The trader yanked open my shoulder bag, digging through it for anything he
could make a profit on. It didn't take long for him to find the locket.
"Well, well, what's this?"
He prised it open and looked at the two oval pictures inside.
"Half a loaf of bread for it."
I paused. It was the only reminder I had of my parents. I opened my mouth, about to reply, and there was a voice behind me.
"That's enough. The rest of the food is free."
I closed my mouth again as a short man took a few steps forward and took back the locket.
I watched, wide-eyed as he took a loaf of bread and gave it to me, along with the silver locket.
The man, I knew him. I'd seen him somewhere before. With Ebony, maybe? He made his announcement again.
"The rest of the food is free!"
The crowd behind me quickly advanced to snatch all they could, so I stuffed the bread and necklace into my brown bag and backed away from the crowds.
Once away from the din of the marketplace I stopped and put both of my bags down. Kneeling on the grubby ground, I unzipped the larger of the bags, the one that contained my computer. I arranged myself into a cross-legged position and pulled the laptop out the black bag. Setting it on my lap I lifted the lid and hit the power switch. The computer whirred and I typed in my password when the command appeared. As it continued to boot up I took the bread I had acquired out of the other bag and ripped a piece off. Hungrily stuffing it into my mouth I opened the word processor. I chewed for a moment, thinking about what to write. The sun was beginning to go down so I needed to type fast and get back to the others. I bit my lip and began to type, my fingers flying over the keys.
I must have been typing for at least ten minutes when suddenly it got a lot darker. I stopped, and automatically lowered the lid of the computer. I had always done that to stop mum reading what I was doing. Then I looked up to see what was obstructing my light. It was a boy. One of the new ones. The…the ones that took Joss. Joss was my brother. He had disappeared not long ago. The people in the black clothes took him.
"What do we have here, then?"
His voice was cold and I pushed the lid of my laptop down further, clicking it into place, as though to protect my treasure from him.
"Not speaking?"
I frowned up at him. It was difficult. Despite the darkness I found myself squinting to try and get a good look at him, as though the sun were in my eyes. He was fairly young, I guessed, and had shocking blonde hair. It was styled into spikes.
"We could use you."
It was cold now. I really needed to get back. The others would be wondering where I was.
"Get up."
He held out his hand to me, but I ignored it. Turning away from him I put my laptop back into its bag and zipped it up.
"I said, get up."
His voice was commanding this time so I did what he said. I'd heard about what they could do. They had gun things that zapped people. So, I scrambled up and faced him. He was tall and I was shorter by at least three inches or so.
"What's your name, kid?"
I considered lying to him, but reasoned that it probably wasn't a good idea. Who knew what he would do to me if he knew I had lied? I told him.
"Miranda."
"Well, Miranda. Follow me."
I watched him for a moment. There was no sign of any emotion on his face. I didn't know him. I knew of his Tribe. Of course, everyone did. And he must know what happened to Joss. But, for whatever reason, I trusted this boy. So, I picked up my bags, slung the brown one over my shoulder and held my laptop bag by a strap on the top.
I had to jog to keep up with him; he had long legs. He led me back through the marketplace and the few lingering people watched us. They were pretty used to seeing these...Technos, I think they were called, but they still weren't widely trusted. Ebony told us that they just wanted co-operation, and I suppose that's what I was giving them...Well, this guy anyway. I realised that I didn't know his name.
"Hey...hey, wait."
I ran a bit faster.
"What's your name?"
He slowed a little, allowing me to come side-by-side with him.
"It's Jay."
(To be continued...)
"Well, well, what's this?"
He prised it open and looked at the two oval pictures inside.
"Half a loaf of bread for it."
I paused. It was the only reminder I had of my parents. I opened my mouth, about to reply, and there was a voice behind me.
"That's enough. The rest of the food is free."
I closed my mouth again as a short man took a few steps forward and took back the locket.
I watched, wide-eyed as he took a loaf of bread and gave it to me, along with the silver locket.
The man, I knew him. I'd seen him somewhere before. With Ebony, maybe? He made his announcement again.
"The rest of the food is free!"
The crowd behind me quickly advanced to snatch all they could, so I stuffed the bread and necklace into my brown bag and backed away from the crowds.
Once away from the din of the marketplace I stopped and put both of my bags down. Kneeling on the grubby ground, I unzipped the larger of the bags, the one that contained my computer. I arranged myself into a cross-legged position and pulled the laptop out the black bag. Setting it on my lap I lifted the lid and hit the power switch. The computer whirred and I typed in my password when the command appeared. As it continued to boot up I took the bread I had acquired out of the other bag and ripped a piece off. Hungrily stuffing it into my mouth I opened the word processor. I chewed for a moment, thinking about what to write. The sun was beginning to go down so I needed to type fast and get back to the others. I bit my lip and began to type, my fingers flying over the keys.
I must have been typing for at least ten minutes when suddenly it got a lot darker. I stopped, and automatically lowered the lid of the computer. I had always done that to stop mum reading what I was doing. Then I looked up to see what was obstructing my light. It was a boy. One of the new ones. The…the ones that took Joss. Joss was my brother. He had disappeared not long ago. The people in the black clothes took him.
"What do we have here, then?"
His voice was cold and I pushed the lid of my laptop down further, clicking it into place, as though to protect my treasure from him.
"Not speaking?"
I frowned up at him. It was difficult. Despite the darkness I found myself squinting to try and get a good look at him, as though the sun were in my eyes. He was fairly young, I guessed, and had shocking blonde hair. It was styled into spikes.
"We could use you."
It was cold now. I really needed to get back. The others would be wondering where I was.
"Get up."
He held out his hand to me, but I ignored it. Turning away from him I put my laptop back into its bag and zipped it up.
"I said, get up."
His voice was commanding this time so I did what he said. I'd heard about what they could do. They had gun things that zapped people. So, I scrambled up and faced him. He was tall and I was shorter by at least three inches or so.
"What's your name, kid?"
I considered lying to him, but reasoned that it probably wasn't a good idea. Who knew what he would do to me if he knew I had lied? I told him.
"Miranda."
"Well, Miranda. Follow me."
I watched him for a moment. There was no sign of any emotion on his face. I didn't know him. I knew of his Tribe. Of course, everyone did. And he must know what happened to Joss. But, for whatever reason, I trusted this boy. So, I picked up my bags, slung the brown one over my shoulder and held my laptop bag by a strap on the top.
I had to jog to keep up with him; he had long legs. He led me back through the marketplace and the few lingering people watched us. They were pretty used to seeing these...Technos, I think they were called, but they still weren't widely trusted. Ebony told us that they just wanted co-operation, and I suppose that's what I was giving them...Well, this guy anyway. I realised that I didn't know his name.
"Hey...hey, wait."
I ran a bit faster.
"What's your name?"
He slowed a little, allowing me to come side-by-side with him.
"It's Jay."
(To be continued...)