Hole'd Up

Chapter One: Getting that Dough

I woke up to the musty smell of my downtown SpringValley apartment and a pounding headache. I don't remember drinking last night, but then again I don't remember much from last night at all. My eyesight was a bit blurry but I could make out some of the cracks on the ceiling of my so-called apartment. I rolled over onto my side to check the time on my phone. 8:23 am. Shit. I'm going to be late for the third time this week. It's only Thursday.

I swung myself out of bed too fast, strengthening the already brutal migraine pestering me. Steadying myself, I dragged my feet over to my cracked vanity mirror to get ready to go to hell, also known as my part-time job. Orange eyes stared back into my warped reflection as I brushed the tangled mess of blonde hair on my head. Gunshots echoed outside my window, which sadly enough wasn't a rare occurrence. Contrary to how peppy the name sounds, SpringValley is a crime-ridden city. The police don't even try anymore, and gang activity is at its highest in over 70 years.

Nevermind all that sad shit, I was late for work. If my boss had cared enough to check in on her little slaves, I probably would have been fired, but alas, she never did. I threw my hair into a messy half-bun, hastily applied some concealer and eyeliner (or as hastily as you can be with that witchcraft,) and quickly slipped on my stupid uniform and nametag. I hate it when customers call me by my name.

"Here's your donut, have a Hole Great Day!"

"Oh thank you, Harley, you too!"

"..."

It's so uncomfortable.

Running out the door with my dirty uniform and still persistent headache, I clawed through my little backpack for my recently expired bus card, hoping it would still work. It did. Grabbing a seat closer to the back, I put my headphones in and stared out the foggy bus window. On my 12-minute commute to the heart of SpringValley, I saw three different people get mugged. One of them got shot, and nobody even turned an eye. I mentioned it earlier, but why don't I go a little more in-depth about crime in SpringValley (yes, it's one word.)

There are three main gangs in town, and they are responsible for the majority of crime in Springvalley. There is somewhat of a hierarchy between the groups as they all have their specialties and niches. Each one has a specific meeting spot, or lair if you will, where some of the worse-off members stay.

First, we have Crux, the main gang, who's color is crimson and their symbol is a heart with a crack splitting through the middle. You do not want to mess with these guys. Most active members are usually somewhere between 21-35 years old. Strangely, it's considered an honor to retire from Crux, I assume because it's pretty rare to survive long enough as an active member to be eligible for retirement. They focus on violent crimes like murders and high-stakes robberies, usually leaving many victims in their wake. If you've ever been involved with one of their felonies, you are most likely either a member of Crux, or you are dead, and to become a Crux, you must either be born into it or go through a long and rigorous process to prove your worth, usually resulting in death. Their meeting spot is generally believed to be the abandoned post office on the outskirts of the city, but nobody has ever really made it out to back this theory up. This is all the 100% accurate information I know about Crux, as they generally try to stay pretty secretive, and honestly, I'm scared to know more. They really don't mess around.

Next, we have Lynx. Their symbol is the outline of a cat, and their signature color is orange. At constant battle with the Crux for the top spot, this gang is usually considered the middle group, not too harsh, but not friendly either. They focus more on small robberies, low-profile bounties, a few hostages, and some vandalism. Unlike Crux, Lynx is always looking for new members. If you go to jail, you are no longer considered a member of the gang, and this happens fairly often, so their induction process is a bit less harrowing. It's also a requirement to get a tattoo of the cat outline somewhere visible on your body to be considered a loyal member. The two muggings I saw on my way to work that did not involve guns were probably the work of Lynx. This group is usually comprised of younger people, between the ages of 18-27. At least, those are the ones out doing the crimes. If you manage to stay out of jail for that long, you would probably become more of a planner or trainer for recruits. Lynx have a base set up around the long-forgotten underground tram system that the city installed back when I was a kid to cut down on carbon pollution. It didn't make enough money and eventually stopped being used. If you get caught up with Lynx, be cooperative and you will most likely survive. Probably.