I couldn't decide if today was a good day to escape and leave the safety of Richard's home or not. The cousins' generosity surely won't last for long, and I've been staying here for almost a week now. Four days, more accurately. With that period, I dusted and mopped all areas, scrubbed the part that showed mold, and killed cockroaches more than I can count with my hands. I was not sure when pest control sprays were invented. My memories of my grandma telling me to "man up" and just hit those nasty bugs with whatever my hand was holding stuck. However, the battle seemed endless and someone needed to invent it fast before my exhaustion got to me and let the cockroaches come and go from every crevice.

Okay. So for four days of slaving myself as a cleaner wasn't on a whim. Teehee~ I was gathering information like the time Richard left for work – 7 am, walking to and from his workplace for thirty minutes more or less. Apparently, Joy had the same job as her cousin, but her schedule had her leaving the home at the ungodly hour of four in the morning. I have no idea what their job entailed, actually with the manner Richard regarded my feet, muttering about a size 13 and flat feet that need to be corrected, I assumed his job circled around shoes making.

Aside from that, there were useful things to be found when one put an effort in tidying up. Like this foldable scissor!

About two inches long with a sharp edge, however, the blades looked a bit dull, similar to the kind provided in cheap sewing kits in the market. Turning it around, I was pleased to say that no rust tarnished its steel design so I kept it. Joy doesn't have to know.

My excitement at the impromptu treasure hunt led me to the bathroom. Facing the mirror that I was avoiding for the past few days, I lifted the scissors on to my curly locks mother used to lovingly call "cherub's hair". I hoped for the scissors to work well. Richard did admit that the canning factory had guards looking for a boy who has my description – me. But, plenty of blondes walked around. The number of blonde boys with gray eyes was lesser. I couldn't alter my eye color and the mole on my lip, so cutting my hair as short as possible would allow me a better chance of escaping their searches. I was even willing to shave my eyebrows if I could get a hold of razors.

The first sound of snipping was a success. Yellow strands fell down my face which I have to clean later. I was no stranger to DIY haircuts, however, I have to acknowledge that with the current hands I have, clumsy and small, the result of my hard work was…

… messy.

And no. It wasn't the attractive kind either. The bangs were gone. Some parts had smaller hair than the rest. Heck, if you look closely, I may have snipped a tiny portion of my scalp which was currently bleeding.

A new wave of fear blossomed with me. Tetanus was a terrifying disease transmitted when a dirty metallic object cuts through the skin. The symptoms were quite painful, according to my textbooks, and if untreated the victims die when all of their muscles are tonically contracted. Not a peaceful way to die, mind you. So I immediately washed it with soap and water, putting the image of death at the back of my head.

I was already in a coma, one step further from actually dying. It felt wrong to think of my demise when I still want to wake up someday and finish my degree.

A heavy sigh escaped my lips. Being a wanted person sure was hard. How did serial killers flee from the spotlight during this period? I doubt it was anything but easy.

"Escape plan, step one." I muttered to myself, "Done." It didn't matter if I looked ugly. The more important matter was to look different.

To be honest, I considered my chances of survival outside to be slim. It may be summer and the temperature was tolerable, however the late morning sun could be quite harsh. To battle heat, one needs water. A man could survive for a week without food but couldn't without water for three days tops. Richard doesn't have plastic bottles in his cupboards, or any bottles at all. It made me think what was he bringing for work then? Nonetheless, this doesn't dampen my plans. I could look for water sources like ponds or fountains. Again, I pushed the thought of drinking water-borne parasites at the back of my mind.

Another problem was food. While I was ready to drink water from an unknown source, the image of scavenging food in trash bins was too much for me to handle – a half-eaten, moldy bread that rats feasted on would land me in a hospital. I guess. But that was a lesser priority, right now I have to clean up the floor, erase the evidence of me cutting my hair so Richard won't have to look for a curly haired kid.

I hate to say this but I guess, "It's time to go."

Nodding to myself, I began heading straight to the door, turning the handle and swinging it open.

"Where do you think you're going?" Joy stood blocking my exit. Her thick arms crossed over her chest. She was gazing down at me, her deep wrinkles together with her current attire made her look like some witch who was about to skin her dinner alive. The woman had been quiet. Preferring to watch me while I stay at her cousin's home, only using her hoarse voice over some chore I must do. Her presence was thinning out my patience little by little. I was a grown man and I didn't need a hag to order me around on how things were done.

Joy wasn't supposed to be home yet, so why in the world was she here two hours earlier? Something important must have happened and multitudes of scenarios run through my mind. Perhaps an emergency that required her to leave? If that was the case, then, Richard should be home as well.

