Rouge

ROGUE

My eyes are finally pried open by the burning east sun. Every muscle in my body aches as though thousands of pounds of pressure weigh me down. My footsteps echo in a hauntingly loud racket. Labored breath fills my ears as sweat threatens to trickle down the side of my forehead and I somehow convince my body to keep running. Whatever that thing is behind me, I'd like it to stay that way. The beast makes a sort of a grunt noise and I feel hot air on my heels. In a rash decision I bolt into a nearby building and sprint toward a set of dark wooden stairs. Hoping for a window or bedroom, I choose to dart up the large staircase.

As I tear up the stairs, something above me grabs my wrist and I have to bite the inside of my cheek to contain a scream. I feel warm, calloused hands pulling at my forearm and the beast's gnashing teeth near my legs, so I punch and kick. A small, uneven voice yells; "Stupid idiot! Stop fighting help, it's your only chance!" realizing that a death from a bullet is less painful than death from being torn apart, I attempt to climb up the staircase. "Jump!" The voice belonging to those rough hands yells again. I jump, and I'm safe. The beast steps on a weak area- where I would have stepped- and falls through to the floor. I kick away the next few steps so there's no way up. Or down, I realize a bit too late.

A small girl smirks and stares down at me. "You nearly got killed." She states, matter-of-factly.

"I know." Is all I can say. I look around, wondering who the voice was. "Is your dad here? Or brother?" I ask, completely out of breath.

She frowns. "No. But I did save you." She holds out a hand to help me up. "Who are you?" She sounds suspicious.

"I'm Jais Jonathan Jackson." I say, then take her hand and pull myself to my feet while panting hard. I pull my hand away, and no answer comes. After a deep breath, I ask, "And you?" There's no response. She's too busy ripping my backpack off of my shoulders and climbing up one of the support beams like a spider. "Hey!" I yell raspily.

She laughs out words in a cold tone. "Don't worry, I'm not leaving your sorry butt," and reaches a ceiling rafter. Seeing the rafter makes me wonder and look around. The floor is covered in a thin layer of red dust, and is probably about a hundred or so square meters. In a small corner there's a disgusting looking pile of old ratty blankets and bloody, previously torn clothes, and I'm pretty sure I just saw something move in or near it. On the other side of that wall is a clean sleeping bag with one large pillow. A pile of more fresh looking clothes is folded neatly under that pillow, but they're still not much better. The walls are a rusty bronze color, also about fourteen feet tall, and covered from wall to wall in a strange orange foil. The stairwell was on the right side, and the creature is now trying to crawl through it. I shudder and turn my gaze to a curtained-off corner.

"What is that?" I ask astoundedly, noticing the horrid stench coming from it.

"Bathroom." Wall girl responds, then throws my backpack to me. I grab it and look, apparently she had put a water bottle and some food in there. "You," she says, "are going to be a real pain in my neck, aren't you?"

END INTRO

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Chapter One:

BEAST

"I'm going to what?" I snap, grabbing for my backpack for the second time today.

"I saved your life!" She yells back. "Without me, you'd be Mongrel mush! And after I saved you, you broke my stairs!" She's practically hissing, probably from anger. I hope from anger. "You owe me! Double! And if you're going to keep following me like a dog, triple!"