Tell No One

Chapter 22

"What the fuck happened to your face?"
Kiera was technically homeless- but seeing her on the street, you would never have guessed. During the day, she broke into people's homes, playing Russian roulette on which house was occupied and which she could use. So far she'd been lucky, but the odds are she'll misjudge at some point, and be left staring at some horrified resident as she squeezed through a window. She left little to no trace that she was ever there; she took no food, just mainly used the facilities such as the bathroom, toilet, always ensuring that she placed everything back exactly where it was. She'd only chanced it 3 times but had managed to sneak in a few short, tense and anxious showers. As a security measure, Kiera made sure she never visited the same street or neighbourhood twice, always going a different direction when daytime came, so if anyone did suspect anything, there would be no waiting ambush for her.

Surprisingly, her biggest contender was bordom. It was so entirely, incredibly boring, and chances of fun were everywhere but being a wanted face, Kiera couldn't risk any of them.

During the night, she moved towards the city's centre, where the buildings turned to shops. There was the greater risk of security cameras, but a few well-aimed stones could knock them out quickly, and from there, it was a quick in and out of the shop- whether to steal food, new clothes, and then it was to a rooftop to get some rest. Normally, along the way, she would knock out more cameras than places she actually visited, so there was no obvious trail or pattern. She would zigzag past the storefronts, taking random turns by streets and just throw stones at the black unblinking eyes of the cameras. Which was what she was doing when Mera appeared.

"Oh, no seriously, it's nothing. Just stepped out of line." 
Kiera looked around, conscious that they were in the open. Putting a finger to her lips, she gestured that he followed her. Doing a quick check that the alleyway was clear, Kiera pulled them both out of the orange murk of the streetlamp and into the darkness. 
"Sorr, what? Your face is a mess, Mera."
Kiera could see his eyes glinting back at her from the darkness. The space smelt faintly of garbage, but Kiera would tolerate it for the sake of somewhere private to talk to him.

"I thought you couldn't get hurt." Half of Mera's face was swathed in shadow, an eerie half smile cresting his face at her words. HIs lip was split, a half circle of bruises surrounding his mouth and climbing halfway up his cheek. The side of his face was slightly swollen where a hard punch had landed by it.

"I can't get hurt from anything in the physical world. In the Abyss... all power is revoked. Ramatee holds control, you hold none." Kiera bristled at even the mere mention of his name. The image in her head of what Ramatee was terrified her. And the fact that she was his property... 

The thought drew chills up her back, icy fingers that made her physically shiver.
Kiera gulped. "But.... what did you do to deserve this?" Kiera's voice was a whisper, amplified by the darkness that isolated them. At this moment, it was them, and only them, the rest of the world in its own orange bubble.

Mera's smile wobbled. A weight settled in Kiera's stomach. Her mind ran wild as she ran scenarios of all the possible words that could come out of Mera's mouth, of all the things he could've done
"Well, Igave Alana a disease. She's in a hospital." Mera's previously serious face was taken over by an impish smile. Kiera reeled back in shock.
"You- What?!" Mera mistook her recoil for delight and continued his narrative.

"Yep. She's off your tail. The police won't be-" Mera's words were cut off by a sharp slap to his face. Mera placed a hand to it with shock, staring at Kiera.

Kiera's face stormed, and she took a menacing step forwards.
"What the fuck Mera! How could you..." For the first time that Kiera could remember, Mera looked unsure of himself. Kiera's stomach dropped to her toes.