United by Convenience

Stolen Man in a Stolen Wheelbarrow

Song of the hour: Work Song by Hozier. This song was my main source of inspiration when I started writing this story about a year ago. I spent too may nights brainstorming with this song on repeat. I hope you enjoy it!

I was feeling fine on the night my world went to hell, exuberant, actually.

Well, maybe not. Maybe, to be completely honest, I was wasted. Stumbling down the street with a bottle of whiskey in hand.

I was just minding my own business- okay scratch that as well. Was I mindlessly walking through the Eligere district, keying the wealthy bastards' cars as I went on my drunken warpath? Admittedly, yes. In my mind, I was the brave warrior who finally stood up against the caste system. I, a brave soldier- no... hero!

The sirens started and I carried on with my vandalism. Haven't you heard I'm invincible? They wailed on and on and I was sure that they were calling out through the whole district, but never mind that. They were only cheering me on! They were the howling horns of victory, wailing in encouragement as I fought for what nobody else would. In that moment, I was a soldier. An unstoppable force of determination fighting for social justice.

I saw a scared looking woman on the other sides of the street, so being the good soldier I was, I decided to go help her find shelter. She started waving to me, so I walked a little faster, she must want an autograph! I laughed at the thought. A flash of light came at me on my right side and then all I saw was black.

_____________PART TWO (changes perspectives)

And here I thought I was the only one thoughtless enough to be out here during the sirens.

I was honestly scared for the brave, though obviously foolish, young man. He was committing a crime against all the Eligere who parked their cars outside instead of garages. That alone was stupid, considering he looked like an Ahberh. The emperor would show him no mercy and he would likely be executed. Then you add in the fact that the whole city was in chaos due to the sirens, police were everywhere, and this guy no longer seemed brave, but, instead, seemed reckless. I watched as he appeared to notice me for the first time and he began walking briskly across the street. I tried to wave my arms at him to get off the road, but it was too late, the speeding police car hit him dead on. Not knowing what else to do, I decided to help the poor soul. I ran up to him but as I knelt to push his flaccid body off the road, the officer rolled down his window, demanding my attention.

"Caste?"

"S-sir?"

"I asked what your caste was!"

"Could you please call an ambulance first? He could be injured."

"Listen here, you feeble-minded girl!" He shouted while stepping out of his car and shoving his finger at my face "I decide what's important here, not you. Got it? Now I'll ask you one more time before I knock your teeth in, what is your caste?"

"Ahberh." I mumbled in shame.

He scoffed, "And his?"

"I-I don't know, sir."

"Right, well he clearly isn't anything of high class so-" he looked at his watch and smirked "It looks like I'm needed elsewhere.

"But sir, don't you see he needs your help? You hit him for Uros sakes!" I cried out desperately.

He turned away from me, completely unperturbed. "I probably did the world a favor! Understand this. You are two Ahberhs in the prestigious Eligere district! From my perspective, you two should be arrested for robbery considering that's all a low-life Ahberh seems to know how to do. Besides that, the whole city is in shambles, you idiot girl. Nothing I can do right now will be of help. You're better off leaving the dumb soul to rot." he said while cranking up his car.

He drove off just as fast as he came, leaving me helpless and alone in the middle of the night as the sirens blared in the distance and everyone else in the city was locked away in their homes, hiding from whatever the threat was that I wasn't aware of. I leaned over him and checked his pulse. It was a steady rhythm under my fingers.

He was a handsome young man. Seemed to be around my age. I'm sure he had a wife considering most people in New America were assigned a partner at sixteen years old. Whoever she was, she was sure to be hysterical right now with him not home during the sirens. If only she knew where he was now. I decided to help him for his families' sake.

Grabbing him by his feet, I drug his muscly frame to the side of the road, which had me panting. He was heavy and looked to be around 6'4. No way I could drag him the three miles I had left to walk to get back to my shoebox house on the far side of the Ahberh district. Then it hit me in an instant. I checked to see if anyone was looking and then I sprinted to the back yard of the nearest house and threw myself into their toolshed, which was, sadly, almost the same size as my house. I looked around in the dim light until I found exactly what I was looking for. Bingo. I grabbed the wheelbarrow and quickly ran out and back to the still unconscious stranger. I did my best to lift him but gave up quickly. Finally, I struggled to lay the wheelbarrow down on its side and roll him in before lifting it back up while making sure he didn't fall out while I was doing so. After catching my breath again, I started my trek home with a man in a stolen wheelbarrow. I would probably regret this.

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That's it, folks! Welcome to 'United by Convenience!'

I'm beyond exited by this story as I have been trying to get it written for at least two years now, but i only seem to get anthing done while I'm on an airplane, weird I know. It seems that I have (freaking finally) gotten over that writers block and now I'm ready to write without being on a plane (whew, flying is too expensive lol)! So I'll just let you go on bout your day, but do me a favor and let me know what you think in the comment section! If you loved it, why don't you click that vote button? I know, I know, life is too hard. It is just soooooooo much work to tap that button. It's almost like giving away a piece of your pride when you click it, right? DO IT FOR MY HAPPINESS hahaha! Anywaaaayyyyyssss, love you all!

                           Sincerely and obnoxiously,
                                           TheRoyalQuixote

Side note- Quixote is pronounce key-oat-e