Shadow

1

P.o.v:
Shay

Years have passed. Not sure how many. It's hard to think of a time before the shadow I've become. It's hard thinking of anything before 2 years ago. I'm running from an unknown enemy. In a desolate city with no name.

I jump down from my perch. The gutters here are surprisingly strong. Or maybe it's because my body knows more than I do. The Sackees have given up on finding me for now. Those are his bounty hunters. I have to know what they want. Last time .... I try to think of the last time I tried to find out who they are. Something bad happened, I can't remember what. The soft whistle stops my pursuit. Musty has news or food.

"Shay." He whispers in his soft voice. I slink back to the hidden part of the roof. I think its purpose was storage, but was abandoned a long time ago same as the building attached. "What?!" I hiss at him. "Don't be so feisty. Here." He tossed me a loaf of cold bread. I bring out fruit I stole off a roof garden. The small purse I snatched is full of it. We dig in. Musty always prays over his food. No idea why. Though he is the healthiest of us street rats, so it must be worth something.

"Any news?" He asked. Always the gentleman. Letting the lady go first. "They came back." His face unreadable. "Attack or attacked?"  "Stocked." He made a noise in his throat. "You still have no memory of them." He stated. His face grew grievous. I wish he wouldn't do that. "No." I can never look him in the eye when he brings it up. I know he knows something. I challenged him once. I went hungry for a month. Almost died. I often wonder why he saved me. He should have let me die. He'd be better off. Almost lost his arm three months ago because of me. Got a nasty scar on his face a year ago. For some reason he defends me and punishes me. Like a father.

"The Sackees raised their price." He states. "How much?" "Fifteen percent." I scoff. "Whatever I did it ticked them off." Musty clears his throat. The food is gone by now. We just grab our bags and run. The lights follow with the screeches from the whistles. Running with Musty is always the highlight of my day. We jump from rooftop,  to allies, to streets. Weaving between tightly woven houses. They usually stop by now, and they have. "Cops." Mutters Musty. Good thing they doing know out rout to the Market.

"Down or out?" I ask. He just looks at me. Then jumps down into the sewage line that leads to the network. I glance around to make sure no one is watching and go in. The sewers are the only place of refuge here. The farther in we go the more I feel like I'm being watched. We are always watched but this feels different. All around us is the sounds of the underground world. Some call it the underworld. My favorite is The Network. All the tunnels and passages can't possibly be found. They weave throughout the entire planet. The ones we know that are safe is where we, the people, stay. There is about 1000 of us left. The Master took our killed most of us. The feeling is getting stronger by the second. Musty pulls back the curtain to the black market. Most of us are homeless with a price for our heads.

I loose Musty instantly. That's just his way. I pick the pockets of some of the rich folk that keeps this place going. They are the Master's men and women. But they come here everyday. They always want something. I buy a scarf and some fingerless gloves. Winter is brutal here, never mind the tunnels are getting hotter. After a few more pockets I trade a solid gold watch for a coat, and buy some food. I'm so glad no day is the same. I make my way to a shadowed tunnel no one ever uses. The right side is the cooler side of the place, so that's where everyone else lives.

Alone at last. The noise is softer here and warmer. After my meal of meat and bread I lean back. The walls are cool in the hot air. It's abnormally hot right now. I think the Sackees are trying to fry us out. Two years ago I was told this isn't earth. It has no name. Musty told me I was from earth. He's the only one who knows of it, and lived. He told me a story once. After an incident with a child. He said this world use to be beautiful. Where everyone was free. They lived by the laws of right and wrong only. Ember was the name he used.

Before the Sackees, this place was perfect. The Sackees are off landers. They are slave traders, mercenaries. Stole a princess and as ransom got the world. Turning it into this dark forsaken place. Nothing grows on its own. Most of the population was killed off. The rest were sold. The survivors live down here now. The ones who buy and trade, (the rich), are in the command. They are the 'good folk' of those monsters. They kidnap people from other worlds, bring them here and prepare them. I don't know what for, but somehow I escaped.

At least that's what Musty says. A child escaped to. He found me, and gave me a locket. A silver oval locket. Inside is a picture of his family. The other side has nothing. I look at this locket now. Thinking of what became of him. His grave in these tunnels. Then I hear it. The soft pants. Suddenly I'm pinned to the ground. A large person on top of me gets close to my face, and breaths. It's looking me in the eyes. Then studies my face.

I learned three months ago not to fight back when someone does this. It's creepy. When it's done it says, "I've been watching you." Well no kidding! You didn't exactly hide it. I thought
"Get off me." I grit at it. "Obliged." It shoves off. I push it into the dim glow of the old light. It is a man. A tall man. Six foot I think. With short cropped dark brown hair, whiskers, built, but not muscular. His skin sort of glows in this damp light, so he must be fair skinned. I step into the light to get a better look, and soon regret it. He's handsome. Big brown eyes framed with nice glasses. "Tei." He held out his hand. Glaring at him I say, "Get out." He drops his hand and turns to leave.

"Never forget that the River flows in you." He says over his shoulder. Something clicks. The image I've seen so many times in my dreams. "Wait." But he's already gone. It's hard to sleep tonight. He could be my answers. Now he's gone because of me. I'll never see him again. What's the use? I'm going to find Musty.

After several hours of looking I finally find him. Hunched in a sewer. I crawl in. "Hey man, I've been looking all over for you." I whisper. No answer. I peek over his shoulder. Is he crying? He never cries. "Hi, missy." He squeaks. I kneel next to him. His hands are clamped close to his chest. "Remember when Klat died?" he squeaked. Of course.That rat was the funniest thing in the world. My thoughts went to her. I nod at him. I think she died a few days ago. Musty held out his hand. Inside is a baby rat. "The last one of her litter just died." So that's where he goes. I gingerly take the tiny body, and rub it lightly. After a good while of rubbing it, then rubbing it close to my body it slowly comes back to life.

We sit in silence, fondling the rodent after moving to my tunnel. I can't tell him. "Let's call it X." He said. "X?" "Ya." "Why?" "Because we don't know its gender yet. Plus I like it." "Okay." I manage to get some sleep.

Picture of Shadow by my man, google.