Purple Penguins: House on the Hill

Chapter 1

"Welcome to Central Square!" The sign read in English and Spanish. Underneath it, in smaller print were the words, "Please remember to clean up your garbage to keep the park clean. Thank you!"

"Yeah, we'll do that. This place is garbage, and we'll clean it up nicely," One of the men in the pick-up truck said. 

"How 'bout we use the incinerator for this trash?" All of the men laughed rambunctiously. 

_-*-_

A short distance away, a girl who was almost seventeen watched the truck carefully. She had always been suspicious of others, and it had only grown during her time on the streets. As she watched, the men in the pickup laughed at something the driver said. Her scowl deepened. She hated people who could laugh so easily. Even before the tragedy that had torn her sister from her, Alice was solemn. And she had not smiled since her sister died. 

The streets did not provide time or place for smiling. Her sister would have made it though. Julie was always happy. She had a vibrancy that carried even to Alice. She could make her laugh. Julie's high piercing laugh would mix with Alice's lower voice, and they would be happy and content. All of that was gone now. All of it was gone now that Julie was. She missed her more than any part of her old life.

Alice was drawn from her thoughts as the rowdy men climbed from the truck in front of her. 

_-*-_

Lanet liked watching people. She sat in the back of a pick-up, paying little attention to the four men outside the window. She knew what they would eventually decide. Lanet was too young to be left alone. She would need a babysitter. 

She was currently watching a girl whose brown skin was set of by the dirty white tank-top she wore. Her dark eyes were entirely focused on the men arguing outside of Lanet's prison. To any person who did not make a habit of creepily staring down a wide variety of people, the girl would have looked casual and relaxed. After years of watching, Lanet knew people. Maybe she wasn't the best at holding conversations or any form of social interaction she could read people better than anyone she knew. 

There was a spark of interest in her eyes that was more than just a casual interest or even annoyance. Beyond the eyes, Lanet couldn't help but feel like she'd seen her before. It wouldn't be that much of stretch, even. Lanet saw lots of people, even when they didn't want to be seen. Lanet kept staring, trying to see through the dirt and grime that showed just how long she had lived on her own. 

Too soon, Ronald, the man who had been voted her babysitter, climbed into the drivers seat and the rest of the men pulled their packs out the truck bed. Ronald put the truck in gear. Lanet turned backwards in her seat, continuing to stare at the girl. She knew her. Just as the girl was about to disappear from view, she looked at Lanet, and Lanet recognized her. Her face was the one hanging on the dart board in her parents bedroom. 

Then Lanet turned the corner, and the dart girl was out of sight. 

_-*-_

Alice watched the truck drive in one direction and the people and heavy packs go the other way. She hesitated, then turned to her friend Frankie sitting on the grass a short distance away. She had coppery hair that was pulled into a matted pony tail, and her eyes were a deep brown. She was much shorter than average, but that just meant she could get into placed others couldn't. Frankie was older than Alice, but refused to disclose her age. Alice motioned her over. 

"I'll take the people, you follow the car," Alice whispered before turning and running toward the center of the park. 

Alice caught up with the men quickly, but stayed back from them. She didn't just follow them either, she mixed with the crowd, crossed the street, paused beneath trees and at one point, she even passed them and sat on a bench until they had come and gone again. Alice could not get caught, especially if the lumps in jackets and pants were what she thought they were. She had experience at this. She would frequently follow a person like this for a time before getting a sense of where they kept their valuables. Then she would relieve them of them. 

They stopped, but she kept walking. There was a bench up ahead with one of her other friends, J. His dark brown, nearly black, hair fell nearly to his chin, and his mouth was done up in a nearly perpetual smile. He was good at taking hints in tense situation, but terrible at social ones. Alice didn't know his real name or age, and he insisted on going by J. But he made a good cover. She plopped down next to him and responded to his enthusiastic hello with a whispered, "Trying to listen."

J knew her well enough that he was silent, though he kept his facial expressions and moving. Alice didn't know who J was outside of his interactions with her, but he was nothing if not a good actor. 

"Just put your pack up here."

"All the way up there? Why?"

There was a smacking noise. "You idiot, no one can find it. If you leave it on the floor someone might find it before it's time."

Alice risked a glance up, two of the men began lifting their friend into the tree, where he hung his pack and messed with something inside. 

"How long?" He called down to his friends on the ground.

"We need enough time to set up the others before it goes up in flames."

"But how long?" 

"30 minutes."

Alice felt the blood drain from her face. "Bombs," she whispered to J.

He paused in his fake conversation with her and leaned closer, "Here?" He asked, shocked.

"Yeah," she breathed, "Do you know how to to defuse a bomb?"

"Yeah," He hesitantly said. Why would J need to know how to defuse a bomb?

"You defuse that one, I'll go find out where they put the next one. You can meet me there."

Alice stood up and stretched for a minute, before starting a leisurely stroll after the two men. As she walked she pulled off her jacket and shivered, and started walking with a forced limp to further disguise herself. This time they set it down on a bench, set the clock, and zipped it up, before moving on. Alice took note of which way they went, before they were out of sight. She checked her watch. There was still time. J came running up, out of breath.

"The first bomb is taken care of," he panted, sitting down to work on the next one. Alice stood up and ran to find the next one. They were running out of time. 

By the time she found it, time was nearly up, and there was still another bomb out there. J wouldn't be able to defuse either of them in time. She noticed an important looking man standing nearby in a suit. She hoped beyond hope he would be able to help her. 

"Sir," She started, "My name is Alice, and that is a bomb." She pointed to the large pack that had been left on one of the picnic tables. 

The man looked down at her, startled. He obviously hadn't been expecting her to say that. "Are you telling me the truth?" He asked seriously, "Because if you're not there could be serious consequences." Alice nodded breathlessly, and then watched as he turned to the person next to him, who pulled out a badge and started flashing it at all the people who stood nearby, clearing out the people. 

Alice turned and ran, ignoring the shouting of the man she had just talked to. She had to find the last bomb. She kept running, frantically looking, until She heard a loud noise and saw a bright light. She was thrown back. 

Alice stared at the sky, eyes unfocused. She heard screaming, and then sirens. Nothing made sense to her, so she just closed her eyes and welcomed the darkness.