Homeless Heroes
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The homeless heroes were a group of people who had been living on the streets, but they’d all found themselves in similar situations. They’d lost their homes and jobs due to various reasons, such as being laid off or having their houses foreclosed upon by banks that couldn’t be bothered with them anymore.
Some of these people had even become victims of crime, losing everything because some asshole decided it would make for an amusing prank. The only thing left was each other; no one else cared about them enough to help out. It wasn’t just men either – there were women too.
All of them had fallen through the cracks somehow, leaving them alone without any family members around to take care of them.
They didn’t have much money between them, so they often pooled what little resources they did have together. This helped keep everyone fed, though not always warm. Sometimes they could get lucky and find someone willing to donate food or blankets from time to time, which made things easier.
Other times, however, they might end up eating nothing more than bread and water until something better came along. There weren’t many places where you could go if you wanted to eat well while staying warm at night, especially when most shelters wouldn’t allow anyone under eighteen years old inside.
That meant that unless you were over 18 yourselves, your options were limited. Even then, finding somewhere safe to sleep during the day was difficult. Most cities had laws against sleeping outdoors, making it hard for those who needed shelter to do anything about it. If they tried to stay indoors, they risked getting arrested for loitering.
In fact, the police tended to harass them quite frequently.
It was easy to see why the homeless population grew larger every year. With the economy falling apart, it became harder and harder for people to hold onto their jobs. Those who managed to hang on to theirs often ended up working longer hours for less pay, meaning that they had even less free time to spend with their families.
When this happened, couples started drifting apart, leading to divorce rates rising across the country. People also began spending less time socializing outside of work, preferring instead to sit home alone watching TV rather than going out drinking. As a result, friendships suffered greatly, leaving many feeling lonely and isolated.
Many people simply gave up trying to maintain relationships altogether, choosing to focus solely on their careers. Others turned to drugs and alcohol to cope with the stress of everyday life, further isolating themselves from society.
In addition to all of this, the government cut back on funding for public services like hospitals and schools. These cuts led to fewer doctors and teachers available to treat patients and educate students respectively. More importantly, they reduced the amount of money spent on maintaining roads and bridges, causing traffic accidents to rise sharply.
This resulted in more deaths among pedestrians and drivers alike. On top of this, the cost of housing continued to increase, forcing more and more people into poverty. By the late 2000s, the number of Americans living below the poverty line rose to nearly 20 percent, putting millions of people in dire financial straits.
As a result of all these factors combined, homelessness exploded throughout America. Not only did it affect adults, but children as well. Children were particularly vulnerable to becoming homeless since they lacked the ability to fend for themselves.
Without parents or guardians to look after them, they often wound up on the street. Unfortunately, there was no way to prevent this from happening. No matter how hard the authorities tried, they never seemed able to stop the problem from growing worse.
***
A Hero’s Life
“I’m sorry,” said the man sitting next to me. “But I can’t give you my blanket.” He looked down at his own hands, shaking slightly. His voice sounded weak and shaky. “You’re freezing cold, and I don’t want to catch whatever disease you’ve got. Besides, you’ll probably steal it anyway.”
He stood up abruptly, walking away before turning back to face me. “Sorry again!” he shouted angrily. Then he ran off towards another person lying on the ground.
That was the first time I ever saw him. We met several months later when we both ended up in the same hospital. After that, our paths crossed almost daily. Over time, we developed a friendship based on mutual respect. Whenever one of us needed help, the other was always there to lend a hand.
Eventually, we realized that we should join forces to fight crime. Together, we formed a team known as the Homeless Heroes. Our goal was simple: to protect those who couldn’t defend themselves.
We didn’t have any special powers or equipment, nor did we wear costumes. Instead, we relied entirely on ourselves and the strength of our convictions. While we didn’t have any official training or experience fighting criminals, neither did we lack confidence. We knew that we could handle ourselves in a fight. What mattered most to us was helping others whenever possible. The rest would take care of itself.
After a few weeks, word spread around town about the two heroes. Soon enough, we found ourselves receiving invitations to appear on talk shows and news programs. Some of the reporters asked us questions about our lives on the streets, while others wanted to know how we’d become homeless in the first place. It wasn’t long before we were being interviewed by newspapers and magazines too.
The media loved covering stories involving superheroes. They thought it was exciting to watch ordinary people doing extraordinary things. That made sense; after all, what kind of world would this be if everyone just sat idly by and let evil run rampant?
In order to make sure that justice prevailed, someone had to step forward and do something about it. If not for us, then who else would stand up against injustice?
Of course, some people criticized us for taking part in such foolishness. For example, there was an article published in the New York Times titled “Superheroes Are Bad Role Models for Kids”. The author argued that kids shouldn’t idolize people who dress up in silly outfits and pretend to save the day.
