Coolio, it's out. Awesome, eh? Um, I suppose it's okay but it leaves on another cliffhanger so I don't know how much you guys will like me. Chao!
Before the Tale
Solo Act
It was cold under the bed. The house was badly heated in spots and this room was right against the outer wall so the cold crept through the back of the bed I was huddle against. I was used to cold but this was different. When I first started to fight and steal I did feel badly for the beginning but I got used to it. I needed to survive too. But the cold I felt back then started to rise in my stomach too.
Sister Helen had fallen to her knees, gasping as she pushed her hands tight over the wound. She turned her head dizzily to look at me under the bed.
"P-please come out," she was panting. "It wasn't your f-fault. P-please I n-need your h-help. C-come on…"
She needed me? Yea right! I just stabbed her, there was no way she wasn't seriously thinking of hurting me. I was never leaving. I shook my head stubbornly. She gave a shuddering sigh and placed one of her bloodied hands on the bed. It creaked over my head as she used it to stand up. She hobbled out of the room, her uneven steps accompanied by whimpers of protest. I covered my ears with my hands.
It seemed like hours I crouched there. My legs had long since fallen asleep so I finally relaxed a bit and sat on the dusty wooden floor. I sneezed again as I felt the blood rushing back into my legs. It felt cool. I sniffed a bit, all the sneezing making my nose runny. Maybe they'd left. They might have thought that since I wasn't going to move there was no point in keeping the house and they just all up and left. Maybe it was safe…
I edged a bit closer to the clear floor. It was time to leave right? But what if…? I poked my head out from under the bed. It seemed quiet. I cautiously put a hand tenderly on the wooden floor.
Footsteps thumped from the end of the hall. I scuttled backwards, smacking my head on the top of the bed but I was safely back against the wall. I wrapped my arms around my knees and prayed for my heart to stop racing and my teeth to stop chattering.
The small feet paused outside of the door I was in and I could hear breathing. The footsteps started again, a bit slower.
"Hello?"
I didn't answer. There was no way I was going to give myself away if I didn't have too. There was no telling what would happen. In all my years on the street, this was the worst thing to happen to me yet.
"Helloooooo…" this time the word was teasingly strung out. "I know you're in here! I'm here to find you! Come out, come out where ever you are!"
I didn't move a muscle.
"Fine," there was a slight sigh in the little voice. "I'll just have to find you. Here little kid, little kid, little kid… Now, if I were terrified, where would I be?"
Even I couldn't help but pause a second and utter a small sigh at his stupidity. If you babbled like that on the street, there was no telling what someone would do to you. People just don't like anything annoying if they can help it.
"Well, under something for starters," there was a small thump of two little knees hitting the floor. I saw the back of a blonde head look under a chair. "Nope, not there."
The little kid turned his head and all irritated thoughts flew from my head as his piercing ice eyes spotted me.
"Aha! Gotcha!"
I curled up tighter as he slid on his belly instead of his knees. He squirmed under the bed, sneezing as he worked his way closer to me.
"Hey ya!"
I glared at him as my hands shook.
"Um, I don't really have a name yet, Sister Helen says I'm my own solo act though! You can call me Solo then. What's your name?"
I looked down. Twice in one day two people had asked for something I didn't have. I stabbed the first, what was I going to do with him. I scooted farther away from him. He kept his insane grin and shuffled forward more.
"Don't worry about Sister Helen, Father Maxwell is taking her to the hospital but they don't think it's too bad. She's not mad you know, a little pissed but who wouldn't be?"
That's right, who wouldn't be pissed at a street rat who just stabbed them for their generosity! I certainly didn't want to hang out here, not when a hospital and police are going to be involved. The only problem was this small blonde haired boy who called himself Solo. He was in my way.
Before he could think, I dove forward onto my belly and started to skimmy past him to the open door. I caught him off guard as my head poked free of the dust and I scrambled to my feet.
Wham! I fell face first on the ground. Dazed, I glanced back and saw a pair of determined blue eyes smiling at me. I struggled to gather my wits as I lashed out with the other foot. I heard a yelp of pain as the grip lessened on my foot. Without waiting to see what I had hit on him, I pulled my whole body out and darted for the door.
Blood pounded in my brain as my reawakened limb started to warm up again. I struggled to remember which way to go as I slowed to a walk as soon as I was clear of the room. It all looked different now. Something wet was trickling down my face. I lifted a finger and was shocked when it came back with fresh blood on it. My nose was bleeding from where it impacted on the floor.
I could hear a foul curse behind me in the room as Solo pulled himself from under the bed. Taking a chance, I ran to the left.