Violet

JINX.

Still carrying Vi, me and Caitlyn made it to a ledge. Below was a huge pit, at least 100ft down. There was a water tank and a small hut, underneath a ginormous sign.

"Silco's goons aren't far behind. We have to keep moving." Caitlyn spoke.

Vi groaned in pain. I myself was hissing in agony. My leg was killing me, but I would live. We had to get Vi to safety first.

"What the hell is that?" Vi said, looking up to the neon structure.

"The sign." Caitlyn said, sarcasm heavy in her tone.

Me and Vi simultaneously sighed in annoyance.

"Never mind, just help me to the edge." Vi said. Me and Caitlyn slowly trudged to the edge, looking down on the abyss.

Vi let me and Cait go, as if to jump down.

"Are you sure you can do this in your—"
Caitlyn was about to say, trying to get Vi to think.

But she had already jumped. She landed on a pole with force, then slipped as it hit her ribs. She clung on for a second before tumbling down, in a series of clanks and thuds.

"Shit." Me and Caitlyn swore at the same time. We looked to each other, and started making our way down.

We landed on the floor of the pit, seeing Vi on the floor there.

I rushed to her, pulling her up and dragging her towards the small hut, Caitlyn helping me.

I could see the beggars in the shadows, scurrying around.

"What is this place?" Caitlyn asked, afraid. The pit was dark and gloomy, fallen structures all around us. It seemed like there had been some explosions or demolition. It smelled rank, like mold.

"It's the kind of place you topsiders don't want to think about, wind up." Vi grunted, slumping on me. She was heavy, and I struggled to support her on my bad leg.

A shimmer addict approached us, asking for food, money, anything. Caitlyn shone her light on him, and he scurried away.

"It was never this big though." I said.

"There." Vi muttered, pointing inside the hut. I recognized it. We went inside, and I set Vi down against the wall, holding her head up.

Caitlyn pulled out a handkerchief. She took it, heading towards Vi. She reached for her wound, but Vi stopped her, and grabbed it from her, doing it herself.

"I know you have your reservations about me. About us. But this only works if we can trust one another." Caitlyn said, hushed.

"It doesn't work. It never has." Vi looked at me. I turned away, putting my hood up. The guilt I felt was eating me alive.

"You topsiders always find a way to screw us." Vi seethed. I scoffed. "I'm not a topsider Vi. Don't be like that." I hissed. "You sure as hell are cozy with them though." She spat out. I just glared.

"I suppose topside is to blame for all your misfortune." Caitlyn retorted at Vi.

"No. Not all of them." Vi looked towards me again. My heart sunk to my stomach, and I turned away. Tears pricked my eyes, threatening to fall.

"We aren't monsters, you know. We're people, just like you." Caitlyn said, trying to defend herself.

"You don't know anything about me." Vi turned her head to the wall. But I do.

I sat down opposite Vi. "I shouldn't have left you." She said to Caitlyn, blatantly ignoring me. But I could see she was looking behind Caitlyn, at the wall. Her wound was causing her to hallucinate. We needed to find something to help her.