Philophobic Perpetrator

Unlikely Friends

I walk slowly around the cement building from the alleyways, they are much darker at night. Really scary if you don't know where you're going. I look at the feeble girl tailing behind me. Her hair was a tawny color, pulled back into a nice clean bun with no strands coming out, despite being flung against a brick wall. Her skin was tanned honey brown with little black moles dashed across her face. Almost like someone frayed a paintbrush with black paint and flung across just her face. Her eyes were pure hazel , greens swirling into light brown. Appearance wise, she was beautiful. Almost exactly like Disney Pocahontas but with hazel eyes and brown hair instead of black.

"Where are we going?" Her hazel eyes blink like a baby deer, all innocent. Like she didn't almost cost me my treaty with Tik.

"It isn't far from here Princess, I promise."

"My names Astoria, get it right."

we make it finally to the bright teal backdoor. She smiles a wide hopeful grin like a kid just got a new toy. "This is it." I start pushing the door open when she darts through it.

Quickly I grab her wrist and spin her away from what I know is a very dangerous floor, right into my arms. "What is wrong with you?!" I raise my voice at her a little, trying to avoid her gaze cause of the stupid blush across my face. "Look, I boobytrapped the place and it's old... falling apart at the seams. You need to be more careful."

She nods and I can tell she's going to be a handful to teach. What have I got myself into? It's not like I would've left her with Tik-Tok, he'd steal everything she has and leave her to die in the alleyways, or worse.

I remember when Tik-tok was just a young kid, before he was Tik-Tok he was Tilly Thomas, my cousin. We'd run around what used to be the apartment playgrounds and pretend to be like the superheroes, before we learned how awful they really were. He was a little older than me, so he got kicked out of our uncle's place earlier. I would help give him food rations when I could... it's probably why his goons won't touch me. When I got kicked out we made a deal, I wouldn't tell his goons his real name, and he'll provide me with some rank in his territory... and slip me food if he has enough to spare the twins like I spared him.

Me and the Princess get inside the building walking down the corridor, her looking all star struck at an abandoned school building. We walk up to the principle door, she reads it out loud.

"Principle Warden sucks? Did you do this?" She laughs a little throughout her sentence. "No I can't take credit although whoever did's a genius." We both snicker as I open the door, easily since it isn't rainy this time.

She looks around the room, mesmerized by it all. Stars in her eyes from excitement, then it dies for a split second . "How long have you been living here? Where's your family?" I dodged the question and pointed to my hammock. "You can sleep there, I'll take the chair..." She tries to climb into it, and falls flat on her face, I snicker and her face blazes with embarrassment. "Orr not. Guess I'll take the hammock and you'll take the chair."

I throw her a sheet from my hammock as a blanket, it's usually too warm for it anyways. She's fiddling around in the backpack she was carrying with her. She pulls out a luxury name brand chocolate bar, and my eyes go wide. She notices. "Do you want some?" I quickly jump from the hammock easily and I can tell she's jealous. I nod as politely as I can manage and she hands me a piece." When was the last time you had one?" She asked. The words started rolling off my tongue before I could catch them.

" We only ever got the off brand kinds, my parents didn't make enough money for ingredients for cake so we'd only get one once a year, on my birthday. My mom would buy a whole bar for me, and I'd end up sharing half with her anyways." Princess hands me the rest of the half of the bar. I take it walking back to my hammock, realizing I've said too much. I look out into the starry night skies of the alleyways, thinking about the girl. If she's got luxury stuff like that chocolate in her bag, its dangerous for her to even be here. I make a promise to myself and the sky, I'll keep her safe. I justify to myself that its only for my benefit. Maybe some rich parent will have a missing reward for her and ill deliver her back safe and sound. She HAS to be important if she's carrying around stuff like that with her...

The question is how important? Am I willing to trade her off for high enough a price? She's running from something , that I'm sure of. The question remains... WHAT is she running from?