The dank tunnels whispered horrors, horrors I was more than eager the erase from my memory. I held my knife up to the shadows, waving it if any harm should come to me and my sister.

"Dona?"

"Shh, Mica! I know, we're almost there."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

I wasn't, really. Would you, crawling through the unexplored allies of Venice, being brave for a small 6 year old at your heels?

After nearly 10 more minutes of walking we hit a dead end.

"Is this it, Dona?"

Should I lie?

"No, Mica. But we need to rest."

She sniffled into her threadbare coat, so I took off mine and draped it around her like a cocoon. She climbed into my lap as I snuggled into the corner, saying "Hello," and, "How are you," to the rats. After about 5 minutes, all was quiet.

A dark figure dropped from the roof. Mica didn't notice, as she was already asleep.

"Alone?" he asked. A bird mask rested on his face.

"Not in the least," I said, motioning to my sister.

"I meant, are you runaways? Orphans? They come to this city looking for fairytales," he winked at the sleeping young child.

"Does it matter?"

"Yes. I can see that you are very young."

"So are you. Don't think a la maschera di un dottore dalla peste is going to fool me."

He smiled. "Your Italian is impeccable. Yet you are lost."

"Any Venetian can be lost in a matter of seconds."

After a few moments, he said, "My name is Scipio."

"Interesting," I commented.

"And yours?"

"I don't believe I can trust you."

Scipio laughed. "And why not?"

"You dropped from the roof and we're in a dark alley."

"You have a point. But you need a place to stay," he said simply. It's true—we're alone, cold, sick, hungry, and terrified.

"Your parents will turn us in, won't they?"

Even from behind the mask, I could see him flinch. "No. I don't have parents. But there is an abandoned theatre a few miles away. That is where I live."

I was beginning to trust him a little. I mean, if you were going to lie, why say you lived in an abandoned movie theatre? "If it's okay," I said, gently rousing Mica.

"There's one condition," Scipio told me, leaning an arm nonchalantly against the wall. "Tell me your names."

I paused. Was it worth it? Well, there certainly wasn't anything to lose."Donatello and Michelangelo."

He arched his eyebrows. "Really?"

I rolled my eyes. "No, I'm lying."

He grinned. "Come along then, Donatello and Michelangelo."

Mica seemed to get her bearings, but asked no questions about the silly fool with a bird mask. "My name is Mica. And she's Dona. I'm not called Michelangelo anymore, that's a boy's name," she pouted.

"Hi, Mica. I'm Scipio," He said, reaching out a hand for her.

She took it warily. "Hi, Scipio."

And we meandered through Venice's alleyways for about an hour before reaching a heavy emergency exit.

Scipio knocked on it. "We're home."

** Hey, guys! I hope you like it, it's a bit choppy and a lot of dialogue, but I thought that was alright. :P review, if you want.(: **