Inktober: Hope
It was his lucky day. Marlon had won the lottery and would soon be the richest man he knew. Laughing and singing out loud he skipped down the street and so drew the attention of everyone around him. It was a clouded day in late fall, the usual depressing sight of the city skyline was additionally gloomy and even the places that had at least some sort of social interaction to offer seemed bleak and uninviting.
Marlon stopped his joyous walk because he saw an old beggar, sitting on the sidewalk and clutching his sign in desperation. It read: „Got some hope?“
This made him snort. Nobody had enough hope these days, he had been close to sitting right next to this bum himself, if it wasn’t for his good fortune. The dismay must have been written all over his face. The beggar didn’t even try to ask him out loud, just his eyes, his empty gaze, followed him silently on his path. Why did this bother Marlon so much?
This was the best day of his life, why would this unnoteworthy encounter be able to ruin his glorious mood? „Got some hope?“ The words haunted him on his way to the lottery store.
Crisis after crisis had drained the people of their faith and optimism until it had come to this. The government, who couldn’t deal with the national depression any longer, had scientist invent a substance called „hope“ and started giving it out for free. The situation appeared to improve, however over time each and every person got addicted and now, twenty years later, it had become the global currency. Literally everyone was begging and working, rather slaving away, for some hope.
Not Marlon, though. Not anymore.
A couple of meters in front of the store he started to search his pockets for the lottery ticket and by the time he pulled it out, he could smell the scent of coffee coming out of the shop. Maybe he would by some to celebrate. Before he could notice the shadow behind him it was already to late and with a thud and a sudden flash of pain in the back of his head Marlon dropped to the ground.
All his hope was for the beggar to take, now having the best day of his life.