youth.

child left & child right shared a pair of shoes.
they couldn't afford to get their own 
because they were children after all. 

child left walked outside after a summer rainstorm to find his pile of dirt had become a puddle of mud. instead of stomping on it & getting his shoes all dirty, he picked up a handful & rubbed it on his skin. he liked the way the mud cooled his skin & pretty soon he sat to watch it dry & crack.

child right had been waiting to go out to play all day 
but couldn't because the bricks surrounding the house
were burning in the sun. 
child right had pretty thick skin but
not thick enough to withstand such pain.

child left fell asleep.
child right waited.

child right grew tired of waiting 
& stepped on the road

child left woke up to her screaming.