The Value

Chapter one

            I woke at two in the morning to a familiar scream. I shut my eyes, somehow wishing it was in a dream, perhaps someone else. But only a child can make that type of sound. More asleep than awake, I threw my poor excuse of a blanket off. The room was freezing, and gripping the cold metal ladder to the top bunk was nothing short of grabbing an icicle. The scream stopped, and was replaced by panting. 

   James sat up, his over sized shirt damp with sweat. He had just turned eleven, but hardly fit the age. He was extremely thin, and his eyes were ridiculously big, and his head was covered in dirty curls of blond hair. Like usual, he was crying. His head rested against my shoulder, and eventually the whimpering stopped. 

 I stifled a yawn. " Try to fall back asleep, it-". I stopped myself just in time, and I immediately began to swipe the tears from his face. "Don't cry James, there is nothing to worry about." Of course, we both knew that this was utter bullshit, and the chances were that one of us would would not live to see the next day. 

  He continued to cry. Waking the other two up wouldn't improve anything. "Listen, they won't use you. You're to scrawny." I gently pinched his forearm, and he tried to force a laugh. This was the biggest lie of all. The kid was a organ gold mine. No medical conditions, Blood type O, No asthma, Heart condition. The only real hope was that someone would see him as an actual person. 

  " Do you really think so, Will?" " Of course I do."

       " WOULD BOTH OF YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP! SOME PEOPLE WANT TO ENJOY THE LAST FEW HOURS OF LIFE!" This came from across the room, followed by the groaning of the other bunk, and a small thud. The light flickered on several times, and I had to blink several times in order to see properly. 

  I try not to make assumptions, but the first time I laid my eyes on Rex, I thought he was a total asshole. Almost a year later, my opinion has stayed the exact same. 

   His green hair was sticking out at every angle possible, giving the impression his head was flamed in green fire. His awful yellow eyes glared at me, and there was no doubt he wanted nothing more than to punch my face in. "Great, you guys have just ruined the only thing I care about. Now I have to listen to you bitch and moan about everything." He rolled his eyes and threw his shirt off, revealing his entire ribcage. He's as thin as a holocaust survivor, with his ribs jutting out visibly even with a shirt on.

         I don't say anything to this, and James just casts his eyes down. He's begun to cry again. I hate seeing him like this, always hungry and scared. I let him cry into my shoulder,  not even attempting to stop the continouse flow of tears. Somewhere, is the back of my mind, a voice whispers. You know he wont be like this much longer. He'll be dead. Just like you. 

I ignore this voice, knowing it spoke some words of truth. I nudge James aside, and climb down. I rumage through a draw of clothes. Clothes is really too nice of a word for them. Donated from the poorest of the poor, the rags are barley suitable for a dog to use as a play toy. I go through all of them, and then relook through them all. " Not lost, are you Maps?" "Don't call me that, Rex." 

  Many things can happen when your mother is 16 when she gives birth to you. A stupid name is probably not one of the worst things that can happen, but Maps is just a ridicoulse name. i tend to go by my last name, Willams, but Rex won't let me me forget about it. 

  Maybe my life would be different if my mother had waited a year or so to get knocked up. She was valued when I was only a year old. A year after that, a law was passed that women with children couldnt get valued. Seven years later, women couldn't get valued at all. Ofcourse, not legally, I'm sure it still happens.

    " They'll give us new clothes." This came from the last member of our attic room, Jesse. "Followed by a few hours of evaluating us." Rex said. He sat down next to Jesse, the only person he doesn't really seem to dispise. I sat back down on my bunk bed, leaving the clothes sprawled out all over the floor. If on anyother day, Mrs.Jones, the "main caretaker" saw this, she would beat me within an inch of my life. However, she was no doubt sleeping in her comfortable bed, knowing some of us would be gone and she would be slighty richer. 

  Jesse got up to use the bathroom, and James sat next to me, his blanket wrapped around him. He rested his head on my bare leg, and passed out once more.