(October 14, 2007)

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Midday sunlight reflected harshly off gray concrete and glass windows- or what was left of them- sending the glare into Aiden's eyes. Aiden tugged his hood further over his head and trudged down the street. Having chosen to inspect the area on foot, Aiden's bike and food bag lay hidden among some rubble a ways back

Two weeks of looking for a suitable place to live and he'd only come up empty. Desperation began to gnaw at him (or maybe that was hunger?). These long rides in and out of the city were draining and too public for Aiden's taste. If he didn't find something soon . . . well, he wasn't sure what he was going to do.

Aiden kept on, half wondering what he was even looking for. The streets were almost deserted. Looking around at the broken down buildings surrounding him, he could see why this wasn't much of a tourist destination. However, an occasional adult sat or loitered around some of the structures. Aiden felt their eyes trail him but he pretended they didn't exist. He wasn't carrying anything and his bedraggled appearance projected a similar rough lifestyle.

That didn't mean he let his guard down.

Turning a corner, he wandered deeper into an old industrial park. Warehouses stretched down the road for blocks and buildings loomed overhead; gray, stone and without much protection from the elements or potential . . . visitors. That probably explained why there were so few people around.

The park ran along a small river and connected to the rest of the city by a stone bridge. It was far enough away from the hub of downtown to avoid prying eyes, but not so far to be inconvenient. A half hour bike ride versus a several hour ride. No contest. It really would be the perfect location- if he could find a suitable shelter. That was looking less and less likely with every passing building. If this area would be good enough for him to set up camp in, wouldn't others who were homeless have taken up residence already? But other than a handful of men Aiden had passed, the area seemed mostly devoid of life.

Another row of deteriorating warehouses later yielded the same result. Aiden kicked the corner of the closest one, letting out a frustrated grunt. Why could none of this be easy? Pain pulsed in his temples causing him to rub a hand over his eyes. Sun, lack of sleep and food, stress . . . It wasn't a pretty combination. Ducking into the building he'd kicked Aiden plopped down on the floor, away from the sun's rays.

'What am I doing?' Aiden rested his head against the wall. It wasn't much cooler inside -and, admittedly, wearing a long sleeve jacket didn't help the California heat. Aiden rubbed his face and let out a sigh, letting his eyes trail the building's interior.

Dilapidated bits of wood and concrete lay scattered around the floor. Small piles of debris lined the graffitied stone inside. A few empty door jambs cut into the walls left and right of the main door. Through the holes Aiden could see more junk heaps. Along the far wall, broken metal steps led up to a foreman's office situated on what would be the equivalent of a second story. Aiden studied it with interest.

Forcing himself upwards, Aiden went for a closer look. While the stairs didn't look very sturdy, with his small stature they looked like they'd hold his weight.

Several steps were broken through and others were sharply caved. Many of them, though, did appear intact. Aiden cautiously put his foot on the first stable looking step, testing his weight. It groaned softly but held. Taking it slow, Aiden kept going.

Halfway up he the metal gave way beneath him. Aiden lurched forward and grabbed what remained of the handrail, just managing to catch himself from falling twelve feet to the ground. It took several shaky breaths before he convinced himself to let go of the rail and continue. By the time he reached the doorway his knuckles were wight from holding the handrail and his heart felt like it wanted to leave his chest.

Giving himself a minute to catch his bearings, Aiden stood on the landing letting his eyes adjust to the dim interior. A large window gave a grainy view to the road outside. Between that and some small broken windows facing the inside of the warehouse, enough light filtered in to illuminate the space.

It looked about as big as his bedroom back home. To his relief the floor looked intact, though it was somewhat obscured beneath several inches of dust. However, there weren't piles of debris like on the first level. The room only held the skeletal remains of a desk, sitting forlornly against the far wall.

