Shadows on the Strip

Chapter One

I kept my head cast down as I glanced covertly at the other passengers around me. There was of course your usual riff-raff. There were your druggies with glassy staring eyes and mussed clothes. Among them were alcoholics and what looked like a gambler who'd lost everything. A second glance assured me of this when I noticed the way he absently twisted at his ring finger missing its gold band. The passenger that caught my eye and held it was a boy, maybe my age or younger. I guessed 16 or so. We looked alike, I guess you could say we all did, the runaways I mean. We all are the same, at least aesthetically. The same hastily thrown on clothes, duffle bags accumulated at our feet, but the main thing was we were all utterly and desperately alone.

Realizing I had been staring for quite a while, I looked down. Inspecting the scuffed edges of my Converse I didn't notice when the bus came to an abrupt stop, causing my forehead to slam against the seat in front of me. I got up rubbing my forehead, and dragged my bag up with me.

Looking up, I steeled myself for my first real look of Vegas. My eyes drank in the cigarette littered sidewalk and the polluted haze that swept through the air. I walked in awe at everything around me. The city was so stimulating, there were so many lights and sounds, everywhere you looked there was color, and vibrancy, and life. And just like light, there was certain darkness to it. Just past every street corner there was a scantily clad lady looking for her next patron. Down every dank alley an addict sliding down the wall was falling hard from his last fix and desperately searching for his next. The city was so deceiving, outside with its bright lights and promises of fame and fortune, and inside it was dirty and bathed in poverty. A diamond covered in grime, or a lady who, when you looked close enough, sported a chipped manicure and smudged lipstick.

Wide eyed, I was knocked out of my stupor when my shoulder slammed into a boy that was walking in the other direction. I mumbled an apology and kept walking. While admiring the city I had wandered to the fringe where the lights just barely reached.

Our shadows eclipsed for mere seconds before he paused, just the slightest hesitation. With his faced turned minutely to the side I could just see the dull glint of his eyes. Keeping my head down I sped up my pace. I tried to assure myself that it was nothing, but that little voice in the back of my head said to get away fast.

Quickly I darted across the strip to safety and breathed a sigh of relief. Still slightly unnerved I hurried along just trying to find a hotel to stay in, something cheap because I didn't have much money with me. All I had was 500 dollars that I had saved up over the years.

Wrapped up in my own thoughts I didn't notice the boy until he was a few feet away from me. Moving from shadow to shadow he was barely visible. I discretely searched for a motel, casino, convenience store, anyplace I could hide. In my haste I tripped, the dirt incrusted street rushing up to meet my face. I closed my eyes and braced myself for the impact, but before asphalt could meet face I felt a strong hand wrap around my arm.

The boy pulled me up and for the first time I looked him right in the face. His brow was furrowed and eyes confused, almost as if he hadn't meant catch me at all. His mouth opened like he was going to say something but before he could utter a word I slapped his hand away and dashed into a seedy Motel 8.

A/N: What do you guys think? Feel free to offer constructive criticism..... or anything. If you like it, vote. If you don't, then don't. :)