The Wild Side of Us

Chapter 12 - Welcome Back to My City

Axel and I left shortly after Scarlet's emotional goodbyes. Well, she wasn't crying or freaking out, but she showed more concern than she ever has the past few days. Scarlet really was a different person when we stayed there. Though she was always sarcastic and quick to be judgmental, never have I ever seen her more tired in my life. But she was taking care of herself and two people wanted by the government. I can see how that can be stressful, especially since one of them is so stressed out already and needs a break. Oh, and Axel was there too. He seemed relaxed most of the time, but I think the fear he had was the fear of all the strange objects around him. It took longer than I thought it would for him to know CGI in movies are fake.

We made sure we had everything we needed before leaving. I took along some things Scarlet had packed for me in the room, such as food and bandages. She also made me some more lock picks, stuffing them in the bag I was carrying. The clock I bought prior to all of this was my most prized possession as of right now, besides Axel. I made sure it was in the safest area in my bag, and shuffled my arms around dozens of times to be sure the clock was safe at all times. With the clock being wooden, it meant it would be easy to break. And the fact it was old and in good condition after all this time made me worry even more. But I was an expert thief. Nothing I couldn't handle.

The sun was slowly setting behind us, as we hurriedly sneaked out of the building and walked past the alleyway we were in earlier. Just like inside the apartment building, the streets were bare and silent. A paper bag floated by, cars zoomed in the distance, but Axel and I were all alone again. Conversation wasn't made. My heavy bag and his lighter bag shook with all of our materials inside. I only hoped no one had their eyes on us right now. A vacant area is not smart to be passing through when you're loaded. However, this was the only place we could travel through to get safely back to my trailer. The middle of the city was crowded with all sorts of people. People in disguise, to be exact.

We only saw another person once we reached the end of the street. An anteater, who had a large nose and brown hair with a black stripe running down the middle of it. He walked peacefully, humming a happy tune and minding his own business. Meanwhile, Axel and I looked like we seen a ghost when he walked by. We weren't expecting another person, not so soon. When the anteater was far away, I curled my tail in front of my body and stroked it, calming all of my furs.

"Do monkeys do that," Axel asked, eyeing my tail. "Get puffed up and all when scared."

"From what I've seen," I said, "no, they don't. They do wiggle and dangle a lot, but it isn't too noticeable. You'll be fine, especially if you stay inside most of the time. Maybe you can practice the motions by wiggling your butt."

"I will not be participating in such foolish acts!"

"Just saying."

We continued walking forward, never minding looking both ways for traffic since there was none. Ahead of us was a small meadow before the woods. Past the meadow and small chunk of woods was our destination. Now, we could pass through the meadow and woods, but I'm afraid that's easier said than done. For that certain area of woods was overgrown with weeds and thorns, and rotten, spoiled people hung out in the meadow. It was safer to snake between alleyways, though we could get robbed anytime. So, we turned and continued to walk through the vast city, tall buildings on both sides of us. Except for the anteater, who was in the distance, we were still alone.

Eventually, Axel started a small conversation with me while we were walking. He questioned, "Will our lives be like this forever? Constantly running around, and never getting a full night's rest?"

"Most likely," I said, with a sigh. "We can't stay in the same area forever and expect to be in heaven. It's the government. They'll tear up the planet if need be. You do have some smart ideas, I must admit. Going back to a place they've been before is a decision they're not likely to do. Though it is my trailer, and me being a suspect, we'll most likely have to escape somewhere again. But it can't be Scarlet's, no. As smart as it may seem, it's a dumb decision. It'll be easy to get caught, and I don't feel like screwing with the cameras every single time we have to leave again. We'll have better luck raiding a house barbed with traps and murderous people. Not that I haven't done that before."