Pulling his hood down, Aiden placed a tentative foot forward. The floor didn't so much as squeak. With a growing confidence, Aiden walked the length of the room. Other than the broken windows and some small holes in the walls, the place was mostly intact. With a little sweeping it would easily be livable. And with the unstable stairs others wouldn't be able to come up easily. Aiden's mind began to spin with possibilities. 'This could actually work!'

First though, he had to get his stuff there. Aiden frowned, that would be a hassle. He could bring everything at night in one trip, but if anyone were to see him- which was probable in the never sleeping city- it would cause way too many questions. However if he spaced it out, the frequent trips could be noticed too, unless he took one trip per day. With his bags, that could take at least three days. Groaning at the thought, Aiden plopped on the ground. Why did all of his options lately seem to be stacked against him?

He shook his head. After searching for so long he finally found a base that was completely unknown from whoever those freaks were that destroyed his life. These small silver linings needed to be appreciated.

'But what should I do?' Aiden glanced out the window. Early afternoon light still streamed through the glass. He had enough time to head out to his current base before the sun set. But what to do when he got out there? Letting out an exasperated sigh Aiden kicked the wall. It did nothing besides send a jolt of pain through his foot. 'Alright, alright.' Sulking wasn't going to help anything.

'I can at least make my way back and then try to figure it out.' Aiden headed to the stairs. Looking down he realized how high up he really was. If the stairs were to break on him he'd be lucky to come away without any broken bones. 'Guess I'll just have to be careful.'

Occasional stairs continued to protest his presence. He frowned as he continued moving downward. Figuring out which stairs were the most stable would be a top priority. Even then, there was no way the stairs would tolerate his weight plus the gear. Aiden glanced back up at the handrail and window next to the doorway. Both had large open spaces. If he could rig up a pulley system for his stuff and bypass the stairs that could take care of that problem! And a rope tied by the external window could give an additional means of escape if it opened . . . His thoughts came to a crashing halt. He didn't have rope.

Resisting the urge to smack himself, Aiden silently berated his oversight. 'How could I have forgotten that!? Dad always said rope was important to have on hand, especially since you never know when you might need it.' In his mental tirade Aiden almost missed his next step and only his years of fancy footwork kept him from a hard fall. 'Pay attention stupid!' His thoughts scolded. 'That's really what I need; to get myself killed over a stupid piece of rope when I'm not even using one.'

Angrily storming out of the building, Aiden didn't take time to see if anyone else was still around. It was only when he crossed the bridge that he felt the prickling of watchful eyes. Shivering even in the heat, Aiden forced himself to keep walking forward. 'Just add that to my list! Dad would be so disappointed. Not to mention upset since that's only leaving myself open to potential danger.' There wasn't much he could do about it now except try and evade whoever it was before reaching his bike.

'Alright, fine. I'll give you nothing to see.' Aiden marched purposefully onward. The road led to deserted houses before giving way to inhabited neighborhoods. Casually he turned behind the nearest house. As soon as he was around the corner he broke into a sprint in the direction of his hidden bike. No sounds of pursuit followed, but the hairs on the back of his neck remained upright. It didn't matter now. He just had to get away.

Ducking into a condemned house he whipped the tarp and boards aside. His bike sat patiently, undisturbed by whatever pursued its owner. Aiden didn't bother walking the bike out. Quickly slinging a leg over the seat, Aiden pedaled out the door and jumped over what remained of the front stairs. The bike tilted dangerously on impact, but Aiden managed to remain upright. Without another glance back Aiden pedaled as fast as he could.

He didn't let himself slow down until he was several miles away. Even then he pushed himself hard to get beyond the city limits. Relief flooded his senses when he finally reached his base camp. He slipped off the bike and let himself collapse on the ground. 'Not good.' Panting, Aiden tried to plan his next steps.

There was no way to tell if those eyes were friend or foe . . . but on the streets . . . at his age . . . he didn't expect them to be of the benevolent sort. 'But do I go back?' With a place that finally seemed suitable it would be his luck to feel the need to flee the scene. Could he not catch a break?

