The Uselessness Of The Boy Essay Example

made of metal, the crow on the badge showcases intricate plumage and a glimmer in its eyes, as if it could actually soar away at any moment.

Somehow, this design looked familiar to him. He had seen it a long time ago, while hiking. It was during a blissful summer afternoon when playful breezes gently moved the occasional white puff of cloud. The boy, who was much younger at the time, stumbled along the rocky path while enjoying the breathtaking views of the Appalachians. On a family hike led by his father, they were surrounded by cool green light as they made their way towards the peaks of the hills. Every ladybird they encountered was thoroughly examined, which brought joy to the parents who were waiting on the road up ahead.

The mother, struggling with the growing baby inside her, was helped by the father. However, she still felt uncomfortable. As they walked together, the boy sought comfort in his father's hand. Suddenly, he noticed the crest of the hill and eagerly ran ahead to explore the cliff edge. Gasping for breath, he finally reached the top and marveled at the breathtaking view surrounding him. In front of him were expansive forests, filled with freshness and beckoning him to explore. From a distant mountain, a river cascaded down, leaping over cliffs and winding through valleys on its journey towards the sea. Closer by, the river roared below, spraying rocks and hardy plants clinging to the cliffside.

Ignoring the protests behind him, he begins to descend, spotting a nest perched on a branch below. He carefully inches his way along the ledge towards the tempting prize, reaching inside to

extract its contents. Abruptly, his father grabs him by the shoulder in anger and hoists him back up to the clifftop for safety, despite the enraged screams of the boy. Someone extends a hand from above to assist their ascent, but the distance is simply too great. They persistently strive to connect, stretching further and further...

Thud. The boy's head is hit by a small pebble, coming from above. He helplessly observes as more pebbles dislodge themselves and fall past him into the strong current below. He is frozen with a chilling realization of what is about to happen. Mute and unable to do anything, he stands there as his mother, who was precariously perched, slips and falls past him and his father. She keeps falling, screaming, until she is finally engulfed by the white torrent. The people on the cliffside are stunned into silence, with two gazes following her powerless descent.

Later, the boy sits next to the water, feeling uneasy on the rough ground, while the rain starts to pour and droplets splash into the stream. His father and some police officers are recovering the body from the reddish water. He has been mostly disregarded, as his father bears the shock with an expressionless resoluteness.

Taking the object from its hiding place, he runs his fingers over it, sliding his hand along its shiny metal surface. The touch of it is chilling, quelling the burning guilt within him. The reason his mother died was his own stupidity for not paying attention and his reckless indifference.

He throws the badge into the water, disgusted, and watches it being carried away downstream. He joins his father

in the rain, seeking shelter under his coat, as they observe the corpses being loaded onto a truck. The boy snaps out of his daydream, shocked by the abrupt memory resurfacing. Since that moment, he has become increasingly disconnected from his father, withdrawing into his persistent feelings of guilt.

He is aware that his father holds him responsible for their tragedy, and he holds himself accountable too. It puzzles him why someone would choose him, a solitary teenager in pursuit of the carefree years he abandoned, instead of two others who could have brought joy to someone else's life. He has become consumed by regret, rejecting any chance he had. As he arrives back home, he hears laughter emanating from the window. Curious, he peeks in and observes his father sharing a meal with a woman. His father is wearing a smile, a rare occurrence since the incident. In that moment, his feelings of shame transform into determination.

He places the badge in front of the door with care, then silently walks back out to the forest, pushing forward as the light fades for hours until he reaches the cliff of previous years. Returning to the edge quietly, he crosses over with a lack of ceremony. The height swiftly passes by until it ends, and the world is enveloped in darkness.

The following day, the father finds the badge on his doorstep and swiftly dons his coat before hurrying towards the mountains. While he departs, a solitary crow sitting on a nearby tree announces his leaving to the world with a caw.