> Mob Box Movers
Genres: Drama, Thriller, Noir, (a pinch of) Mystery, (some) Comedy, (and (who knows maybe) Phycological)
Tags: Mafia, Mentorship, Survival, Urban Fantasy, Magic
Feel free to lemme know if I should add some more to the Genres and Tags. I'm new to this thing so if your willing lemme know!
The Northern city of Lehelmear
The child was in Nifleheim
Thump… Thump… Thump…
The heart of a child is trying to keep it alive. Slowly pumping blood. Attempting to make up for the blood already lost. The child was losing touch in their hands as they had already with their legs. The biting wind was of the coldest of the year.
Clinging to its only shelter from the wind with a large newspaper only a thought came to mind.
“Cold…”
This child was stuck outside during one of the coldest nights of record. This day would later be referred to as The Night of Niflheim. As the chill of death took many a homeless that night.
A strong gust of wind flies into an alleyway. Indifferent and uncaring as it flies merciless in its haste. A strong draft of cold air penetrates right through the alley blowing any loose items in different directions.
A large newspaper is lost to the wind.
“No…”
A hand reaches out to the already lost newspaper. But just as soon as the child’s hand went out it fell. No more feeling there. A frigid embrace begins to make contact with the child.
“It’s never enough… is it?”
Thump… Thump… Thump…
A reminder of life from the body, fighting to keep it alive. The wind made contact with the wounds on the child’s body. Pain was acknowledged but, barely felt as a numbness would follow the pain soon after. Shaking uncontrollably, wounded, and spent. The child's only companion that of the body of a man that was already taken by the winds of Niflheim. Alone that the child was.
One of the child’s eyes was already closed. Their eye grew heavy. A wave of drowsiness was felt across the body. The child knew if they closed their eye for too long there was no guarantee of opening it again. So, the search for anything to hold their momentary attention began. The body of a man. The lights of buildings. The air itself. A barely beating heart.
Thump… Thump…
For a moment the air that occupied all the space the child could see was. It was colorful. The air seemed to take shape. Waves of subtle hues were able to be seen. An aurora. The world around them seemed to shift. And for just a moment… the child forgot where they were. But after a single blink it was over.
“I guess, I’ll be gone soon…”
A wave reality washed over the child. Physically, mentally, and emotionally the child was beaten. The child attempted to move but the body only twitched, not obeying any commands anytime soon. The child made a bitter exhale hurting just breathing this biting cold. Waiting for the inevitable. But no matter how inevitable it seemed, their eye would stay open.
Thump… Thump…
Vroom
Hudson was driving through Niflheim
Behind the wheel of a truck Hudson was on his way back to his boss.
Then a buzz from his phone.
Buzz Buzz Buzz
Three buzzes in a row. Hudson sighed. Slowing down a bit to check who’s calling.
[Boss]
[“The picture of a logo MBM is the profile picture”]
(Add Call) (Video call) (Bluetooth)
(Mute) (Speaker) (Keypad)
He looks ahead back to the road and looks for somewhere to pull over. He sees a vacant spot near an alleyway and signals to pull over.
The child
Every sound around the child felt like a white noise, a numbness, just of sound instead of sensation. The sound of a vehicle stopping reached the ears of the child.
Thump Thump Thump
A new variable seemed to enter the isolated system that was this child’s survival.
Hudson
Parking the truck and answering the call. A cheery voice came from the other side of the phone.
“Hudson! There you are.” A playful and exaggerated call rang.
“What is it Boss?” Hudson asked while sighing.
“Oh, come on Hudson. Don’t be like that, you know you can call me by my name.”
Silence
“Huff, fine, get out of the truck I need you outside for this.”
Hudson looked around and exited the truck. Then he walked toward the alleyway. After approaching the alleyway, he saw the body of a man lying in the middle.
“Poor soul”
Thought Hudson. He then entered the alleyway. After entering he turned toward the entrance and held out his hand to isolate the entrance from allowing sound to come in or out the alley. Just as he was about to finish setting it up.
“Help.”
Hudson spun around on his heel looking back to further in the alley. Following the words origin.
Thud
“Boss, give me a moment I need to check something.”
