Karma

~Chapter 9: A Strange Girl~

Who was that? And what was with her hair? It was vibrant red... I've never seen anyone like that before, and her eyes were piercing blue. That's a weird combination, and certainly not a natural one.

"O-Oliver!" Charlotte called out and sprinted across the front yard of the house we were in. "W-who... Huff, huff, was that?" she panted once she reached me and asked. I looked troubled down at her small figure. I bent down and she climbed onto my back, then I started running.

"I have no idea who she was! I really don't want to know, though! She did not seem friendly, we just need to get home!" I explained to her. She clutched tighter onto my jacket. Rain drops began to fall onto my back and Charlotte. I stared at the sky as rain drops fell faster. I sighed, looking to the side and finding a house with boards already broken.

Walking over to it, I let Charlotte off my back and she walked inside looking rather tired. Only when I fully walked in myself did I notice the girl with blood red hair sitting on the floor staring at us. She groaned. "Oh, come on! I do not have time for this bullcrap!" She stood up and got in a fighting stance. "Alright rich bitch, if you're gonna try and take me in, I'm going down fighting."

What did she just call me?

I ignored her rude name and covered Charlotte's ears. "Please refrain from swearing in front of my nine year old sister."

She blinked for a few seconds, then eased up. "So you... don't want to arrest me or something?"

I shook my head. "Not like I could do anything like that. Though I am concerned for why you were in restricted area." I folded my arms with a dissatisfied look. She scolded me back.

"It's this great thing called not having a place to live, so you have to be on the run constantly."

"...Oh."

There was silence for a while, then Charlotte spoke. "So you're a real life criminal?"

She raised an eyebrow at my oddball of a sister. "Um. Yes? Is being homeless illegal?"

Charlotte continues to talk. "Well Oliver and daddy talk about that all the time! They say stuff like 'They should ill-eagle-lost marihana again!' and 'it's a public officer if someone doesn't live in a hostle hold' or something! I don't really know what it means... but it's cool to listen to!"

The room goes quite again, only rain making noise. Then I facepalm and speak again. "Charlotte, it's illegalize, not ill-eagle-lost, marijuana not marihana, public offence, not officer and house hold, not hostle hold."

"Right! What Oli said." She smiles.

I look back at the red headed girl. "And yes, it's technically an offence to not live permanently in a house. The president is trying her best to get rid of criminals so this world is better, and more often than not, homeless people are the cause of murders, thievery and drug abuse."

The girl was silent for a few seconds, then scoffed. "Figures. I always thought you rich type would be stupid enough to think all the idiotic rules they have in this city are justified."

I clenched my fists. "Are you getting sassy with me? How dare you defy this great city! It is the one thing sheltering you from the war outside!"

"Yes, but inside, hundreds of so called criminals are being given the death penalty for, oh, who knows! Maybe trying to survive!" She stomped her muddy boot on the decaying wood. Her red, raggedly curly hair matched the colour of her temper at the time.

I sighed, in boredom, anger and disappointment. "Well then I'm sorry that things aren't perfectly working for you. If you really need a place to stay, then I'm sure, with some persuasion, they'll let you stay with us."