||Series Removed|| OTB

10 - Reunion

10

Under the cover of nearby wooden shacks, the shadow of a man sprinted though the maze of hollow streets and tight alleyways before halting outside of a seemingly-abandoned residence. Knocking five times with specific intervals, the door accepted his call and creaked open.

The interior of the house was bare, but that was to be expected in Patch. Most of the structures had been neglected by their citizens in favour of the tower-like dormitories, making this vacant lot perfect for blending in.

He couldn’t prevent himself from smirking in relief as the robed figure in front of him fidgeted nervously under the hood. A tuft of blonde hair poked out from concealment, just barely catching the sunlight before the door slammed shut.

“...You’re back. Did you see him?”

“Uh huh, and you totally called it. He’s already landed himself in a heap of trouble, but at least the others are okay.”

“Haa… That’s just like Daniel. Act now, think later. What about the Hispanic one? We need him to be there, as well-”

The shady man stepped forwards, resting a comforting hand onto his companion’s shoulder. “Relax, it’s all going to work out fine. We’ll tell them the truth, at our next hideout… but we can’t stay here, or else the neighbours will know that something’s up.”

Reacting to the suggestion, the robed person turned away to work up the courage, the stomach to head back out into that cold reality. This town, Patch… it wasn’t what it appeared to be.

There was a stench outside that reeked of oppression, yet all of the citizens seemed to be living comfortably. It was only visible in their glazed-over eyes; they ached for a freedom that the rest of their body couldn't have.

“…Make sure that nobody sees you, little brother. We can’t stay here for much longer.”

----

Banging my head softly against the Patch Police Department's prison bars, I had been locked up in one of their jail cells for the past five hours. My stomach was growling like crazy, and the only clothes on me were a suspicious pair of shorts that had been thrown at my face upon detainment.

The pervert who had incited the bathhouse brawl was stuck in the same cramped cell as me, a factor that the police hadn’t taken into account. Luckily for him, I lacked any motivation to beat him senseless for getting me arrested.

Since neither of us had spoken at all since being publicly humiliated, my prison buddy felt the need to fill the awkward silence with a light cough.

“So, is this is your first time in here? Jail, I mean… You look kinda tense.”

Gritting my teeth, I resisted the urge to punch his face as he leaned over to shake my hand.

“Name’s Tanner. I work in the garage across town, got a mate there who can probably help bust us out. The cops might look tough, but try not to take ‘em seriously. This isn’t the first time I’ve-“

“Will you stop talking, dude?! If you weren’t such a creepy stalker, none of this would even be happening!”

“Huh?! Shoot, I ain’t no stalker!! It’s not every day that you get to see real women in this sausage-fest of a town… I guess that’s why the law takes peeping so damn seriously.”

Neither of us had noticed the guard’s presence until he jammed his key into our cell door, pulling the whole thing wide open. The look in his eyes was of pure disgust, like we had ruined the entire town’s reputation just by goofing around in the showers.