“Oh? Is your intuition leading you somewhere Hud-”
Hudson put his phone back in his pocket cutting of Boss. He finished the barrier and then examined the alley. Approaching the body that was toward the middle of the alley he wondered if he was just hearing things then he saw it, the small figure of a child. Lying on their side and small puffs of air exhaling from the nose. A frail visage of a kid in long pants and long sleeve shirt that had a letter V on it. Both pants and shirt were white, but the V was grey.
Hudson picked up his phone from his pocket.
“Boss.”
“Yes Hudson?”
“I found a kid.”
“What?”
“A kid boss. Looks like he’s barely breathing”
“Is he awake?”
“No, looks like he just passed out”
“Hmm, well I don’t want to ask more of you…”
“Just say the word boss.”
“Ha, put up a ward to at least stabilize his temperature. Make sure he doesn’t die at least.”
“Already on it boss.”
“Were you going to-, actually scratch that. Listen while you're setting up. You already checked the area, right? Set up to usual yeah?”
“Yup, besides no one in their right mind would be out at this time. Not like much can be out here in the first place.”
“Okay. I have our next job lined up. It's in a week's time. Bout seven days or six now I s’pose. This time I received it from A.R.T.”
Hudson had finished the stabilization. The child began to breathe easier.
“Alright, what do you want me to do with the kid? Most of the public facilities for escaping the cold are full.”
“Ah, hmm” A momentary pause was held. “Bring him with you, that is if you don't’ min-”
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Hudson was already picking up the child before boss spoke again. But while he was picking him up, he noticed a few things. First it was the condition of the body. Bruises, cuts, a few scars, blisters, and the most obvious hypothermia. Adding to the stabilization he helped the child’s body balance itself. A warm energy emanated from Hudson’s hands and assimilated into the child's body. Slightly surprised as to how accepting the body was to the energy Hudson raised his brow. But left that thought for later. His priority was helping.
After a minute or two Hudson heaved a sigh. Hudson took off his coat and put it on the kid and went back to the truck to get a blanket. He then wrapped the child in the blanket and picked him up to sit them in the truck. After propping the child up, he then returned to the alley while putting his coat back on.
“Done.” With a satisfied and resolute face Hudson said.
“Hahaha, and here I thought you forgot about me…”
“Ha. Ha. Was there anything else Boss?”
“About the mission? No, I’ll tell you the rest once you get here.”
“Alright…” Hudson said and looked back at the body in the alley.
Hudson heard an exhale from the other side of the line “Was there anything else Hudson?”
“Ha… you know me too well Boss. Just gotta report a body in the alley to the city. Lots were lost tonight, ya know?”
“Theres one where you're at?”
“Yeah, same place I found the kid.”
“Geez well just clean up after yourself and-”
“Make sure to call in anonymously. I know Boss.”
“Then if you know.” He said in a mimicking voice “Then get your ass back to base.” He said playfully.
“Roger Boss till then.”
“Till then”
After hanging up Hudson cleaned traces of his existence here and looked to where the kid was. And there were no traces at all. Where he could have come from before getting to where Hudson had found him was a mystery. But Hudson just noted it down and called in anonymously to the city so that the body could get buried in the morning. The city had created a line so that the locations of bodies could be delt with in the morning.
Hudson entered the truck and looked at the kid sleeping soundly. Hudson smiled to himself before driving back to base.
The Northern city of Lehelmear, northeast side.
Gasper Goods
Sitting in his chair on the phone, a man in what can only be called business casual clothes finishes his conversation. He then begins to call another number.
Buzz Buzz Buzz
[Dame Donnivan]
[The picture of a woman with a beanie with strands of dark auburn hair peeking out from the beanie, she has light brown eyes. This is the profile picture]
(Add Call) (Video call) (Bluetooth)
(Mute) (Speaker) (Keypad)
“Hello?” A slightly monotone voice answers.
“Dame! How are you?”
“Ah, Mr. Goods. Were you checking on Mr. Holt? He left about 20 minutes ago.”
“Oh, I know, I just wanted to know how he did.”
“Mr. Holt was very helpful. He was working around the clock.”
“Good. I assume all went well then?”
“Yes, at least a hundred people were brought in through Mr. Holt.”
“Hahaha, yeah, that’s Hudson for you. Because I know he will ask, were they all able to get the attention they needed?”
“A large majority yes, however… a few didn’t make it. As you know basically all the public facilities are full, especially the health centered facilities.”
“A shame. You can’t save them all.”
A moment of silence was held between the two before Gasper spoke again.
