Shilo rolled over, trying to get comfortable on the concrete floor in her mother's tomb. It had been about a week since the opera, since she lost everything, that was important to her. Her father, Mag-her godmother, and Rotti Largo, all dead. The thought of Rotti made Shilo's nerves lurch. It was his fault Shilo was an orphan with nowhere to go. Her house stood, a memory to what she could have had, if she had listened to her father and stayed inside the house. Instead, she wanted to get a cure. Sure, it wasn't fair of her father to poison her, and keep her inside all her life, but now after everything, she could forgive him for that. After the opera, she went to her mothers tomb, and she had yet to move. It provided a safe haven for her, knowing that there was a place where she could think, but her dress was beginning to thin, and the coldness was gradually getting to her. The last time she had run her fingers through her jet black wig, her fingers had gotten caught in tangles and knots. She was sure that looking into the mirror would only provide more pain, as she figured she probably looked like death. She was still covered in blood, which by now had hardened, and would gradually ever fall off, or get covered in the dirt on the floor of the tomb. Her emotions were numb, leaving her mind blank, often going back to the night of the opera, giving her constant nightmares. It had been a week since Shilo had felt normal. She didn't know where she was supposed to go next, what she was supposed to do. She was only seventeen, still young, and to make matters worse, an orphan. The only plan she had at the moment was to stay in the tomb until she knew what she was going to do next. She stood up, glancing at the random empty wrappers on the floor, and slipped out of the tomb to seek food.
Graverobber glanced around the alleyway, keeping a keen eye out for any Geneco cops that might be around. He slipped around the corner, entering the graveyard. His mind wandered back, wondering what happened to the kid after the opera, and wondering for a split second if she was even alive. She had been so innocent, so easy to trick, making it possible for her to either go into permanent hiding, or getting herself into something big. After Amber had taken over Geneco, she left him, telling him that if he was caught with Zydrate, she would make sure he'd never get it again. Basically, now that she had constant access to zydrate, she had no mercy for graverobbers. Geneco hasn't changed much, he thought. His thoughts went back to Shilo, before he shook his head, telling himself life went on, with or without people.
Shilo gasped and hid behind a grave. She tried to keep out of site from the man she recognized. Even in the dark, it was hard to not recognize the face make-up, the long hair, the jacket, of the man she had met the night of the opera. She didn't know his name, only knew him as Graverobber, who associated with Amber Sweet, stealing zydrate and dealing it on the back streets. He was merely a person now, and she didn't want to take the chance that he might recognize her. She didn't know what had happened to her father, but something told her he knew, and if he recognized her, he would probably go telling her everything that she didn't want to know - what happened to her father's body, if there were still reposessions, if people were looking for her, if she still was supposed to take over Geneco. Graverobber had a way with honesty. He was so blunt.
"You know, you don't hide well. You might as well come out" Shilo gasped, but stood up. Graverobber stood in front of her, his eyes seeming to strip her down, make sure she was ok. "How did you know I was there?" He smiled, revealing his teeth, which reminded Shilo of a stalker's, waiting to rip its' prey into shreads. "You were breathing a little too loud, sort of hard to not notice it. Next time, just suffocate yourself if you don't want to be found kid." He leaned over, pulling out a body from a stone casket, and draining it of its' zydrate in less than ten seconds. Shilo only watched in shock, still unsure if he was real.
"So where have you been? Everyone assumed you died." Shilo shrugged, looking away. "I just don't want to be around people anymore." Her mind flashed back to her father's dying face, once again. "Well,
you can't just hide around. You're going to have to do something." He stood up, shoving the vials into his jacket, and staring into her eyes. Shilo tried to look away, but she felt herself tense up, and was unable to look away.
"I'll do what I please, when I'm ready. You can't force me to do anything." She turned to walk away from him, annoyed. He reached out and grabbed her arm. "Wait, kid. Come home with me tonight. You look awful, have you even had anything to eat since the opera?" Shilo's stomach growled at the mention of food, and she made sure to stare at the ground when she answered. "I eat until I'm full, I'm living quite well." Graverobber laughed. "No offense kid, but you smell disgusting, you're extremely pale, your clothes look like they went through hell, and you look like a skeleton." Shilo shrugged. "Maybe you're blind."
Blind. The word brought back the memory of Mag's body, pierced by the fence, blood running down her face. Graverobber's grasp tightened. "Come on, I won't make you stay, just get cleaned up, and you'll feel a lot better." Shilo's body ached for a warm shower, but Graverobber himself looked like he lived on the streets. "Where would that shower be? The dumpsters?" She pulled, trying to free herself of his grasp. "Please, I have customers. Just because I'd rather hang around the alleyways doesn't mean I can't afford things." He pulled out a wad of cash, from his jacket and waved it in front of her face. Shilo sighed, knowing she was defeated. "Fine, but then I'm leaving." He nodded. "Suit yourself."