Dart's mind races remembering… Mr. Radioman from previous reports: More and more people are leaving Deldin Bay… construction sites leaving behind the homeless… the government ignoring it's people's say…

"You gotta be kidding, what a joke!"

Chapter 12

Part 1

The World is Cold

I don't understand. Everything was fine. It was like always. So why?

"Why did he leave me here alone? Argh!" I bang my fist on the metal door, taking the paper and tearing it apart. My heart's beating faster and I just can't stop, I feel hate, depression and anger all at once. I let everything pull me down. Grabbing my hair and leaning back on the door, my body slides down to the ground.

Alright man, get up, it's Pandora's voice.

I'm limp on the floor, covering my face and hating the world.

There's a big sigh, wooow! Such a baby. Come on, get up and investigate.

No and I don't care.

Dart.

I shift a bit and finally pick up my body. "Alright..." Checking under the couch, I find my dad's suitcase gone. around the apartment, the shelves are empty, the power's out, fridge empty, bathroom as well and my room untouched. "There has to be more." I kick over the trash can in the kitchen and find some pretty interesting things. Number one, a bunch of pink slips from my dad's job stating he was going to be laid off. Next, envelopes of rejected letters to companies and stores. "So, he couldn't make enough money for the both of us." Kicking the rest of the trash, a small slip of paper is left. It was a receipt. Searching through the text, I find out it's for Deldin Bay's Jetrain. "Thank you for purchasing the international pass with your free trip on selected date: October 24, 2025. Departure time at… 5:45 PM." I quickly pull out my phone, 5:36 PM.

I fall to knees, "no frickin way am I gonna make that!" My wolf senses focuses and I think, the time keeps going and right when the screen displays, 5:37, I kick up and sprint out the door. Jumping down a flight of steps and then the other, I don't stop. Passing the fence, passing the streets, passing the cars, I run. The jetrain station is all the way across town, further than the school and further than the park. There's a street cross and at full speed I suddenly halt, falling backwards. A truck honks speeding by, almost running me over. "Get up, get up." I pant and pull up to my feet. Not finding the chance to check my phone, I continue and force myself to go faster. The park is behind me and there's just a few more blocks to go.

There!

I push through the doors and leap over the metal ticket-check centers. Behind me a cop yells but I keep going, searching the paths. The halls are swarming with people going this way and that, at the end of the hall I see the boarding 5:45 jetrain. Running faster than I have ever before, I leave the crowd and yell, "Dad!" A man, suited in khakis and a dress shirt, stands by the closing jetrain door. He looks to his left, right before it completely shuts. His stunned face shows through the murky window and tears fall. "Dad!" I cry, and drop to my knees once again. The jetrain begins to move and my dad hits his head against the glass. Then, someone grabs my shirt and yanks me up. A cop. I'm then dragged back and out of the station.

:O :O :O

WARNING - UNSAFE

The sign that plagued my apartment door and fated my future flashed through my head and I just sit here. I feel nothing, like my chest is completely empty and I'm about to disappear from everything. It's so quiet… until a machine coughs up from outside - tearing, ripping through stone.

WARNING - UNSAFE

I can't stay here.

I make my way upstairs and look around my room. There's forty bucks on my desk which perks up my motivation and I head for that first. Thinking carefully, I take a quick shower and change into a muscle top under a long sleeve and my good black hoodie over. For pants I put on my warmest cotton sweat pants which are the red Deldin Bay ones. Adding on some socks, I tuck an extra pair in my hood and pull a beanie over my head. The forty is placed nicely with the six bucks in my wallet and both that and my phone are in my pocket. There are a couple of plastic FloorStore bags in the kitchen I might be able to use. In that I add my uniform and a spare set of clothes. Well that's done and out of the way, I head down the stairs. Workers stare at me as I walk past them and I leave through the unlocked gate they opened. Above me, the sun is almost gone and thus I begin my search for a place to stay.

The orphanage is an automatic no for obvious reasons. I'm not as low to beg for help, ending up staying at a prison full of bratty kids. Next on my list would be a sleepover at Pandora's or Phosphora's which could go wrong in many ways and I wouldn't want to bother someone with these kinda problems. Ever since Deldin's been falling, programs opened up at the church to aid the increasing number of homeless. I could start there. Though at this time, places would already be taken and judging how many are on the streets, I could already be too late. So what to do, hm?

"Might as well try..." I begin to walk the streets heading to Deldin's south church.

By the time I got there, they had already been accepting people in. Joining the slowly moving line, I let my body feel the weak sun rays and try to calm myself again. It didn't take long for me to get to the door, it was a smaller group since the majority would've gone to Deldin's main supporting center. This little program looks as if it was run by Boy Scouts or college volunteer clubs. I chose right today, thank the goddesses. Inside the run down church were rows of beds, one after the other and as close as a tissue box away. I was looked at strangely at first, but then the man pointed me towards the back corner, giving me a small hopeful smile. It was until later I realized the great gesture. There are only a small handful of homeless that are crazily desperate, only a few that lose their common respect.

Having the nice corner away from the crazies was relieving and I was grateful for that man, oh praise the goddess. When the volunteers handed out us our dinner (decent size meal consisting: a biscuit, a lump of mash potatoes and a pile of corn), fights broke out at areas around the church and some of the homeless were pretty scary.

It was difficult to sleep that night. Probably has to do with the fact that there was fifty other people sleeping next to me. Nope. From obnoxious snoring to painful moaning echoing to the church, that wasn't why I couldn't sleep. I was more afraid of waking up to a new day. And like of me still felt like all of this is still a nightmare, silly huh. I just don't know anymore... What'll happen to me? Where will I go tomorrow? Can I live off the street forever?

Let the Goddess stand over me.
It is so cold and dark here.
I will wait forever on one knee.
Forever in years.
Till I can let go of this fear.

I read those words on the wall next to me. And I repeated them over and over blocking out the noises around. It was then I finally closed my eyes for rest.

End

"I'm afraid they might take me away..."

CHEFT: yes, this chapter had a different feel to it (minus the situation here) I didn't add too much of Dart's mind here, much sorrys. It just so happened to end up like this, but anyways you are amazing! And have a great day!