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Chapter Two
I sat staring at my small fortune. I had forgotten about the bitter cold that threatened to enter my body.
I didn't feel cold or warm; just numb. Numb and confused.
When I looked into the sky, the sun was coming up, pinks slowly entering the horizon. I had sat on the bench all night. Slowly I stood up, pricks of pain stabbing my back.
My stomach twisted and grumbled. I searched the now-empty square for a garbage can.
I couldn't spend my newly-earned money, not yet; it seemed too precious.
I drifted towards an alley where no one was around. I found a garbage can near a tall brick building. A new layer of fresh snow covered the lid. I hadn't realized it was snowing. My black hair was wet and heavy from the snowflakes falling.
An 82 was on the front of the garbage can glowing. I had to keep that number at 82.
I knew if I removed something, even a feather, weight would be taken and an alarm would sound.
Everything was monitored in Palrim; from trash cans to gutters.
I squatted down, my legs protesting with soreness. I gathered snow with my bare hands and made a compact ball. Sweeping of the snow from the lid, I looked in the garbage and saw a half-eaten cheeseburger. That was a rarity. Something like that would cost at least 50 dollars.
That was the way it was with 'Best Way'. They had no competitors; they could have charged anything they wanted.
I weighed the snowball in my hand speculating its weight. It had to be the same. I slowly opened the lid and reached into the garbage.
As fast as my numb fingers would go, I put the snowball in the place of the cheeseburger. I took a few steps back and my muscles clenched, waiting for the 82 to change.
But it didn't. And no ringing sound came.
I let out the breath I didn't realize I was holding and slowly took a bite from the cold burger. It was mushy from the condiments sitting for so long. But it was food.
That was when the alarm finally began to sound.
It made my whole body vibrate to the core. I heard snow crunching as footsteps came towards me.
My heartbeat quickened as I dropped the cheeseburger.
I started to run without feeling my legs. Suddenly I was sliding and my old boots started to slide without traction. My head hit the black ice with a crack. Pain hammered my brain as my muscles screamed for mercy.
I heard voices and shouting a few feet away now. Suddenly everything began to blur. And the last thing I saw was the garbage can, a reasonable distance away, with the number 81.8, only .2 pounds away from being right.
Then the blackness came.
***
"Do you want to interrogate her, or should I?"
"Go 'head, I've done the last two whippings,"
"Fair enough,"
My eyes flew open to this. I panicked as I realized I was suspended in air, chains cutting into my flesh where I was being held from.
A dark room surrounded me with black marble that seemed to radiate cold. With horror, I realized that I was naked.
There was blood dripping down my back from where I guessed I had hit my head. Two burly men stood staring at me, one with a whip in hand.
"Evening, Miss," the one not holding the whip said. He smiled showing yellow, crooked teeth.
I didn't reply, just stared at the two with horror.
"Now don't be like that." The other said, "Old Gruberg wouldn't hurt you," He took a few steps towards me, whip in hand. "But I would,"
Ice ran through my veins and I felt myself start to shake.
"My names Leafburo," he continued, "and we are here to ask you a few questions. If you choose not to answer...well there will be consequences. So...first question; what's your name?"
I couldn't find my voice, my mind refused to process what he was saying.
And then the pain came.
My back was torn into by leather.
But that was nothing to what came next.
After the whip, an electric shock jolted every fiber, bone and muscle. I screamed in agony.
"WHATS YOU'RE NAME?" Leafburo demanded.
"I-I don't remember." I exclaimed between gasps, "My mother died when I was young. I haven't been called by name since."
Leafburo frowned. Then the whip was executed once again, the leather cutting deeper, making my flesh burn. The electric shock was twice as painful as the first. I screamed until my throat was raw. I searched my brain for any recollection of a name.
"I think it was Poppy," I gasped.
"...Poppy?" Leafburo turned to Gruberg smiling, guffawed laughter shortly following.
Finally wiping tears of hysteria away, Leafburo continued,
"Alright, Miss Poppy. Now we're getting somewhere." His eyes turned serious, "Why my dear, were you stealing from someone's trash?"
I opened my mouth to speak, but the electric whip was quicker, this one slapping and ripping skin from my naked chest. The pain was unbearable. Both men's eyes were black, cold as stone.
"Because I was hungry," I whispered desperately.
"What?" Leafburo demanded, "SPEAK UP."
He whipped me again, this time on the cheek. It felt numb now, but I could feel warm blood dripping down my face. I was losing consciousness, the electricity made me lose energy faster and faster.
"Because...I was...hungry..." I yelled as loud as my voice would allow. I was bleeding all over now. The pain stabbed through every nerve each time I took a breath.
"Why would you do that Poppy?" Leafburo asked, "When we discovered money in your pocket?"
I took a deep breath. "Because I didn't want to spend it yet, someone gave it to me."
Leafburo frowned. "Liar. You stole that money. You filthy piece of trash. No one in this bloody city would even THINK to give someone so vile and disgusting as you that money. It's worth more than you'll ever be."
He spat on my face, and then whipped me on the back.
The shock was the worst yet.
Blackness had almost completely taken me over. Somewhere in the anguish and pain, I felt Leafburo's lips press against my ear.
There was nothing I could have done but closed my eyes.
"You broke two laws. The punishment should be death." He whispered. "But, instead you will be a slave at one of our great Dictators homes. If you do one foolish thing there, make one stupid mistake...well..."
I opened my eyes to see a sick smile spread across his face. "There are things worse than death."
