Hunger and ashes
~ 1917 Second Salem church ~
Samuel was a young boy, having just turned 10. He had been adopted like most his siblings at the ripe age of 4. One thing everyone knew about Samuel was that he loved food. It brought him joy, as nothing else did. One night there was a shortage of food and most went to bed hungry. Samuel tossed and turned in his and his brothers's shared bedroom, but sleep eluded him. The hunger was too strong. The boy couldn't ignore it anymore and snuck down, into the kitchen. Stealing a single slice of bread from the counter. The next morning he awoke to mother's angry voice in his ear. She was practically shouting at the poor child.
" You insatiable boy ! " she screamed.
" How dare you ?! Stealing the food I buy with my hard earned money! I will not tolerate such behaviour" she dragged the still-sleepy child out of bed. She walked outside with him and told him to wait there. Samuel's mind was just coming awake and so he struggled to make sense of ma's actions. She didn't come back until dawn the next day.
She left poor Samuel out like that the whole day and night. Insects bite him and he can feel spiders crawling all over him. By dawn when she comes to collect him the boy had already screamed himself hoarse. His body is shivering and tears are frozen on his face. He is wearing nothing but a thin nightgown, he is frozen through and covered with bite marks from the numerous insects that bit him during the long night. He was lucky he hadn't frozen off a limb in the harsh winter. Upon being taken inside Samuel recieves a brutal whipping.
"A thief will always pay for their sins." Mary Lou preaches her voice harsh as she strucks Samuel's back with the belt.
His whole body burns and he feels feverish. He has no energy left to scream or protest, and even if he did he knows he wouldn't dare. After that Samuel develops a deep fear of food, being unable to eat even when he is allowed. He doesn't eat even when ma whipps him for wasting food.
His ribs start portruding from both front and back. His energy fades and he becomes quiet and withdrawn. Too scared ma will find fault in his actions again. He now no longer sees starving as punishment. No he sees it as reprieve, absolution. The boy passes away from this illness the following summer. Again replaced by another, like he had never been.