I dreamt about being home again last night. I swear I could almost feel and smell the clean sheets. It felt like a weekend. One of those mornings, when you had a great night sleep, a familiar smell wakes you. My mom was in the kitchen making her famous biscuits. I miss those biscuits. I miss the strawberry jam. I don’t know what woke me from my dream but it was a letdown when I realized it wasn’t real.
Madie trudged through the bustling market plaza, her eyes scanning the rows of tables in search of a new pair of shoes. Her current ones were on their last legs, the soles worn thin and the seams threatening to give way with each step.
But finding a replacement pair proved to be more difficult than she had anticipated. None of the shoes she tried on seemed to fit quite right, and the ones that did were in even worse condition than her own.
With a frustrated sigh, Madie resigned herself to the fact that she would have to make do with her worn-out shoes for a little while longer. As she made her way through the crowd, she couldn’t help but overhear snippets of conversation about the Central Bobcats—the notorious gang of troublemakers who ruled the Central High School campus with an iron fist.
Her heart sank as she listened to tales of their latest exploits, their reign of terror spreading far beyond the confines of the school grounds. Madie had never been one to back down from a challenge, but the thought of crossing paths with the infamous Hulk sent a shiver down her spine.
“He’s so evil,” one voice whispered, sending a chill down Madie’s spine. “They say it’s because of his father, always beating on him whenever he lost a tournament.”
Madie frowned, her mind racing with questions. Was it true that the Hulk’s cruelty stemmed from a lifetime of abuse? Or was it simply a rumor spread by frightened townsfolk desperate to make sense of his reign of terror?
One thing was for certain—there was no denying the darkness that lurked within the Hulk’s heart. His actions spoke louder than any words, his enjoyment of others’ pain a chilling testament to his ruthless nature.
As Madie continued her search for shoes, a sense of unease settled over her. The Central Bobcats may have ruled the school with fear and intimidation, but Madie refused to let their reign go unchallenged. She may not have been afraid of much, but the Hulk was a force to be reckoned with—one that she wasn’t sure she was ready to face.