“Well, I don’t want to hold you up as I know it’s quite the busy night for you.”
“Yes, was there anything else Mr. Goods?”
“Nope, just send the old man my regards. Also let us know if you need us again.”
“Understood Mr. Goods, have a good night.”
“You as well Ms. Donnivan” Gasper says with a chuckle.
After ending the call, Gasper spins his chair back around to his desk, as he was sitting facing the wall behind him. A slight exhale leaves him as he begins to stretch.
He looks at the door directly in front of his desk. To his left a bookshelf, to his right a board with a Calander, notes and pictures scattered about the board, looking all messy to an ignorant eye. Above, a warm florescent light attached to a slowly spinning ceiling fan.
“Haaaa, I wonder what the coming days will bring.”
The next day
The child
A warm sensation is felt covering the child as they stir from their slumber. Eventually, they begin opening their eyes. The child was lying in a bed with a comfortable blanket resting over their body. Though as they began to get an idea of their physical state, they felt a familiar pain from their previously numb wounds.
What happened? Where am I? As if their awareness was brought back to them questions of the context to their predicament began. The child tried to sit up and to their surprise their body complied, though slightly painful. Sitting up they were able to get a better idea of where they were currently.
Their bed sat near the corner of the room with a nightstand separating the corner of the wall from the bed. To the right where the nightstand was, there was also a window letting in the light of the day though through blinds. As the child looked to their left, a hefty looking man sat pealing fruit with his back turned to the child.
The Child was slightly startled but was still feeling groggy. The man didn’t look like a bad person, a warm presence could be felt by the child which made them feel more relaxed. It seemed to originate from the man.
Attempting to say something the child realizes their mouth and throat are dry. A dry cough comes out when they tried to talk. The man’s back seemed to have flinched at the cough and he turned around. The man had his dark brown hair tied up. He had a square face with sturdy features covered by a burly beard, he also had light brown eyes. He picked up a glass with water in it and brought it over to the kid.
Sitting down in a chair near the bed he says in a soft tone.
“Are you alright? Thirsty?”
He then holds out the glass of water. The kid who had started dry coughing while the man spoke nodded and took the glass from his hand. The kid slowly drank it. As if savoring the water, letting it rehydrate their mouth. The kid then cleared their throat with a cough, and after a minute began to speak.
“Thank you.”
The man softly smiled and spoke
“Don’t mention it.”
The man then got up from his seat and walked over to the blinds and opened them up for more light to come in. He then sat back down with the kid's eyes never leaving him.
A soft chuckle leaves the man, and he says, “since you’ve woken up, the Boss will probably wanna talk to you.”
“Can you walk?”
The child’s eyes look to the rest of their body as if to get the okay from it. “They seem to be testing the waters with their body” the man thought.
The Kid
Unsure of how to respond I looked to my body. Aches, I feel slightly sore, there is some pain, but it should be manageable. Thoughts were beginning to be processed through their head.
“I think so” the kid said eventually responding to the man's question.
“Don’t force it, we can go slow, here I’ll help you.”
I was able to stand, and eventually I started walking. I’ll be it slowly, but I was walking. We entered a wide hallway with doors on either side.
The man walked slightly ahead occasionally looking back to check on me.
“You're sure you don’t need anything to lean on?”
“Yes, thank you sir.”
“If you insist. You look much better compared to when I found you, so that's good at least. But still, let me know if we need to stop or if something is wrong alright?”
“Understood”
“So, he saved me, I’ll have to thank him again when I get the chance,” The kid thought.
As we walked toward a specific door I kept seeing three letters M, B, and M, occasionally on things we passed even on a patch that was on the man's pants. But before my thoughts went anywhere.
“Here we are,” the man said as he opened a door and helped me in.
Before me was a desk with two chairs in front, a bookshelf with different Nic-knacks to my right and a messy board with a Calander to my left. The man sitting behind the desk was on the phone. So, the man who helped me in, helped sit me down on one of the chairs and then stood near the door.
Eventually.
“Yes Yes, I know”
“We can talk about this later. Someone just arrived that I’ve been meaning to talk to.”
“Yes, I will make time for you later.”
“Uh huh, yeah, okay, love you to.”
He then hung up the phone and spun his chair back around. The wall he was facing also had an MBM on it.
“So, you're the one Hudson brought in, yeah?”
The kid nodded
So, his saviors name is Hudson the kid thought.
