Leo Valdez

I kept running. I couldn't stop now, I had made it this far. If I stopped now, the authorities would catch me and send me to another foster home, I'd get attached, and have to run away again. It was a cycle you couldn't break.

Buuut, I collapsed beside a thicket anyway.

I was out of breath and I needed a break from running. I mapped out my next plan in my mind. Maybe there'd be a store or something up ahead that I could pry some food from. The whole lost- boy- needs- food gag had kept me alive for days now. Somehow, I just felt there was a gas station near. It was like I could feel the machines there working.

I regained all my breath and stood up, dusting sand from my pants. I began walking towards the hum of machines, and pulled a couple nuts and bolts from my pockets and began fumbling with them. That always seemed to keep me occupied, since there was nothing else to do out in the desert.

Why did the desert have to have so much sand? It was blinding and clogged my airways. I had gone miles with seeing nothing but sand, cacti, tumbleweeds, and more sand. It was driving me insane.

In no time, I arrived at the front door of a gas station.

I looked up at the large sign that said QuickTrip on it. "Sweet," I said to myself and walked in. The sugary smell of pastries filled my lungs and I smiled to myself. My stomach rumbled loudly and a girl whipped around at the sound. She had on aviators so I couldn't see her eyes, but that was fine because she had a nice body to make up for it. She had curves in all the right places. I shook myself, because I was staring at this girl like a creep. But then again, she was staring at me too.

I licked my head and tried laying down my ratty hair.

She seemed to keep her gaze locked on me and that's when I noticed the sword swinging from her side. It was shiny, like bronze, and looked way too big for her. Wait, why was this hot chick carrying a sword anyway?

"Ma'm," the clerk said.

She didn't break her stare from mines, until a mocha colored man appeared next to her with a bag of donuts and an icee.

"Honey, why are you staring at the street rat," he asked in a velvety tone.

"I wasn't staring at him," I heard her whisper to him.

The man shrugged his shoulders and paid for the food. The man walked past me, sipping from the icee loudly. The girl took the bag and walked slowly towards me. My heart was beating loudly, and my face was trickling with sweat now. What the hell was going on?

The girl hurriedly thrust a powder donut, some coins, and some bills into my dirty hands. I got a good look into her glasses and what I saw was far from normal looking eyes.

Instead of eyes, I saw hollow holes, filled with glowing white hot light.

I jumped back into the store and the girl looked down. She ran through the door and something else weird happened. The door made a weird buzzing sound and sparks flew from it. It seemed stuck halfway opened. Snacks flew off the racks, onto the floor and everyone in the store turned their heads my way.

The store clerk stared at me with wide eyes, switching back from the girl pulling away in the fancy BMW, to me, the ratty "street rat".

"Sir, either buy something or GET OUT!"

I slowly opened my hand. There was a smushed donut, two twenties, and a couple of coins. Three of the coins seemed to stand out, because they were bigger and they were gold. Something told me to keep those safe, so I stuck the in my jacket pockets.

I picked up various snacks from the floor, a couple pastries, some hot dogs, juice, and some medical stuff. I wobbled over to the register and then set all the stuff down. Then I went and got a cheap little book bag to carry my stuff in, paid for it, and left the store.

Then that's when everything seemed to get better.