Darkness Ignite

Chapter 2

Nesrin

My feet splashed into a puddle as I made my way to the Dark Alleys. I knew Khiry would be there somewhere because that was where most of the bidding came from. He was bound to be there with Kibben, hustling people and bribing others.

I tried to avoid bumping into any other wanderers as I wound my way through the streets. The streets were emptying out as the sun descended. Not much to do when you can't sell what you can't see. Shops were closing and people were scurrying to their homes. If it had been earlier in the day, crowds would be forming with greedy shop owners and hustling trade makers. But at night, it was a ghost of a city. Nothing dared move or make a sound.

I loosened the head wrap when I felt a pulsing headache begin. My hair managed to escape the bun I tied it into. It was either the harsh winds or my tight hairdo, but my head was pounding more so than usual.

My skirt was beginning to dampen with brown mud water, and it was slowing me down, but I pushed harder against its weight. The pair of brown worn boots I had on were soaked through and my toes curled with the chilling breeze that passed every now and then.

I gazed up at the stars. No matter how beautiful and calming it looked, it mocked all of us who couldn't have the luxury to look like that or live like that. This time of day always brought about a melancholy feel. For every hour it got darker, the gloomier the city turned. It reminded everyone that they needed to keep working even though nothing would change for them. Nighttime was nothing more but a slight break from the busy day that would come in a few hours. This was the life for those who couldn't afford anything else other than the essentials to living, to survive. This was the life of those who should go to school but couldn't because they're needed at home.

Those who seldom passed me didn't have a glimmer of hope in their eyes that I read in books, instead there was an aching shine of dullness. Nobody went around singing their souls out about their happiness, there were only the murmurings of what one needed for the rest of the family and how they might not be able to afford it.

So, as I did any other day, I kept going because it was the only way I could go. My mother and my brother were the only reasons why I haven't gone completely crazy.

When my feet were beginning to ache and the sky was getting darker by the minute, I finally reached the other side of the city. The sound of the horns blasting gave way another hour within the day. This was where the streets were far more sinister and more abandoned, except for the occasional person that would wander around waiting for their next client.

No one was ever outside selling their products because it was either illegal or stolen from other dealers. The only ones willing to make an appearance were those who had items that were already sold, so they were waiting for the client.

I've ended up multiple times in the Dark Alleys that I've become a regular in these parts. I knew who the dangerous dealers were, and I knew how to avoid them. My head was always turned downward because I've learned not to stare directly at anyone who was standing outside in the clear night.

Sometimes I'd receive a few nods from those who were familiar with my brother, and no one bothered me when I came around these parts because Khiry was involved with Niros.

But being familiar in the area can have its downfalls too.

There were creatures that would lurk around the streets and in the shadows, courtesy of the plague that swept the world years before. They weren't the creepy people that stayed hidden behind buildings waiting for a victim. They were creatures that would ravish on anyone they wanted. Sometimes they appeared black and shadowy, or they'd reveal their true forms before feasting on their target. I had yet to meet one in person, but the tales were enough to strike fear.