Chapter 4
"Welcome to our humble abode," Dana shouted.
"That's just an abandon factory," Shadow stated dully. Dana rolled her eyes.
"What you call an 'abandon factory,' I call my 'mansion,' she scoffed, leading the other two down towards the factory, "Come on. The others should be home now as well."
"...Others?" Maria asked.
"Yeah! My family!" Dana yelled as the three of them reached the factory, and opened the giant doors. Dana entered and looked around at the empty building.
"Oy? Anyone home?"
"Sissy!"
Dana rushed over to the voice, which came from a little girl. She had to be around the age of eight, her skin pale and hair so dark that a raven would be jealous. Giant green eyes were fixated on Dana as she ran over and hugged her.
"Well if it isn't my little Rae of sunshine," Dana greeted her, giving her a big hug of her own, "You holdin' the fort down all on your own? DJ must be getting soft."
"I promised to hide if anyone showed up. But I heard your voice and I know you wouldn't let anything happen to me. Don't tell DJ I came out of hiding," Rae explained. She looked over Dana's shoulder to the two in the back.
"Who are they? Are they friends of yours?"
"Well kinda," Dana laughed, "Remember the girl on the news?"
"The Space Girl?" Rae asked excitedly. She looked back over to Maria and Shadow, "Is she the Space Girl?"
"You're darn tootin' she is!" Dana exclaimed, giving a wink to Maria as Rae ran over to her.
"What was it like in space? Did you see space stuff? Did you go out into space? Can you actually BREATHE in space?!"
"Uh...well...um," Maria stuttered, "Space is dark and cold, I got to see stars and planets, I was never allowed to go on space walks and...no you can't breathe in space."
"I knew it," Rae whispered to herself. Her attention then got drawn over to the Ultimate Lifeform.
"What is he? He looks grumpy. Is he grumpy? Is the white fluffy spot soft? I bet it's soft! Can I touch it?"
Shadow looked at Maria for help, but she was too busy laughing at his own bewilderment as the young girl continued asking a lightening round of questions.
"This is Shadow, " Maria explained after calming down, "He is a hedgehog. He takes his time to warm up to things."
"Is his name Shadow because his fur is black?" Rae continued firing off question after question, "I bet it is! Why is he wearing bracelets? Is he a fashion model? Are THOSE rocket shoes?!"
"Okay Rae, hedgey boy has had enough," Dana laughed, "I think it's high time you get yourself to bed little one."
"But...Princess isn't home yet and she said she'd tell me a story," the young girl argued back.
"I can tell you a story," Maria exclaimed.
"Will it be about space?"
"It can be."
Rae was sold. She grabbed Maria's hand was drugged her up the factory stairs leaving Dana and Shadow alone.
"Are you two blood related?' Shadow asked cautiously
"Nah," Dana laughed somberly, "Her actual sister is Wynter. Their parents had a thing for weather sounding names. She's probably out with Tonya scavenging for parts we can sell or use to defend ourselves with."
"Why live like this? Where are your parents?" Shadow demanded.
"Don't make me laugh hedgey boy," Dana snorted, "We're system kids that fell through the cracks on this broken ass life. Rae would be the only one that would have a hell of a chance to live a life without fear but Wynter is twelve. Too old in most people's eyes. She'd be passed around through people's homes, one right after another."
"You speak like you have the experience to back it up."
"Yeah. I disappeared from the system when I was thirteen. Met DJ and Tonya and was set with them here. I found Wynter last year and she brought Rae with her because Rae refused to leave her side," she sighed heavily.
"The reason I said I wouldn't sell you two out. I would be selling myself and my family back to the system so they can fail us again."
They both sat in silence for a while.
"It seems I have misunderstood you," Shadow said.
"Don't worry about," Dana replied, "You seem to have a lot on your plate with Space Girl there. She said your name was Shadow right?"
-XXX-
"You really know THE Sonic the Hedgehog?" Rae asked. Their story time became a telling of Maria's adventures over the last couple of weeks.
"Yeah," She said, "He's cocky and courageous, but does have a softer caring side that you don't see." Her smile faltered. Her last memories of the blue hedgehog had not been pleasant. The two of them heard the giant door open from down below and a lot of commotion. Footsteps followed up the stairs and there stood another girl. She looked like Rae with the same raven coloured hair and pale skin but her eyes were a deep chocolate brown. Rae got out of bed and ran to hug the other.
"Wynnie!" she yelled excitedly hugging the other, "Did you find anything good in the yards with Tonya?"
"Yeah, a few things that we can sell and make a quick couple bucks off of," the other told the younger one. Her attention was then drawn over to Maria, "You must be the other one Dana brought home with the hedgehog downstairs. My name's Wynter, Rae actual sister. "
"Maria," she introduced with a smile.
"Thanks for keeping her company," Wynter said to her, "but I have a funny feeling you're needed downstairs before Tonya blows her top off."
Maria nodded and got up to go downstairs. She heard Rae whisper "bye Space Girl" to her and laughed to herself as she went downstairs.
-XXX-
The door opened and revealed Wynter and another girl who looked close in age to Dana. Amber eyes glanced around the room until locking eyes with Dana's swampy greens.
"Hiya Tonya!" Dana greeted happily.
"Dana...no," she groaned when she locked eyes on Shadow.
"Ehehe, Dana yes?" she looked over to the younger one, "Wynter, you may want to go get the other one that's telling Rae bedtime stories."
"There's TWO!" Tonya shrieked, "Dana! We don't have the necessities for another two mouths!"
"Chill Tonya. They're only here for the night," Dana explained, watching Tonya run her hands through her brassy coloured hair.
"DJ is going to murder you."
Shadow observed movement coming from the stairs and walked over to them as Maria came down as the other two girls bickered amongst themselves.
"Hey. What I miss?" She asked in a hush tone as she joined back up with her companion.
"By the sounds of it, our new friend has brought other strays than us to here before and the other is not too happy about this situation." Shadow shrugged.
"Ah I see. You think we should make a run for it tonight?"
"Might be in our best interest yes."
Before anything more was said the door opened again and another two figures came in. One being a tall brawny boy. His steely blue eyes scanned the area and looked over at the two squabbling girls.
"Alright, who did what?" he asked.
"Dana brought more home," Tonya said giving Dana a glare, which caused the other to roll her eyes.
"Oh yeah. Like I was gonna let them get caught by someone," she snapped back. She looked back over at the boy, "I did what I thought was RIGHT DJ and made sure they were safe!"
"Yeah I think it's time to high tail it out of here," Maria told Shadow but it seemed to had fallen onto deaf ears. Shadow was fixated on the other figure that came in with the boy. A purple cat, who's golden eyes matched the glares that the black hedgehog was giving to her by tenfold.
"Lifeform," She spat.
"Princess," Shadow retorted back.
"What?" Maria stammered out as she felt every situation they were both in was going south in every direction.
-XXX-
AN: I hope you enjoy this latest chapter! Music inspiration was brought to me by old Kesha songs haha. Thanks for reading and see you in the next chapter!
Darko Out!~
