Shadows We Chase

William grew up in a place where dreams felt distant, like something people talked about to comfort themselves but never really believed in. The streets were cold, and the nights were filled with noise, leaving little room for hope. His mom worked long hours, always tired and aching, and his dad? Gone before William ever really understood what it meant to have one.

By the time William turned 17, he knew he didn’t want to live that way forever. He wanted more—more than just getting by, more than the endless struggle. He wanted respect. He wanted a place where he mattered, where people saw him as someone important.

The people in the crew on the block had what he wanted. They had money, they had cars, and when they walked into a room, it felt like everyone noticed them. William longed for that. He knew that if he could prove himself, if he could gain their respect, he would finally have what he wanted.

They saw that desire in him. They could tell he wasn’t just some kid playing around. He was serious. So, one night, after hours of hanging out, one of the guys pulled him aside.

“You wanna be part of this?” the guy asked, his voice steady. “Prove you’ve got what it takes.”

Without thinking, William nodded. He didn’t need time to think. He was ready. “I’ll do whatever it takes,” he said, his voice firm, though his heart raced with uncertainty.

But this wasn’t the simple stuff, the small-time games. This was bigger. They told him he had to do something serious—something that would test his loyalty and his will to belong.

That night, they cruised the streets in an old car, the engine sputtering as the music played quietly in the background. William sat in the back, his mind spinning with thoughts of the future, his heart thudding in his chest. This was the moment that would get him closer to everything he wanted. He tried to convince himself it was just part of the journey, but a part of him felt unsettled, unsure.

Then they saw her. A woman walking alone on the sidewalk, heading home after a long day. “Her,” one of the guys said, nodding toward the woman.

William froze. His stomach twisted, and for a moment, he thought about stopping, about walking away. But deep down, he knew he couldn’t. He couldn’t back out now, not when so much was on the line.

They got out of the car and followed her down the alley. At first, she didn’t notice them, but when she heard their footsteps, she turned around. Her eyes widened in fear. “Please, don’t hurt me,” she said, her voice shaky.

The situation quickly spiraled out of control. There was chaos. William stood frozen, unsure of what to do, torn between the desire to fit in and the part of him that knew this wasn’t right. The others were pushing him to take part, to prove that he was just as tough as they were.

One of them shoved him. “Come on, man. You’ve got to step up.”

William hesitated, feeling the weight of the moment pressing down on him. But he stepped forward, giving in to the pressure. It was a decision he would regret forever.

When it was over, the crew laughed like nothing had happened. But William couldn’t shake the feeling in his chest. It felt like something inside him had broken, something he couldn’t fix.

As they climbed back into the car, one of the guys handed him the woman’s wallet. “You’re one of us now,” he said with a grin.

William stared at the wallet, his hands trembling. He opened it, half-expecting to see something normal inside. But what he found made his heart stop.

There, in the wallet, was a picture.

It was a picture of his mother.

The woman they had just hurt was his own mother. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. He had just been part of something he couldn’t take back.