"It's none of your business." I announced, feeling nervous all of the sudden, "I'm leaving. Shouldn't you be glad I'm out of your hair?"

"What a petulant child! Here I thought you have manners."

I snarled, baring my teeth, "I'm a grown ass man!"

"You're not even past my hips. You're just a child who knows nothing." She deliberately said in a low voice. I had my fair share of adults mocking my intelligence. After all, medical school cut was cut throat, but one thing I learned was to not feel insulted after being insulted.

"Do I care? No! Let me through."

To my surprise, Joy didn't argue any further. She paused, taking a moment to contemplate on my request before stepping aside. During my time with the cousins, I learned that Richard was the passive one in the family, the type to go along with the flow. Joy, on the other hand, was quiet but a spit fire who wasn't afraid to scream at our alcoholic neighbors and slap them into submission when they caused a fight.

"You step outside that door, we're not letting you back in."

"Is that a threat, Joy?"

"Yes." She instantly agreed, sending me an intense glare that tells you that she's not to be messed with, "I don't know what you did to warrant a search party, but if those men sniffs us out… Richard and I could be thrown in jail, or worse."

Nodding, I brushed past her. I didn't stay to chat any more with Joy, neither of us were amiable to say goodbyes. This shirt I was wearing and the badly stained pants Richard got me were the only belongings I have, and Joy couldn't blame me for stealing because not even the scissors I found a while ago was with me, it was on the bathroom counter.

While there was no love lost between Joy and I, Richard somehow wormed his way into being a friendly acquaintance. Not only was he treating me as a charity case but sometimes when the house was too silent he would trade stories with me. It reminded me of my grandparents who loved to compare their experiences with mine. Like when I was complaining about going to school, how the bus was smelling like armpits, grandma would say "Bah! When I was your age we crossed rivers just to get to school!".

That put a smile on my face. I stopped and turned to Joy, "Hey! Tell Richard I'll be going now, and tell him to stop smoking!"

(x)

Once again, I found myself staring at the sky. The thick, heavy smog made it appear that evening had occurred prematurely.

I had no idea where to go other than move towards the opposite direction of the factory I first woke up in. And so far, no one has approached me yet. Some incredulous looks were thrown at me, probably thinking what disaster happened to my hair. Few people avoided me as if I was the rat that brought the black plaque. Other kids I noticed, sized me up, their eyes showed wariness at some stranger snooping around their turf. Now fighting wasn't really on my not-so well thought-out plan. The goal was to run and avoid conflict as much as possible. Plus, these children had the upper hand with their groups. I was completely alone. While I may not be familiar with this period, I have an inkling that some syndicate groups operate by using street children and I couldn't let myself get taken from one criminal organization to another. That was just dumb.

Honestly, I was beginning to think that maybe leaving the safety of Richard's home was a bad idea.

However, what Joy stated rang. I was endangering them. That shady canning facility, hiding a lot of dead bodies in one room and was willing to hurt a defenseless child, without doubt can make a certain family disappear with no trace at all.

Hollywood movies tell me that either I was a part of the mafia, or a part of black government organization that was hidden from public eyes. Both sounded just about right. And if my assumption was correct, then their search would be restricted. They couldn't post posters of myself and label it "lost and found", a reward beneath with an amount ranging from hundred to thousand dollars.

Were CCTV cameras already invented? If so… I looked around the area, these streets were far more well lit than the last time I was outside. Most have lights that tinted the place orange, coupled with bricked road that completed the odd but weirdly familiar vibe I was feeling. It gave me a sense of eeriness. People looked bigger, the birds cawed mockingly, their gazes watched my vulnerable form that I was almost frozen in my spot if it weren't for the fear of being kidnapped that pushed my legs to walk forward.

Escape plan step two was done. Right now, step three looking for shelter was what I needed to fulfill.

I saw no cameras. The paranoia in my mind argued that those cameras were hidden, of course, and secret spies were looking for me aside from the military-like guards I've seen before.

I was aware how I was placed in a dangerous situation. A dream that would turn into a nightmare if I wasn't careful. This city had no trees which allowed air pollution to fester so much. Buildings that were decades older stood tall, cracks littered its sides telling me how it survived earthquakes a long time ago. There were few places for me to hide and none of my options were ideal but it would have to do.

Besides, a diner's garbage dump was far nicer than the one I landed on that smelled like crap and decomposing humans.

.

.

Me, while patiently waiting for another SxF episode, read the manga again. Gosh! I noticed Loid had a haircut before adopting Anya. WAAAAAAH, SO HANDSOMEEEE!

Also, this is the first time Jericho's power manifested. I made it subtle. Think you can tell me what it is?