Gold Fever (m×m) ✔

V: The Time of Our Lives

《 ELIAN PHOENIX 》

They all say it: we are criminals. The villains of the story. So, isn't it just fair that we sneak into their homes, and their stores in the heart of the night? If they don't give us food or medicine, what other choices do we have but to steal? We are just the victims of a circumstance. And, really, what are a few books and cassettes added to that?

The bookstore, our third stop on our nightly scavenging trip, was a jackpot. It was no ordinary bookstore. First of all, they served champagne. Well, they did before, and now it was just gathering dust like every other store. Heavy black curtains hung over the grimy windows and there was a layer of dust in the bookshelves which separated the tables from one another.

Rain plopped on one of the leather couches, his muddy boots leaving smudges on the fine material. He used his hands as pillows, and his light brown hair got tousled in the process. None of us said anything when he dozed off, knowing how much he did for us on a daily basis without ever complaining about his leg or how exhausted he was.

I told you Rain is the least likely of us to be recognised, but he by no means looks boring. Under his long-sleeved shirt his skin is tattooed and in the summer a generous amount of freckles splatters his face. You know those people who you know to be kind just by looking at them? They might not be handsome in the customary way, but they look so kind and sweet that they somehow still are.

"Look what I found." Rio spoke in a quiet, but excited voice. They had a bottle of champagne in one hand and a bottle of vintage wine in the other. They sat down next to me and proceeded to fumble for something in their tote bag.

"What fancy stuff have ya got there." I used my bad imitation of a rich Englishman, a goofy grin on my lips. I set down the book I was leafing through, having already stacked way too many paperbacks on the red Oriental carpet, to take a closer look at the bottles. Most of the books in the bookstore were about American history or North Carolina, but not all, thank Mother Earth. "I bet this bottle costs more than my monthly rent."

"I have no doubt about that." Rio agreed, nodding solemnly. Then they pulled out whatever they were looking for and presented the treasure to me: "Crackers and olives. The fancy kind."

"This is what I call gourmet." I agreed, eyeing the labels. Rio sat up straighter, their chin held up high when they heard my praise, and then disappeared behind the bookshelves to find more things to represent to me.

I felt a twinge of guilt, seeing how they were going through all the effort to feed us while I was there looking for things to read. Even worse, they weren't books about magic or magical cures to mystery illnesses, but something to read for fun. I decided I had sat on my ass for way too long already, and just stuffed some of the books in my backpack at random.

To clear my conscience, I left behind my copies of Into The Wild and The Hobbit, which were both painful to part ways with. But I couldn't fit all the books in my backpack, and I needed something to exchange the new books for. With a heavy, sorrowful sigh, I went in search of those magical books, while Rio and Najwa finished their scavenging in the kitchen flash bar area of the store.

This time we were able to sneak in and out without anyone noticing us. We had food, alcohol, some medicine, books and a portable CD player in our backpacks, and our steps were light. It had been a profitable trip, and it was enough to get us out of our funk. Besides, I think we were all more than happy to leave behind Asheville Downtown and its hateful citizens. For good, this time, after spending one day hiding in the shadows just to sneak back when everyone was sleeping.

The best thing about forests isn't nature, but the lack of people. I guess that is a lot from a social butterfly such as I am, but honestly, at that point I was so done with people. I wanted to be somewhere safe, surrounded by my friends and their familiar, congenial faces. I was fed up with having to duck my head, and most of all, I just wanted to stay alive long enough to figure out how exactly my magic works.