Ben Taylor's Story

Ben had awoken from slumber in a deep sweat. That nightmare was beyond unusual. He had realistic livid dreams where he could move, but this one was too real and he felt like he was glued watching whatever those things were. He looked at his skin to see goosebumps. He'd had a few dreams before where he was going threw a bad withdraw, still nothing like that. Since he was awake Ben but his dirty clothes on and opened the blinds to his cramped hotel room. The sun was just beginning to rise over the endless sea of shacks in Dharavi. Opening the window he breathed in that robust air only found in ‎Maharashtra. Morning would be the perfect time to leave for the train station.

The slums were crowded in the morning as everyone was rushing about to go to work or to grab water before the heat rose. It was also when pick pockets were active, taking advantage of the tired people moving about. Ben fortunately knew how to avoid this. He simply put his money in the bottom of his shoes and around his neck, too awkward a place for anyone to get close to without getting caught. He grabbed some bread at a small vendor on his way, spending some cash on sweet bread. After taking his last bite into the bread he saw it.

A large plume of smoke had arisen over the shacks from what looked to be half a kilometer away. As Ben jogged closer he could see it was a roaring firing in what had at one time been a shanty apartment. Some people ran out, some crawled out, others died without hope of rescue as the building caved in. Ben watched as those that had died were laid on the ground and there was no sign or noise of anyone responding. He was staring at a young boy who had died choking on the smoke, a simple fix had the city sent anyone to help. As he watched the boy's parents grieve over the death of their child, a feeling of uneasy importance rushed over him.

Ben knelt next to the mother and reached out to touch the boys forehead. He honestly had no clue to why he was doing it, he just felt that he should. Then suddenly a surge came through his arm and he felt out of breath. The strangest thing happened next. The boy began to breath! Ben looked as amazed as the boy's parents. Out of an unreasonable urge, he repeated this on the other victims, all breathing yet again. The young man collapsed on the ground, leaning against another shack, amazed by what was happening. God must have blessed his hands. Maybe he was a saint?