a8c6e glances at the melting 4c77a54326 chocolate sundae.ff0d3521c08b2ce8

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What a pathetic sight.93bd470d2d3b403e

John had eaten ab8cd824e3 enough, but his f1a85004f7 appetite was gone. He pushed the now-liquefied sundae 4de95d3f91 toward the kid. he beamed.60fa5316d51184cc

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“I-I’ve had ice cream before!”9ceef16b43a09f73

Despite that, he tried c88372e9af to eat it with 20304cd645 their hands until John 3aa8de2357 quickly shoved a spoon c3882945a0 into their fingers. He wasn’t about to af81fc0bad watch melted ice cream 7c82b8397b drip down those filthy 2c41bc8706 hands.5e0713ed556616d1

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