Sykoe: As I write this, I have a fever. Stayed up all night trying not to throw up -hate throwing up- and I didn't, thank God. Still feeling kinda sick, so I'd rather not go outside and do stuff. Rather write.
Hope you like!
Chapter 2, Street Rat
I never had a name because I never had a past. My memories are divided and scrambled up into chopped up fragments of once cherished moments. When I close my eyes and think, hard, I feel myself riding on someone's shoulders, taste a food that I hate, and see the browned skin of a beautiful, strong woman wrapping her arms around me and whispering chants, not in English.
How much I would give to ride on those shoulders once more, to eat the food even though I detest it, and to know who that woman was and what the hell those words mean.
But no matter how much I want, I can never get. So I get what I can by stealing. A light-fingered, nimble and athletic skinny boy is all I am. I have nothing going for me but the ability to stick my hand into some rich lady's purse and get a couple of coins, a snack, anything, and escape without so much as a second look.
She changed it all.
She changed my life. The dancer. She was so insignificant; being in the Red Light District there were countless like her. What made her different? Her presence altered my reality. Her acquaintance made my heart ache and hunger for something more than memories.
It was another day of dirty, hungry discomfort. I usually don't get caught stealing bread, but this time, I was seen. It was getting late, and I had snatched a loaf of the delicious-smelling bread to ward off nighttime hunger pangs. The man selling the bread saw me, and so did a couple of police offers. I never knew they could be so persistent.
I had no idea where to run, but since I knew that speed was my greatest advantage, I decided to take the long way back to where I sleep. The streets were crowded that night, which should have made it easier to escape. In a panic, I ran into the Red Light District. I had no idea what was wrong with me that night.
Passing by numerous men lured by the siren calls of women willing to lie on their backs for the price of something as cheap as this bread, I had no time to pay attention. I had not time for desire.
Rounding the corner, I saw her.
It wasn't very appealing the way she was throwing up, and it slowed me down a little. When she straightened herself up from her bending-over-spitting-on-the-ground position, I could see, she was kind of cute. She was about my age too. Sickened me how young girls could be here.
The policemen were catching up. I had no idea where I was now, having not frequented this part of town. So, I improvised.
I used her like a human shield. Now that I look back on it, I realize that the men really wouldn't have hesitated to kill her if need be. Just another sex doll and a thief to rid this town of. Plenty more where that came from.
One man did attack her, threw a soard. Scared the shit out of me how I was putting this girl in danger, so I ran. I never would have guessed that she'd followed me. I wouldn't have.
I had no other choice but to take her with me. Already afraid of the danger I'd put myself in, and remembering so clearly how that knife grazed her shoulder, I didn't want to think about what they'd do to her. And, now that she'd ran from her masters, she'd probably receive a hefty beating out of them.
Out of pity, I lowered myself. Now that I had 90 pounds of girl in tow, I didn't know if we were exactly going to... make it. But what was the point of regretting it now?
Was actually kind of exhilarating to have a partner in crime, or so I pictured her at the moment. I'd never had anything but negative attention before, but holding her tiny hand as we ran, and holding her freedom in my care, I felt powerful for once. Needed.
After a while of running, I could still go on and on. I was used to escaping. But I could hear her strained breaths, and I could feel her slowing down and tripping. What else could I do but get frustrated? I practically dragged her forward. The strained breaths of those persistent-as-hell police officers were almost as close as hers.
Unexpectedly, we reached the edge of a roof. This wouldn't have been such a problem if we weren't cornered, sitting ducks without another roof to jump onto. Thinking fast, I devised a last-ditch effort, half-baked plan that only a stupid boy in trouble could think of.
"Do you trust me?"
What else could I say?
"Yes."
What else could she?
Wrapping my arm around her, I jumped.
Of course I held onto something: a Red Light.
If she hadn't been an emaciated slave and I hadn't been an emaciated thief, I don't know if we could have been held up by that paper light and the rope it hung on.
We made it. We escaped.
How much of a fool I was to think that my problems ended there. They only began.
I looked at her. In all this time, I hadn't registered her as a human being with feelings, only a body with a soul inside of it. But what kind of soul had she? What were girls fromt the Red Light District like, could they be trusted?
Aside from my belief that she had slept with more men than I could count, her face held innocence. Even after apparent years of emaciation and starvation, her cheeks were round. They weren't pink of course- pale, pure white, but they looked squishy and soft, like a child. She looked like a child.
Not knowing what else I could do but leave her here, I decided to lead her into my humble abode. (Where I "lived".) Aware that we were passing all of the rejected inhabitants living below me, I decided not to cause a scene and just pretend they weren't there. That's what I always did, anyway.
Guilt overwhelmed me when I realized the stairs were tiring her, but what else could I do? We were almost there.
With a bit of hesitation, I opened the door. I knew it wasn't much, so I was confused when she seemed like she... liked it. Aside from the view, I didn't really like it other than a place to escape bad weather and cold nights.
That's it, the view! I should show her the view. An appetite to impress her influenced my actions and thoughts as I made my way to the blanket that covered up the huge window linking this room to the outside world.
To my relief and utter joy, she loved it. The view, after I had removed the blanket, amazed her. I could see it in her eyes, and it made me... happy.
She made me happy.
Hearing my stomach grumble, I sat down on the ledge of the window and took out the bread; the only reason I had met this girl anyways. Wordlessly, I handed it to her, and watched her take the first bite. She looked as ravenous as I felt.
We talked for a while. I had never known it, having no social life, but I get easily attached. I felt the urge to reveal my secrets to this girl. She didn't speak much, but I spoke enough for the both of us. I showed her the castle -which she had probably seen before anyways- and told her about my endeavors to go there someday, to be inside of its stone walls and towers.
Her quiet demeanor didn't deter my torrents of words and useless dreams. She even began to open up a little, later into the night. I learned her name, and I learned the was not, in fact, a whore. She was a dancer.
No wonder she seemed more innocent and out of place where I found her. She was innocent.
Into the night, I grew more attached. I saw her smile. Heard her thoughts form into words spoken by a beautiful voice.
We slept on other ends of the same room that night, and it wasn't until morning that this dream, this new memory, was destroyed.
Sykoe: I tried to give this chapter voice. I wanted to make it feel like Naruto was talking, not me typing at a computer. So I guess there's a lot of grammar mistakes, choppy sentences... maybe it annoyed people, I'm sorry! But I think it turned out pretty good for what I was aiming for.
What do you think?
