Rats: Shai's Story

Going To Bright

Author's note: Thank you to everyone who is reading. Please comment and vote because I'd love to know your thoughts on the story.

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Sleeping with an empty stomach was something Shai had always lived with. Todd promised they’d eat well in the morning so they saved their food and didn’t eat last night.

As the sun began to rise it filled their apartment full of light. Shai got out of bed eagerly, her mouth watering at the thought of food. She put on her usual disguise to hide her from being a Rat. She threw a black dress over her head. A bright green sash was underneath her chest and her fingers fumbled with it as she tried to tie it behind her. Her hair was greasy and she twisted it into a bun at the nape of her neck. She slipped her feet into her shoes and ran out of her bedroom.

Todd wasn’t there and his bedroom door was still closed. Shai pounded her fist on his door. He opened it wearing a pair of black pants and a red buttoned up shirt, which he hadn’t bothered to do up yet. His dark hair was slicked back, revealing more of his face than Shai usually sees. His pendent hung from his chest. It was a piece of metal with a dragon carved into it with bright green eyes. Shai had asked once why he hadn’t sold it, and he convinced her that it was worth nothing.

“I’ll be ready in a minute,” he told her turning into his room.

She stepped into his room. Their rooms had the same layout, but looked nothing alike. Todd’s walls were lined with an assortment of knives and other weapons he had managed to get his hands on. Shai preferred to hide her weapons, like the knife she always carried in her bag.

Todd pulled two small identical knives off his wall and slid them into his belt. He tucked his shirt into his pants and buttoned it up, successfully hiding the blades. He bent down and picked something up off his bed among the mess of blankets and tossed it to Shai. She caught it and saw it was the broach and slipped it into her bag.

“Lets go,” Todd said.

She followed him as he walked over to the small window in the corner of their apartment. Like the rest of the windows they had covered it with cardboard, so from outside it looked just like one of the other abandoned buildings. Todd picked it up and propped it up against the wall. Shai opened the window and stepped out onto the metal balcony. While crouching, she peered over the edge to see if anyone was on the street below. It was clear and she motioned for Todd to come out. He pulled himself through the window and then reached in to fix the cardboard back over the window.

They made their way down the metal staircase. Shai could already start to feel the hot sun beat off her back. Her and Todd hurried as quickly as they could. It was dangerous for them to be dressed like this in the Slums.

They kept up against the side of the building. Shai was leading and peaked around the end of every building. If the coast was clear or only a few people not paying attention, she’d take off running and Todd would follow her.

Once they made their way back to the Market, they walked normally to look like everyone else. Shai kept a sharp eye out for Riley. She knew his booth was at the other end of the Market, but she didn’t want to run into him but accident. She’d have to pretend she was coming to see him, and she wouldn’t get her breakfast with Todd; they one they’ll get because of her.

Shai followed as Todd weaved his way through the shoppers to where the booths ended at the end of the street. It turned into stores that were located inside the booths.

The Ace Pawn Shop was between a nail salon and an abandoned store. Todd told her once that the sign said it use to carry music. Shai couldn’t think of how someone would sell music out of a store. She’s heard music at the Shelter and you couldn’t sell people playing instruments.