“Not too talkative are ya, kid?”
“I don’t know what to say.” The kid stated plainly.
“Well, that’s fine I’ll just talk at ya. And you can respond if anything I says hits ya, capiche?”
“Capiche?” The kid repeated questioningly
Hudson spoke “It means understand.”
The kid had looked back to Hudson and nodded to him. The kid then nodded to the man behind the desk.
“Now…” the man started.
“In this line of work the ability to act independently is a blessin. Being your own owner, your own boss. Ya see, I’m in the transportation business. Specifically, the transportation of goods. Got quite a few individuals who rely on our services. What are the goods you say? Well kid, they range from all sorts a things objects, people, animals, you name it we’ve probably moved it.”
The man covers his mouth for a second and slightly hurls, “ugh sorry I just had an unpleasant memory resurface from one of our older jobs. Now where was I? Right. My people and I go from place to place, city to city, state to state… sometimes even country to country. Though its only on rare occasions we have national travel on our hands. You could say I’m well-traveled. Where have I been, you might ask? All over the world in all technicalities.”
“Ah apologies I forgot to introduce myself. Name’s Gasper Goods. Owner of the Mob Box Movers. Any questions?”
“Is it just you and Mr. Hudson?”
“Oh, no we have others, three in fact.” Gasper seems to state it proudly.
“They are just busy at this moment.”
“Okay, well why am I here?”
“Why your here? Kid, listen to me. When you're in this kind a city you always gotta have somebody. And from the looks of it you don’t got anybody. If ya want, we’re willin to bring ya in as our own. Or we could find you a place-. Course that’s all up to your own discretion. Your free to stay with us until the winter passes then you can make your decision kay? Are you sold on the idea?”
The kid kind of just sits there for a bit. Gasper looks at Hudson, communicating through his eyes Gasper asks “too much?” Hudson just nods and shrugs, almost to say, “you did it again boss.” But while that’s happening the kid speaks again.
“What if I stayed?”
“Huh? What if we bring you in?”
The kid nodded.
Gasper looked surprised for a second but quickly tried to suppress his both, surprise and excitement.
“Well, that’s a whole other thing we’d have to give you the whole rundown of what’s what. Ya see I ain’t doing this out of the kindness of my heart kid. I see a potential in you. We don’t just give this opportunity to anybody.”
“Plus, boss has a soft side he doesn’t like talking about” Hudson says.
“HEY!” Gasper shouts at Hudson.
The two begin to banter back and forth.
“Don’t make me look like a softy in front of the kid Hudson!”
Hudson lets out a hearty laugh and Gasper gets up and walks over to talk to him.
The Kid
I guess I’ve been given an opportunity.
I want to pay them back for saving me.
I mean I still need to recover.
But I also feel like I’m supposed to be here.
As these thoughts appeared in their head a warm comforting feeling began to resonate through the room. Gasper and Hudson were laughing with each other going back in forth talking.
Maybe this was meant to be.
The kid begins to laugh with Hudson and Gasper.
I think I’ll stick around.
“By the way kid, what’s your name?”
For a moment the kid looks sad.
“I don’t remember. I don’t remember much at all now that I think about it.”
The kid then begins to hold their head in their hands. Suddenly an isolating feeling took a hold of the child. Breathing heavily thoughts begin to surface. I should know this. You don’t remember this. Who am I? Why am I? Wha-.
Hudson cuts in and speaks “if you can’t remember that’s okay, breathe with me. In and out." The kid then followed, in and out. The kid was in a cold sweat, but they were calming down.
“How about we call you by a temporary name? Is that okay?” Again, Hudson was speaking calmly and softly.
The kid nodded.
“If you don’t know what to be called right now that’s just fine.”
“Ah, I’ll call you Skadi for now. To attest to your survival of the cold!”
“Least till your name comes back to you alright?”
Again, Skadi nods. Hudson puts his arm on Skadi’s shoulder. “You’ve been through a lot I imagine so how about you rest for the rest of the day?” Skadi looks at Hudson and hugs him. Hudson is initially caught off guard but reciprocates the hug. Hudson then realizes that Skadi passed out. Picking up Skadi Hudson carries them back to their room. Gasper followed behind and after Hudson put Skadi down and made sure they were okay; he stepped out with Gasper. But before Gasper closed the door he said.
“Welcome to our little spiel kid.”
End of Concept Chapter
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