Beyond The Wall

Chapter 7.1

/SEVEN/

"So, you gonna tell me why you're helping that kid?"

I rubbed the towel over my head, drying my messy curls, before wrapping it around my waist. I paused at the door, listening to the faint voices speak from what I assumed was the kitchen. Crow responded, but I couldn't make out what he said. Turning around, I hung up my clothes and sighed.

"You really think keeping him around is smart, Crow?"

I lowered my eyes and stared at the wet tiles before me until I decided I wouldn't sulk in here any longer. I pressed my shoulder against the door and shoved it open, holding the towel tight around me.

"I'd hate for him to end up like me." I could hear Crow mutter the closer I approached the doorway to the hall. I stopped short, debating on whether I should interrupt them or not.

"Don't let anyone hear you saying something like that," Lion mocked. "Wouldn't want people thinking you're going soft, huh?"

Lion's cackle carried through the building. I forced myself to take a step forward, my bare feet smacking against the floor, hushing the others from speaking. I poked my head into the kitchen, seeing Lion sitting in the chair with his legs propped up on the table and Crow leaning against the wall to my right. They both looked over at me.

"Sorry. My clothes are wet," I said, glancing down at my towel. Lion couldn't stop himself from shuddering with laughter once more.

"There's clothes in the room you just walked through," he said once he caught his breath. "Just throw something on for now until your stuff dries."

I nodded and glanced over at Crow. He only stared at me through narrow eyes, not a smile or laugh in sight. Without another second passing, I spun on my heels and returned to the other room with the futon and the array of clothes spilled across the floor. I grabbed the closest set of clothes I could find, a tank top and a pair of shorts, both of which were way too big for me.

Instead of returning to the others, I plopped down onto the couch, shoving aside some papers and wrappers. I leaned my head back and stared at the ceiling, paint flaking and dust sticking to it. Before I could let my mind wander too far, the floor creaked, dragging my attention to the doorway. Crow stood there with his arms crossed and he leaned against the frame.

"Listen up," he said. I sat forward, propping my elbows on my knees. "Tomorrow, we've got work to do. If you do a good enough job, I'll consider cutting down your rent. Deal?"

I furrowed my brows and focused on the grooves in the floor. "What's the job?"

"Just some simple information collection," Crow remarked, shrugging his shoulders. "I'll get into more detail about it tomorrow. Make sure you get sleep tonight."

He began to turn around before I lifted my head.

"Wait," I said. He stopped and glanced back at me. "I just wanna... Thanks. For helping me. I do owe you, I know that. I also know that helping me is risky. So thanks for doing that."

Crow looked down for a moment before returning his eyes to mine. He nodded, offering a half smile that didn't reach his eyes. He left without saying a word.

#

Although the stench didn't completely go away, it was nice to have clothes that didn't smell like the pigs' last meal. And to Crow's advice, I did sleep well. I woke up a few times, but otherwise felt rested. That shower did me wonders. I stared into the darkness, wondering what Crow had in store for me today. He made it seem like a simple job, but for some reason I couldn't believe that.

I flung myself forward, sitting up before hopping to my feet. Flicking on the light, I stared down at the tangled blanket beneath me. I huffed, the urge in my chest and fingers fighting me to fold it, to have some semblance of control in my life. I gave in.

With a clean room, or as clean as it could be, I shut off my light and whipped open the door, gasping as I nearly bumped into Crow.

He cocked a brow, dropping his hand that had been raised to knock. "Good morning."

"Mornin'," I said, staring at him with caution. He stepped aside and allowed me to pass by him.

"We're going outside of the city today," he began as he led us out of the building. My eyes widened at the prospect of leaving the safety of the metropolis.

"What for? And won't that be dangerous?" I asked as I rushed to keep up with his quick pace. It was early morning on the weekend, most hibernating from the week's work. The streets were still busy but it was manageable. I wasn't bumping shoulders or gasping for air while swimming through a sea of people, and that made me feel a bit better.

"Well, the client wants us to get intel on this particular person," Crow muttered. He turned his head side to side, scanning his surroundings. "This person lives outside of the city from what I've learned so far."

I furrowed my brows, my eyes wide with confusion. What the hell kind of job was this? He suddenly turned left and crossed the massive street. I stumbled as I attempted to keep up, narrowly missing a woman walking with her child. I muttered an apology and bowed my head and then scurried up to Crow.

The monstrous towers were an uncomfortable sight. No matter how often I walked these streets, they still loomed over ominously, swallowing the sky whole. If I gazed up too long, I grew dizzy and overwhelmed by their presence.

We continued to walk through narrow streets and back alleys until we saw the edge of the city. It was just a road through a doorway into the vast emptiness of desertous plains. Nothing seemed to grow beyond the wall. But humans somehow learned.

The shadows of the skyscrapers gave way to the sparkling sunlight, the brightness too difficult to bear. I shielded my eyes and glanced back, the safety of the buildings only a few yards away. Crow continued forward, leaving me behind. His boots left vague imprints in the dirty asphalt that once belonged to a road.

I trailed behind, following in his steps for the next hour, the sun beating down on the left side of my face. Sweat slowly trickled down my face, my curly hair stuck to my forehead. Crow glanced back a few times before stopping, waiting for me to catch up. He pulled a leather pouch from his cloak, unclipping it from his waistband, and held it out to me.

"Don't need you passing out," he remarked once I was close. I took the pouch and felt the sloshing of water inside. It was a strange device, nothing like the water bottles I'd ever seen. I opened the cap and chugged the water, gasping with desperation.

"Thanks," I said, wiping my mouth. I handed it back to him and he took a quick swig. He wiped the sweat from his brow and then pulled his hair apart slightly to tighten the rubber band wrapped around the ponytail.

"Who is this person?" I asked when we began to walk again.

We veered off to the left, the sun directly in our eyes. There didn't seem to be much for miles, but when I glanced back towards the city, I could easily see the ruined metropolis peek through the hazy heat. And I continued to turn, and saw the massive, gray wall, almost white under the sun's scrutiny, its reach lasting until the ends of the world.

"The client suspects this person to be doing some pretty awful things to their merchandise. We're going to check it out," Crow said. He stepped over a few rocks and climbed down. I attempted to follow, realizing that these weren't rocks. They were rubble. Concrete slabs of a time long ago. I hopped from broken cluster to the next, copying Crow's movements until we reached a hill. We climbed it and peered over, where a small compound of structures stood.

"What merchandise?" I whispered. Crow beckoned for me to lay down on my stomach and I did.

"You ask too many questions. It's a job," Crow grumbled, staring down at the complex. "He'll be in there. All we have to do is collect information. If he's doing something he's not supposed to, then we report back. That's it."

I glanced over at Crow, shimmying my arms to a more comfortable position in the rocky dirt. "Seems simple."

"Exactly," Crow nodded. "Now shut up."