City of Thieves

Chapter 21: A Disruption In The Midnight Sky

"That was very reckless. And stupid."
Shelby hissed in Laura's ear like a snake.

The young thieve Laura finished cleaning blood off the child's face, looking into that familiar look in his eyes. Oh, childhood trauma.
"Funny how somethings only reckless and stupid when your not the spotlight." Laura murmured.

After wrapping the child in a jacket, and properly disposing of the farmers body, the thieves had the sudden change of will to do any robbing that night. But that didn't stop them from snagging three nice pairs of leather shoes.

They took the long way home, the safe way, ignoring Shelby's complaining. The child didn't argue, safe to assume he was on his own. When the thieves got home, they didn't bother changing, once they knew nobody would listen over they erupted.

"I'll start on some tea, using our last bit of water, if I may add." Shelby scoffed.
She's been cranky since her building was burnt down by purgers and she had to move in with Laura and Aron. The three room one bathroom apartment was getting smaller it seemed.
"I'll go over to Dustin's, asking for some matches and any spare food he has. AGAIN."
Aron took his jacket from the kid, leaving out the door. The child's face was more foreseeable in the yellow lighting; his tan features where peppered with freckles.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. I'm everyone's favorite screw up." Laura cracked her neck.
Shelby coughed and gagged. Laura tried her best to ignore her.
The boy tried to make it obvious that he was shivering. Laura took a small yarn blanket and wrapped it around the boy.
"Cold? I'll make something to warm you up."

Laura went to the pantry to pick out any crippled vegetables for a soup. Before she could holler to Shelby to stop preparing the tea leaves for the heated water, a large, shiny body sized lump fell out.
She froze, it was a body bag, about the size of Laura herself.
She hoped to God the boy hadn't noticed, though the thump had seemed to get the attention of both him and Shelby.

"What the hell?" Shelby drummed her feet on the wood thundering in.
"Did someone go hunting and not refrigerate.." she paused again, pinching her nose.

"Oh LORD." She backed up.
Soon Shelby did the same.
"That smell." Shelby gagged.
"Smells like blood.. It must be some sort of animal. Aron, that idiot!"
The boy crept up from behind, scooting his way between both of them and then up to the body. He ripped open the black garbage bag; an opening in the midnight sky.
The girls heard him choke, his motions where slurred as he fell back into Laura.

Laura looked back to the bag after asking the boy if he was alright, he continued to choke on his breath and gargled his language.

The light in Laura's eyes died.

It was Julia. Julia's corpse lay in the baggy, but how did she get here?
How did Laura's childhood bully from the orphanage get in a body bag in her apartment in the city hidden from all humanity? As far as she knew, nobody in the cities world knew about Laura being orphaned. Not even Aron bothered to ask how she wondered into the city, just that she never wanted to talk about it. The only explanation is that Laura's den mother dropped her off here, but still.. how would she get herself here..

"YOU.. YOU PEOPLE ARE SICK." The boy interrupted both Shelby's and Laura's thoughts. "IS THIS WHAT YOU DO TO KIDS?"
"What? I.." Laura took another look at Julia, but as she did the boy already scrambled out of Laura's arms and out the door.

"WAIT!" Laura screamed after him, Shelby didn't bother to chase after or even make an attempt.
Another less mouth to feed is how she saw it.

Dirty, rotten, selfish Shelby.

"WE DIDN'T DO THIS!" She yelled.

She was gonna chase after the boy, bring him back and give him a warm place to stay and possibly..have him live here. Have him stay and have a happy orphaned life, one that makes him forget he is one at all. A life.. Mrs. Taylor made Laura feel like she lost the opportunity to have..

But before she could run after him, strong arms wrapped around Laura.
She was engulfed in a hug, she couldn't breathe until about ten seconds when he loosened his grip.

"My girl.. my baby girl.. oh how I've longed to see you.."

That voice. No. It wasn't.

"You've no idea how long it has taken me to find you. And when I got my hands on this.. bitch.."

It couldn't be. It wasn't. It was.

Her legs wobbled just knowing who she was touching. He got taller, his voice deeper and raspier. But his hugs where just as soft and warm.

"R.. Ruben."

Her brother..

"RUBEN!" She hugged back, so tight the universe suffocated around her. Reality was dead, colors where clearer. Oh how she missed him, how she loved him

How she would kill before he was taken away from her again.