Groaning in frustration, Aiden felt his heart rate slowly return to normal. Well, there was no question if he was going back tonight. Tomorrow probably wasn't a good idea either. Maybe, though, it would be safe to return in a few days. He could make his food last that long, and his water should if he was careful. He needed a break from going into the city. But would returning be worth the risk?

A sudden rumble came from the sky. Aiden jerked his head up to see dark clouds closing in. Another thing he hadn't noticed. 'Oh, no.' They didn't get much rainfall around here but when they did . . . Aiden scrambled to his feet. Quickly stuffing his scattered possessions into the backpacks Aiden knew he wouldn't have long to get out of the drain before the water flooded in. Thunder boomed again, closer this time. 'Not yet!'

The first sprinkles fell as Aiden dragged his gear up the slope. The wind picked up, tugging harshly against Aiden's jacket. There wasn't any lightning- yet- so Aiden leaned the bike against a tree to help keep it upright. Hanging the bags on the bike Aiden pulled out one of his tarps and threw it over top of everything and secured the pegs into the ground. If his bike stayed standing everything should remain fairly dry. He hoped. There wasn't any other course of action out here in the middle of nowhere.

Aiden wrapped the other tarp around himself. Rain poured down with increasing fervor. 'Twice in two weeks. Of course, why not? Go figure it would do this when normally we don't have any rain until October! But nooooo, just my luck.' Shivering beneath the onslaught, Aiden just wanted to bang his head against the tree until the universe decided to cut him some slack.

Already he could hear the rushing of water in the gully below. Good thing he'd made it here before the rain started or he'd probably have come back to all his possessions having been washed away. Thunder crashed above, louder this time. Sighing Aiden leaned against the tree. It was going to be a long evening.

The rain finally lightened and sputtered out just before sunset. Vibrant red and orange streaks peaked through gaps in the clouds. Aiden's exhausted legs shook with relief. Trying to avoid getting completely soaked, Aiden had opted to stand during the duration of the storm. Now, three hours later, he was ready to collapse.

Small puddles lay scattered around his feet, but the tarp had done its job to keep the rain (mostly) off Aiden during the storm. Laying the tarp over the wet ground made some sloshing noises when Aiden's weight shifted, but the water stayed below the plastic. Tiredly Aiden yanked his sleeping bag out- relieved that his supplies had managed to remain dry as well- and plopped it on the tarp.

'Good enough.' Aiden kicked off his shoes and slid into the sleeping bag. Another long, emotionally compromising day. Fabulous. And unfortunately who knew how many more he was going to have now that he was homeless . . . and family-less . . . and on the run from aliens.

It was official; life sucked.

Aiden let out a sharp breath. 'No. Things that have happened suck. But I'm still here and I can still make dad proud.' Hopefully.

By the time the sun rose the dry ground absorbed any remaining evidence of the thunderstorm. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, Aiden sat upright. The soft pink glow was a welcome sight, and after the storm yesterday Aiden wasn't about to take the sun for granted any time soon.

An engine hummed on the nearby road. Aiden started at the sound. With the sun rising, even though he was many yards off the road, his little camp could be seen. He doubted anyone would actually stop to see who was at the camp, but they might call the police or something. Not a hassle he wanted to contend with. The longer he could stay off the police's radar the better.

Hastily he folded the tarps and stuffed one into the camping backpack. Walking his bike down into the gully, only a faint stream of water remained in the middle of the concrete tunnel. Nothing enough to damage his possessions. Aiden wiped a trickle of sweat off his forehead. Given the temperature change since even waking, he wouldn't have to worry about residual water for long.

Thus another boring day of waiting began. Realizing that if someone was waiting for him to return to the warehouse, he knew taking everything in one trip would seriously hinder him if a quick exit became necessary. In an effort to kill time, and hopefully minimize losses if worst came to worst, Aiden spread out all his possessions. He still had to decide what to take the first time- things useful, but not enough that he couldn't live without if something happened.