According to her, these so-called “superheroes” weren’t real role models, because they had no actual power. She claimed that the only thing they really accomplished was making themselves feel better.
This argument bothered me deeply. How could anyone say that dressing up in a costume and pretending to be strong somehow made us weaker than normal people? To me, wearing a mask was nothing more than a symbol of hope. Just like Superman’s cape, it gave me the courage to believe that anything was possible.
There are times when even the strongest person needs a little extra motivation to keep going. When that happens, I put on my mask and remember why I became a hero in the first place.
At the end of the day, I think it comes down to personal preference. Whether you prefer to live your life quietly or loudly is completely up to you. Personally, I enjoy having fun with friends, playing sports, and eating delicious food. But I also love saving people from danger.
Sometimes, I wonder whether I might have been happier living a quiet, unassuming life somewhere far away. However, I wouldn’t trade my adventures for anything. As long as I have my mask, I can accomplish anything!
***
The End
“Hey, buddy,” said the old woman standing behind me. “Are you okay?”
She must have seen me fall asleep out here. I hadn’t meant to sleep outside tonight, but I guess I fell asleep right after dinner. My stomach felt empty, and I was exhausted. All I wanted to do was lie down and close my eyes. Unfortunately, that wasn’t an option.
“Yeah,” I replied groggily. “Just tired.”
My head was still spinning from last night’s adventure. I remembered seeing the masked man running through the park, chasing after the thief. Then, suddenly, he disappeared into thin air. At least, that was what it seemed like. I tried following him, but I lost sight of him soon enough. By the time I got back to where I started, he was gone.
I looked at the clock next to the bench. It read 9:00 PM. I decided to go home and get some rest. Maybe tomorrow morning will bring answers.
As I walked past the fountain, I noticed a small boy sitting on the edge of the pool. He was staring straight ahead, his hands clasped tightly together. His clothes were dirty, and there was dirt smeared across his forehead. I wondered what happened to him. Was he abandoned? Or maybe he ran away from home? Whatever the case, I couldn’t leave him alone.
“Hello!” I called out to him. “What’s wrong? Do you need help?”
He turned toward me and smiled shyly. “Hi,” he whispered.
His voice sounded familiar. I realized that I recognized him from school. After all, we went to the same elementary school. I never talked to him much, though. I always kept to myself during recess. I didn’t want to make any new friends. Besides, I already knew most of the other kids in class. Why should I bother getting to know them better?
“Do you need some water?” I asked.
“Yes please,” he answered.
I took off my backpack and pulled out a bottle of water. I handed it to him and watched as he drank greedily. Once he finished, he wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his shirt.
“Thank you,” he said.
“No problem,” I replied.
Then, I stood up and began walking away. Before I left, however, I stopped and turned around.
“Wait!” the boy shouted. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure,” I responded.
“Why did you give me the water?”
“Well…” I hesitated. “It’s just that…you reminded me of someone. Someone very special to me.”
“Oh,” he said. “That makes sense. Thanks again.”
And then, without another word, he jumped into the fountain.
I stared in shock. What was he doing?! Did he not realize how cold the water would be? I rushed over to the edge of the pool and grabbed hold of his arm.
“Stop!” I yelled. “You’re gonna get sick if you jump in now.”
But the boy ignored me. Instead, he let himself sink beneath the surface. I gasped in horror. If I’d known this kid before, why didn’t I recognize him earlier? And what was he trying to prove by jumping into the fountain anyway?
Before I had a chance to figure things out, the boy resurfaced. The water glistened against his skin. For a moment, I thought he was dead. Then, he opened his eyes and looked directly at me.
“Who are you?” he demanded.
I froze. This was no ordinary child. Something about him made me feel uneasy. I glanced at the sky and saw a bright light shining above us.
“Where am I?” he continued. “Am I dreaming?”
“Um…no,” I stammered. “This isn’t a dream. You’re really here.”
“How can you tell?”
“Because I’m here too.”
The boy nodded slowly. “Okay,” he muttered. “So, who are you?”
“My name is Ryo,” I told him. “R-Y-O.”
He repeated my words back to me, sounding confused.
“Sorry,” I apologized. “It’s kind of hard to explain. Let’s start from the beginning.”
I explained everything that happened since I arrived in this world. I even showed him the letter that I received from Mr. Sato. When I finished, the boy shook his head.
“Impossible,” he murmured. “There’s no way anyone could’ve survived that crash. Not unless they were wearing a parachute or something.”
“Maybe so,” I agreed. “But that doesn’t mean anything. I think I have an explanation for all of this.”
“Explain,” he ordered.
“When I first came to Japan, I met a girl named Aiko. She lived near the train station where I used to live. We became good friends. But one day, she vanished. Nobody knows what happened to her. That’s when I found the note that Mr. Sato sent me.”
The End