Shadow Kids

Chapter 1-The Corner Store

Jack took a deep breath and jumped from her window. She hit the ground with a soft thud but quickly stood up and brushed the dirt off herself before running to the front of the house. The October air was brisk and cold, but Jack willed herself not to feel it. She grabbed her skateboard, hidden under the low hanging branches of a bush and took off down the street. Just ten minutes before her alarm had woken her up. 

She had shut it off quickly before any more of the noise could echo through the house. After rubbing the sleep out of her eyes she rushed to get re-dressed in her dark jeans, Pierce the Veil t-shirt, and her signature hoodie. She couldn't leave her clothes on just in case on the rare occasion that her parents did check in on her, she wouldn't raise any suspicions. She slipped on her black combat boots and pulled a bandana over her head before she was finally ready to leave. 

The ride was only a short twenty minutes; fifteen if she took Griffin Street instead of the back roads. She didn't usually take Griffin Street though because the number of cars that she tended to see was greater. It all ended her in the same place though. She expertly navigated the streets of Northeastern Los Angeles. She guessed that from the many nights that she had made this exact journey she could do it with her eyes shut. Jack knew the streets of Downtown LA and the surrounding areas better than almost anyone.  

As she went under the overpass that crossed over N. Main Street, she slowed and kicked up her board and began to walk the rest of the way. Making sure that the coast was clear she walked through the shadows of the building until she finally reached it. The Corner Store.  

The Corner Store was an abandoned brewery. The building itself had two levels and a basement and hundreds of rooms. Many of the windows were either broken or missing or boarded up. The outside of the building was an ugly brown color and the inside was even worse. But for Jack and many of the other children of LA, this place was home. 

Jack walked around to the back of the building where she found the doors to the basement. The doors were covered in vines that perfectly hid them, unless of course, you knew what you were looking for. She quietly opened the doors and climbed down into the basement letting the doors swing shut behind her. As soon as she got into the basement, she noticed something. The silence. Yes, the basement was the one of the quietest part of the building since most of the kids were afraid to stay in here longer than the time it took to walk upstairs, but there were usually at least a few kids down here. Looking around, thanks to the help of the solar lanterns placed around the room, she started to cautiously walk towards the stairs that would lead to the first floor of the building.  

All of a sudden, Jack heard many pairs of feet thundering towards her. She reacted quickly, putting her hands up to block her face as she was tackled to the ground. 

"SURPRISE" The group of about ten kids yelled, stilled piled on top of Jack. Breathing heavily she stood back up. She put her hands on her hips and looked at all of the kids. 

"Now what was that for?" She asked, not angrily. Sneak attacks were part of the norm at The Corner Store. 

"'Cause we felt like it!" A little blonde seven-year old with a dirty pink dress and loose, poorly cut pigtails said with a huge smile. 

"Sparkles said we could do it!" A little boy said. All the other kids gasped theatrically and covered his mouth with their hands. 

"Joey!!!" The little girl said in a loud whisper. "You weren't supposed to tell her that!"  

"Hmmm... Sparkles let you did he?" All the kids looked up at her innocently and shook their heads. "No? O.k. Well, I guess I just have to let you guys go this time." She said smirking. All the kids turned and ran upstairs giggling and whispering. Shaking her head with a ghost of a smile, Jack continued through the basement and up the stairs. At the top of the stairwell she passed Sparkles. He looked at her and smirked.