Chapter 3 (This has to end)

As Jeremy leaned against the kitchen counter, his thoughts swirling in the dimly lit apartment, he couldn't shake the feeling of despair that threatened to consume him. The weight of their struggles pressed down on him like a heavy burden, leaving him feeling powerless against the relentless tide of adversity.

Suddenly, a voice broke through the silence, shattering Jeremy's reverie.

"Jeremy? Is everything okay?"

Startled, Jeremy turned to see his mother standing in the doorway, her weary eyes filled with concern. Despite the exhaustion etched into her features, there was a quiet strength in her gaze that spoke volumes.

Jeremy forced a weak smile, trying to hide the turmoil raging within him. "Yeah, Mom. Just tired, I guess."

His mother studied him for a moment, her gaze searching his face for any signs of distress. She had always been able to see through his facade, to sense when something was amiss.

"Are you sure?" she asked softly, stepping closer to him. "You know you can talk to me about anything, right?"

Jeremy's heart ached at the sincerity in his mother's words, the depth of her love and concern washing over him like a wave of warmth. Despite their struggles, she had always been his rock, his unwavering source of support and strength.

Tears welled up in Jeremy's eyes as he met his mother's gaze, the weight of his worries threatening to overwhelm him. "I'm just... scared, Mom. Scared of what the future holds, of whether we'll ever be able to break free from this cycle of poverty."

His mother's expression softened with empathy as she reached out to him, wrapping him in a comforting embrace. "I know, sweetheart. But we'll get through this together, I promise. We've faced tough times before, and we've always come out stronger on the other side."

Jeremy nodded, the warmth of his mother's embrace soothing the ache in his heart. Despite the challenges they faced, he knew that as long as they had each other, they could weather any storm that came their way.

Jeremy vowed inwardly to fight for a better future, to defy the odds, and to carve out a path to success for himself and his mother. As they stood together in the fading light of day, surrounded by the echoes of their shared struggles, Jeremy felt a glimmer of hope ignite within him, a beacon of resilience that would guide them through the darkest of times.

 As Jeremy's mother held him in her comforting embrace, the weight of their struggles momentarily lifted, replaced by a sense of solace and reassurance. But as the hours passed and the evening wore on, reality once again came crashing down around them.

With a heavy heart, Jeremy watched as his mother prepared to head back to her various jobs, the weariness etched into her features serving as a stark reminder of the sacrifices she made for his sake.

Despite her best efforts to shield him from their harsh reality, Jeremy couldn't help but feel the weight of their struggles bearing down on him with suffocating force.

As his mother bid him a weary farewell, Jeremy was left alone in the dimly lit apartment, the silence echoing with the emptiness of their existence. With a heavy sigh, he retrieved the crumpled papers from his pocket, the weight of their contents settling like a leaden weight in the pit of his stomach.

As he unfurled the papers, Jeremy's heart sank at the sight of the mounting bills and debts that threatened to engulf them. Light bills, school fees issues, debts his late father had owed—all served as painful reminders of the relentless cycle of poverty that seemed to have no end.

With a sense of despair gnawing at his soul, Jeremy felt the weight of his burdens crushing him beneath their suffocating embrace. The walls of their modest apartment seemed to close in around him, suffusing the air with a palpable sense of hopelessness and despair.

And as he stared down at the papers in his trembling hands, Jeremy's resolve finally crumbled beneath the weight of his despair. With doleful and dead eyes, he whispered into the silence, "I can't take this anymore."

Tears welled up in his eyes as he sank to his knees, the weight of their struggles threatening to overwhelm him. In that moment of despair, Jeremy felt utterly alone, adrift in a sea of darkness with no shore in sight.

>_<

The following day at school was like any other, filled with the usual monotony of classes and lectures. Jeremy sat at his desk, his mind still heavy with the weight of his family's struggles, his thoughts consumed by the desperate need to find a way out of their dire circumstances.

As the teacher droned on at the front of the classroom, Jeremy's attention wandered, his thoughts drifting to the events of the previous night. He couldn't shake the memory of the link he had stumbled upon, the promise of lucrative but dangerous jobs beckoning to him like a siren's call.

With a sense of apprehension tinged with hope, Jeremy discreetly pulled out his phone, the forbidden link burning a hole in his pocket like a guilty secret. As he surreptitiously clicked on the website, a rush of adrenaline coursed through his veins, the allure of the unknown drawing him in like a moth to a flame.

As he scrolled through the myriad of listings, his heart pounded in his chest, his mind racing with the possibilities that lay before him.

For a moment, he allowed himself to entertain the notion of a life beyond the confines of poverty and despair, a life where he could provide for his mother and ease her burden once and for all.

And then, his eyes landed on it—a job unlike any other, its caption flashing in bold letters against the dim glow of his phone screen. "Become an exorcist today!" it proclaimed, the promise of wealth and opportunity tantalizingly within reach.

Jeremy's hands trembled as he clicked on the listing, his heart pounding in his chest with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. As he read through the details of the job, a sense of determination welled up within him, the prospect of earning enough money to lift his family out of poverty driving him forward with renewed purpose.

With a sense of resolve, Jeremy made a silent vow to himself to seize this opportunity with both hands, to take control of his destiny and forge a path to a better future for himself and his mother.

As a smile spread across his lips, he knew that no matter the risks or challenges that lay ahead, he would face them head-on, fueled by the fire of his newfound determination.