Like a bad dream

      Izzy always felt indebted to Captain Edward Teach. Without him he would be nobody and nothing. They met on the streets of Jamaica when Izzy was just 14 years old. Then Izzy drove past Israel. Izzy had no family, no home, and not even a penny in her pocket. One day, a street kid managed to buy a loaf of bread at a small market while no one was looking, but his eyes were drawn to a younger guy standing next to him. The guy turned to Izzy and grinned.       Izzy stared at him, but he didn't move to take the bread. Instead, he split the bread in half and gave the other half to Izzy. Izzy was immediately suspicious. He knew he had to control himself if someone showed him kindness for free, but the guy couldn't have been older than 12 himself, and Izzy felt a pang of guilt in his chest. “You're too generous,” Izzie said, and the boy smiled.       “My mom said the best things in life are free,” he said, smiling with white teeth. Izzy felt like his heart was going to burst; he wanted to cry. “My name is Edward Teach,” he continued, holding out his small hand. Izzy hesitantly returned the handshake. "Israel. I mean..." Izzy started, but caught himself. He knew better than to offer any information to a stranger.              Ed chuckled. It was a soft, sincere laugh that even the coldest heart could not find fault with. “You know, a lot of people call me that,” he said, “Edward Teach.” It's kind of arrogant." He winked at Izzy with his sparkling blue eyes, and Izzy found himself smiling despite his doubts. “So...Israel...What were you doing there alone?” - Ed asked. His accent was stronger than Izzy's, but that only added to his charm.       Izzy sighed and shrugged. “Just getting by,” he said, a habit he hated. Izzy had never been one to need sympathy or pity from anyone - he knew all too well not to show his vulnerability. However, Ed's warm smile and sincere attitude made Izzy feel like he had been stripped of his protection. “Just trying to eat something,” he said shyly. Even Izzy was shocked that he shared so much with a man he had just met.       "...How old are you?" He asked. Izzy was taken aback for a moment, but realized that maybe it was just Ed who was worried about Izzy leaving for school so early. "I'm fifteen." Ed seemed satisfied for a moment before realizing that Izzy hadn't told him the whole truth. - How old do you think I am? His tone was teasing and it made Izzy relax. "I'm... I'm fourteen," Izzie replied. Ed looked at Izzy with genuine concern, trying to imagine Izzy's young age. He was too young to take care of himself. "You don't have anyone..." He couldn't figure out how to ask Izzy if he had a family. Ed looked like he was about to say something else, but was interrupted by a shout from outside the market. Ed and Izzy looked at the chaos and their eyes lit up. "Do you want to have some fun?" – Ed asked Izzie. "What kind of fun is this?" He asked, already noticing Ed's mischievous grin. Ed seemed thrilled that Izzy was even a little interested. He smiled even wider, grabbed Izzy's hand and dragged him like a small child through the market. Izzy went with him, figuring it was the least he could do for Ed, who had fed him earlier. That's when he noticed the commotion. Ed noticed a couple of local army soldiers with a man in handcuffs. The man was wearing tattered, dirty clothes and clearly needed a bath. Ed nudged Izzy and pointed to an alley where the duo could watch the action without being noticed. Ed was practically vibrating. "We'll see what happens with this guy." Izzy hesitated, but Ed was already dragging him down the alley before he could speak. Izzie couldn't help but admire Ed's passion and how brave he was for a 15-year-old. He felt a strange sense of comfort around him. He wanted to trust Ed and his good intentions, but he couldn't. Everything about this alley seemed too risky. What The soldier held the man in handcuffs while his partner questioned the prisoner. Ed and Izzy kept their distance, and Ed whispered in Izzy's ear, "You think they're going to hang him?" Izzy shrugged and tried to act nonchalant, but his heart was pounding. He had never seen anything like this before and was terrified of what he would find if he dared look into the alley. Suddenly Izzy couldn't take it anymore. It wasn't just his curiosity that was at stake now; it was his fault. "Can we help?" Izzie whispered to Ed.