Rock Bottom

Rock Bottom

**Chapter 1 – Rock Bottom**

The night smelled of rain and gasoline. Liam sat on the cold, hard bench of the bus station, his knees pulled tight to his chest, his hands jammed into the pockets of his worn hoodie. The fluorescent lights above flickered like they, too, were on their last breath.

He had nothing. No home. No money. Not even the cheap phone he’d scraped together to buy two years ago — his stepfather had smashed it against the kitchen counter before throwing him out.

“You’re nothing but a thief, Liam!” the man had roared, his face red and twisted with rage.

“I didn’t take it!” Liam had shouted back. His voice had cracked, but it wasn’t from fear. It was from the injustice.

The missing $500 had probably gone into his stepfather’s drinking habit, but it didn’t matter. In that house, truth was irrelevant; only power counted. And Liam had none.

His mother had stood by the sink, wringing her hands, not daring to meet his eyes. That, more than anything, had broken him. She’d chosen silence.

Now here he was — sixteen years old, with the weight of the world pressing down on his shoulders. The rain outside grew heavier, tapping against the cracked glass windows of the station.

A janitor pushed his mop slowly across the floor, humming tunelessly. A couple in their twenties sat near the far wall, whispering and laughing over a shared set of earbuds. Life went on for everyone else. For Liam, it felt like the world had stopped.

His stomach growled loudly, making him wince. He hadn’t eaten since the apple he’d stolen from a grocery stand that morning. He could still feel the accusing eyes of the shopkeeper on his back.

The automatic doors whooshed open, letting in a gust of wind and a woman in a black coat. She walked with quick, precise steps, her heels clicking sharply against the tiled floor. She was beautiful in a way that didn’t feel accidental — her makeup flawless, her hair a smooth waterfall of dark waves.

She glanced around the station as if looking for someone, then her gaze landed on him. Her eyes lingered, and Liam quickly looked away. He didn’t want pity.

But instead of passing by, she walked toward him.

“You look like you could use something warm,” she said, her voice smooth but tinged with something… careful.

He hesitated, wary. “I’m fine.”

“Lying’s a bad habit,” she said simply, and set a small paper bag next to him. The smell of bread and roasted chicken wafted up immediately. His stomach clenched painfully.

He stared at the bag. “Why?”

She tilted her head, studying him. “You remind me of someone I used to know. Eat before it gets cold.”

He didn’t need to be told twice. The bread was still soft, the chicken juicy, and for a moment, the world outside his taste buds ceased to exist.

When he’d finished, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, she was still standing there.

“Do you have a place to stay?” she asked.

He shook his head, the words caught somewhere between his pride and his desperation.

“I can get you work,” she said. “Dishwashing. It’s not glamorous, but it’s something. You’ll have meals, too.”

He narrowed his eyes slightly. “What’s the catch?”

A faint smile curved her lips. “You’re sharp. Good. There’s no catch, but there’s one condition: you work hard and keep your mouth shut about anything you see. Can you do that?”

He wanted to ask what that meant, but his hunger and exhaustion overruled his curiosity. “Yeah. I can do that.”

“Good. Be at 162 Harbor Street tomorrow morning. Ask for Elena.” She slipped a small card into his hoodie pocket and turned to leave.

“Wait,” he called after her. “Why are you helping me?”

She paused at the door, looking back at him with an unreadable expression. “Because someone once helped me when I had nothing.”

Then she was gone, swallowed by the rain.

Liam fingered the card in his pocket, staring at the address. 162 Harbor Street. He had no idea what kind of place it was, but he had a feeling this was the start of something.

He leaned back against the bench, letting his eyes drift shut for just a moment. The sound of rain became distant, almost comforting.

Then a sharp *ring* shattered the stillness.

He opened his eyes — the janitor’s phone was ringing on a cart nearby. The man answered casually, but Liam caught the words that made his chest tighten.

“Yeah, I’m still at the station… Oh, you mean the will? Yeah, she just left… said she found him.”

Found him?

Liam’s pulse quickened. The janitor chuckled into the phone, but his voice dropped to a whisper.

“She said the boy doesn’t know yet.”

Liam sat frozen, the cold suddenly biting deeper into his bones. The woman — Elena — had been talking about him. But what “will”? And what didn’t he know?

Somewhere deep inside, something told him that his life had just been set on a path he couldn’t turn back from.

*Cliffhanger:* The rain kept falling, but for Liam, the storm was only just beginning.

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