NOT ANOTHER GENTERN
BY A WANNABE-SPACE-INVADER

THE sound of someone screaming and I knew she must be awake. I rolled off the dirty couch that sat against the brick wall in the alley and wandered over towards her, grinning. I saw her struggling away from a dirty homeless man that was muttering insane things and walking away. I stood in front of her, waiting for her to notice me. She was cowering in the corner. I cleared my throat and continued to wait. She still didn't notice me.

I walked over and kicked her shoe. Her face snapped up to me and I could see she was crying. It was all part of the low, especially after taking twenty of my shots. Examining her face she looked about fifteen, and addicted to Zydrate. I couldn't help but to sigh. 'Are you going to pay for all the Z you stole?' he grimaced at her sternly.

She was shaking; all that came out of her mouth was a squeaky choke. Was I that frightening? I couldn't hold back a grin. 'What are you going to do to me?' she said quietly.

'There are lots of things I could do to you,' he said leaning and putting his face an inch from hers.

She cowered more so into her corner. 'I could hand you over to GeneCo for illegal use of Zydrate, or take you to the Zydrate support network, or I could just finish you up myself,' he grinned.

Her eyes grew wide and I knew she was thinking of all the ways I could kill her. 'But I have been thinking. I'd never get my money that way. So you'll just have to make up a way to pay me back.'

'I... I... What?' she choked.

'You'll get me my Zydrate back,' I said warming my hands by the fire, it was cold tonight.

'Ho- how?' she said coming closer, confused.

I shrugged lightly. 'Well that's up to you. But if you don't, well, that's up to me.'

I turning towards her and she stepped away from me. I went back to the fire and threw some old newspapers into the flames. I watched it burn and spit, hoping that she'll get my Z. I really didn't want to kill her.

'Will you teach me how to get it?' she spat out, suddenly.

'What?' I turned to see if she was serious.

'Teach me,' she said wavering under my harsh gaze.

'Whatever,' I sighed and turned back to the fire.

'Really?' she said blocking out the fire in front of me.

'Yes,' I replied and pushed her out of the way.

'Now?!' she said persistent.

'No,' I groaned, annoyed.

'Please,' she whined softly.

'NO!' I growled.

Stupid persistent brat. I led her out to my most common graveyard; Jumping up onto an open grave. I waited for her to jump up beside me but she didn't. Turning around I saw her watching me, she looked frightened. 'Get up here.'

She just shook her head speechless. 'Fine, I'm leaving,' I growled.

'NO!'

'Well get up here!'

She walked forward slowly and I could feel my impatience growing. She climbed up onto the side of the grave, took one look at the dead body and the contents of her stomach were strewn across the ground. I jumped back just in time for it to miss my shoes. 'Oh for god's sake,' I muttered.

She looked away from the body and I crouched down by her, I pulled out an almost clean rag and wiped her mouth. 'Just pretend it's a doll,' I sighed.

She nodded and slowly looked back at it. Sure the organs and innards were spilling out of a wide cut down her chest but if she got used to this one first the others will be cake. I shrugged and took out a needle from my pocket and leaned over the body. 'Just smack it up into the nose and do it hard, straight into their brain and extract the Zydrate.'

I struck the tip up the nose and pushed it through the skull. I could hear the little girl hold her breath as the glow filled the needle and felt her relax. 'And that's how it's done.'

I held it in front of her face for a moment and then snatched it away, cruelly. 'So now it's your turn,' I grinned and jumped back down from the grave. She struggled down from the grave, still a little focused on the Z. I took out another needle and handed it to her.

'Do you think you can do that?'

'Duh,' she grinned playing with the needle.

Opening a shallow grave I found a hole with three bodies piled on top of each other. 'Jackpot,' I cheered pulling out a needle for myself. I pulled out one of the bodies and let it fall to the ground at the girl's feet. 'What's your name, kid?'

This caught her off guard a little. 'Oh, Lexi.'

'Lexi, just remember what I told you and you'll be grave robbing like the best in no time,' I went back to the other bodies and was finished in no time. Shoving the needles back into my bag, I turned to see she hadn't done anything.

'What are you doing?! I growled. 'Get it done.'

She shook her head stiffly and looked up at me with puppy dog eyes. I took her hand and stuck the needle straight into the brain. I left her to do the rest on her own, searching for more bodies.

This was only the beginning...

Over the next few years she began to stick to me. I taught her how to farm Zydrate and then she paid back her debt. It had been a year and she just seemed to stay with me. She was growing up too. I didn't mind her sticking around. It was better than being alone. Anyway she'd started to grow on me, like a friend.