Affinity

Chapter 6

“Move move move!” Zero pushed Amy towards the tram. His heart was racing as he frantically pushed Amy forward. He knew that security was heavy in the tram, but not this bad and that one guy was looking right at him.

              “Hey you, stop!”

Zero didn’t even turn his head. They were almost to the tram and they had to make it! The large car sat in front of him with an elderly man in a blue uniform standing at the door welcoming passengers on board checking tram passes. Zero tried to blend in with the crowd heading on board steering Amy in front of him. Hopefully she wouldn’t call attention to herself more than she already was with what she called a dress.

Two more people and then he could board. He felt the peering eyes of the guard scanning the crowd looking for him. Unfortunately he stood out with his abnormal hair he couldn’t conceal with his damn hat missing.

“Pass?” The attendant asked holding out his hand. Of course Zero didn’t have a pass so he prayed what he was about to do would work. “Pass?” The man asked sounding annoyed. Taking a deep breath he thought thank you enjoy your trip, and he held two fingers up to the man’s temple.

“Thank you?... enjoy …you- Hey wait you don’t have a pass?” The man looked around franticly shaking his head as the passenger was gone. Zero was already making his way back of the tram. He pulled on Amy’s wrist as if she were a child… almost like how he used to pull Zack along in the Hole when he got distracted by a dog or, as he got older, girls that caught his fancy.

Keep moving, don’t think back Zero told himself as he reached the door to the next car. He twisted the circular mechanism the linked the two cars and made his way through, shutting the door behind him. After the door was closed he started sprinting to the other end of the current car, receiving several curious glances in the process. He prayed Amy was still behind him.

He had two more cars to go until he reached the storage car. Zero wasn’t even sure if the guard followed them onto the tram, but it would be for the better if the two found a place to hide as fast as possible. As he was undoing the mechanism at the door he glanced behind to see Amy by his side. Well at least she could keep up, Zero told himself. The door clicked open and he took it his cue forward.

So close! Zero saw the giant metal door at the end of the car waiting for him. As he was pushing the most recent door shut he heard the mechanism of the previous door unlocking. “Damn” Zero muttered and pushed the door, close there was no time to lock it.

“Amy help me push!” The giant metal door wasn’t run by the same clockwork mechanisms the others were. It usually took a Metafin to open…or two really fit people. Amy threw her side to the door full force and Zero saw her wince, she kept pushing though probably running on an adrenaline high. Slowly the door screeched open.

“Ok stop!” Zero said letting his hands off the door when a human sized hole made itself visible. The two rushed into the dark storage room. Before Zero could even put his hands on the door he saw Amy push her back against the cold metal. It was an impressive feat as the door started to shut behind her. Zero quickly helped until the hole was closed.

“Zerooo?”  Amy’s voice, even though it was a whisper, echoed throughout the storage car. “I’m here.” Zero grabbed Amy’s hand and quickly led her to the back of the car stumbling on various crates and shipping supplies. Feeling around with both hands Zero achieved a strong hold of a wooden crate’s top. He lifted it up with one hand and pulled Amy up to the crate with the other. He heard her climb in and then quickly swung himself inside behind. Just in time Zero breathed as he heard the metal door swing open and hit the wall. Someone was a Metafin.

 Zero felt around the crate trying to find Amy. His hands grazed soft skin. A fist punched his shoulder hard, found her, he thought. They were sitting on some sort of cloth maybe some sheets of clothes, that was good.

Footsteps rang throughout the car as the guard made his way through the stacks of crates. Zero quickly started to burry himself in the clothes, he hoped Amy had caught on. Footsteps moved closer and closer, then the sound of hinges creaking open. Zero held his breath as the guard inspected a nearby crate. This same action went on several times. Footsteps… hinges…footsteps…hinges… Then footsteps…hinges, the top of his hiding place swung open. Zero willed himself not to breath as long as he was uncovered.

Wood met wood with a harsh snap as it closed. Zero let out a breath simultaneously with Amy as the guard made his way to a few more crates and then finally leaving with the sound of metal screeching back into place.

“Wait here.” Zero with both hands pushed the top away and stepped through the familiar cart. There should be a light at the end he thought to himself, maneuvering to the wall. Zero was a frequent stowaway of cargo cars. There was usually an entrance underneath the tram he could crawl into when it wasn’t moving. He could travel wherever he wanted and he could take what he wanted to take. It was the ultimate form of freedom. He would have spent his life on the rails if hadn’t been taking care of his family.

Zero’s fingers wrapped around the disparity he found in the wall. The familiar brass knob turned with ease illuminating part of the car. Not remembering which one of the identical crates he had just crawled from Zero called out to Amy.

“You can come out now!”

              The wooden lid of their hiding place swung open. “Finally!” Amy said stretching her arms as she inhaled deeply. Zero made his way the crate leaning against the side. “So what now?” Amy asked playfully.

              “Haven’t you had enough excitement for one day?” Zero asked raising an eyebrow at Amy who looked genuinely exhausted. “Enough? Are you kidding I thought we were just getting started?” Amy winked.

              Zero started to walk away from the crate. If he was lucky he could possibly find something for them to eat. “Hey where are you going?” Amy yelled after him, Zero could just imagine her hands on her hips and pouting lips.

              “Don’t worry about it!” He called back as he lifted a crate’s top, gears. Next crate, tools. Next crate metal tubes. After swinging open around ten crates Zero struck gold, well more like yellow. Triumphantly he walked back to Amy with a bunch of bananas held high. Amy laughed, she held out her hands indicating for Zero to throw her a piece of his treasure. With a snap he broke off two of the bananas and threw them to Amy who almost dropped them but quickly recovered pulling the fruit to her chest.   

              “Amy what sort of clothes are you sitting on?” Zero asked climbing up to peer into the box. Amy’s head dropped to pick something out of the box. She held up a pair of pants smiling “Looks like work clothes. Oh and…” She reached down for something else and threw a brown object at Zero. “Now you owe me new shoes.”

              Zero looked down in his hand to see he held a brown cap similar to the one he used to wear. “Thanks.” He replied adjusting it on top of his head. “Now if you excuse me, I’m going to change.” Amy said ducking back into the crate. Zero stared incredulously for a second, she was so full of life all the time! Amy’s head poked back up out of the wooden box her coppery hair bouncing “I said I was changing, Perv!” she threw a heap of clothes in Zeros general direction.

              Laughing he held his hands up in mock surrender he turned around to go look for some shoes.