It wasn't easy.

At this point the scant amount of items he owned were all precious. Divvying up his clothing was the most straightforward; he packed an extra outfit leaving behind his warmest clothes and Dane's jacket. If he were to lose those . . . well he'd be in for a difficult winter. With that in mind Aiden weighed his options with his sleeping bag. That was another item he could not afford to lose. That would mean waiting to bring it until he was sure it was safe. Grimacing, Aiden moved one of the tarps to the 'take' pile. It wouldn't be very warm or comfortable, but it was better than sleeping straight on the ground- and with two he had a little leeway.

The pocketknife could stay with him, it could always be shoved in his sock or something if people came after him. His flashlight would probably be helpful at the new place, especially since Aiden didn't know the grounds well enough to risk walking around in the dark- though should he risk a light when he didn't know what potential dangers the location held? Aiden set it with the tarp. He'd rather have it and not need it. Everything else would be better off by staying put until he was sure of this new hideout.

With nothing else needing to be done, Aiden chose to practice his forms. Due to exhaustion, he hadn't been keeping up with conditioning, but he no longer had any excuse not to. Plus, given his current circumstances, staying on top of training was a necessity. If he were to come across anyone on the street he had to be able to defend himself long enough to get away.

After running through his forms, Aiden practiced different types of kicks. He didn't have anything to strike, but the repeated actions would help drill the motions into his mind. Though there was no one to correct his form anymore. Aiden shook that thought aside. Like he needed those reminders.

A couple hours later Aiden collapsed to the ground, muscles aching, though in a satisfying way. The exercise was a welcome outlet after all the hiding . . . and sneaking . . . and stress. It felt so good. And, if Aiden was honest with himself, it was like having another piece of his dad with him.

That night, Aiden slept without dreams.

Aiden glanced at his watch. 12:02 p.m. Only two minutes passed since the last time he looked. Resisting the urge to strike the concrete wall, Aiden let out a sharp breath through his nose. This waiting would be the death of him before any alien monsters.

His current plan to leave mid-afternoon was becoming less and less appealing. 'It takes three hours to get there and you don't want to be so early that any passersby see you before you continue scoping out the place.' He tried to tell himself. Shoving down his impatience Aiden forced himself to sit. 'What's two hours when you don't have anything going on anyway?'

Still it felt like an eternity before the clock reached three. Heart pumping with nerves and excitement, Aiden slung his backpack on and began the journey to the warehouse. Thoughts whirled in his brain but kept centering back on, 'Will this actually work?' Right now he really needed some sort of silver lining.

The next couple hours moved much faster now that Aiden had a goal he was working toward. As he got closer Aiden swiveled his head back and forth, watching carefully for any signs of life. A couple adults came in and out of houses, but none spared him a second glance. Livable houses gave way to the broken husks of buildings. Finding the same one from a couple days before, Aiden hid his bike again.

He slunk out the door, this time keeping a wary eye out for any passersby. But today it seemed like he was the only one here. 'Not sure if that's a good thing or just the calm before the storm.' Aiden chose to hope it was a good sign.

The warehouse looked no different than it did two days ago, though with all the junk and debris it wouldn't be easy to tell if someone had come through. Aiden walked over to the stairs. Since he didn't have any rope yet- still wasn't sure what he was going to do about that- it was going to take a few trips to safely carry everything to the upper level. His bag didn't weigh that much, but Aiden wasn't willing to take the risk of overloading the stairs.

After several treks up and down the stairs, Aiden's few possessions had been set on the tarp in a corner. 'And now comes more waiting.' He'd brought enough food and water to last a couple days. That would hopefully be enough time to see if this location would be secure and secluded enough to become his new hideout.

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Three days later he felt confident enough to call the space- well not home, exactly- but a place to start again.