Cat-like creatures are like dogs but more awesome on this planet. Dogs are great friends on Earth, don't get me wrong, but the love you see casted by your feline friend as you both slumber off are a clear indication that they're working with you and not against you on Earth. They're there when you need them, when the day's hard, and even when you're preparing for the end.

Cats on Earth, in some minds, portray them as mean, selfish, creatures, especially enjoying solitude away from humans but frankly, cats were enjoyed by some cultures on Earth for a reason. They'd cast evil aside in their small form like a Jack Russell terrier barking at some human you're sure the dog is right about, hissing until they go away.

Sometimes seeking those who are at their end, relishing in the human's end-of-world companionship, Earth cats come to aid. Maybe they see humans at their best when they know it's their end? Maybe some Earthly cultures knew of their post-world magic?

Cats will wander down corridors to those on their deathbed. Human caretakers tower above them while the cats trolley along to their destination without reservation. The caretakers offer grace in this service knowing that their furry friends wobble down the hallways to seek out those who are at their weakest. It's no wonder that on other planets cat-like creatures hold their wisdom and worth more so than Earth.

Cats prepare themselves for bed on Earth for a while but illisks on Hailey's planet don't. So they're not like dogs or cats on Earth in that respect, that take a long time to be comfortable. Illisks enjoy knowing it doesn't matter how their fur is because they're still a furry titan at any moment. All in a large panther like form, however colorful, oily, fur, and a kitten like admiration of their friend, illisks lay down at once to rest and pounce at the slightest of threats. On Earth this would be considered a 'master-pet' relationship even though illisks hate the thought of that.

When illisks pick a companion, it's supposed to be forever and they don't need any training to boot when it comes to defense of themselves or their companions. Sometimes, we'll find out, the relationship doesn't work and the illisks need to leave the relationship.

They see their companion's security and happiness as the utmost importance. They watch their 'companions' much like cats do on Earth, through their day to day, and offer themselves in humbleness. Too many creatures have crossed the line in Hailey's planet to count but there are statistics on government run websites to indicate a belonging to their companion, at least in the unfortunate one's aftermath. Too many have suffered an illisk's wrath and paid for it with their lives. When a being on Hailey's planet confronts an illisk, they willfully offer their life. It's like having a little lion by your side so most people on Hailey's planet steer clear of them when they're around a 'companion'.

[https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/0adcdb2b-2a27-4d02-b707-ec3de1b96f2a/dfbfk4o-5d5026a0-aa61-45be-8e2e-7210b012146a.png?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzBhZGNkYjJiLTJhMjctNGQwMi1iNzA3LWVjM2RlMWI5NmYyYVwvZGZiZms0by01ZDUwMjZhMC1hYTYxLTQ1YmUtOGUyZS03MjEwYjAxMjE0NmEucG5nIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.crOg9kaNnB8fGJqi1Xk1k8JU-vmHhttWj1aJDt-O2l8]

Baron, an illisk who just found a homeless Hailey, intends to offer her comforting rubs and purrs. Illisks can also feel their companion's pain. Sometimes they can see images of their pain as well. Digging through Hailey's thoughts, Baron steeps low and closes her eyes as she reels in Hailey's past torment. Baron knows now her trouble, compares it to herself, and offers her belly as a test to Hailey. Illisks offer their belly here as cats do on Earth to test their companions. Once vetted, the relationship starts. They need a being to support or illisks die young, so Baron is in search of a new companion.

She is 4 foot tall with a white and grey oily fur. She has pointed ears much like a cat on Earth but more elvish. Baron intends to scent Hailey as a companion so Baron begins an onslaught of rubs as a young Hailey is unsure of the creature's presence and push.

"Stop.". Hailey says "I don't need you right now and probably never will." Hailey is aware of these creatures but where she's from in her district, there's not a lot around.

Baron slows the rubs and hunkers down in front of Hailey in a humbled manor with a grunt as Baron looks at Hailey. Hailey's memories cloud Baron's mind as she closes her eyes. Illisks get a download of their companion's pain when touched. They suffer their pain but unfortunately for illisks it's not reciprocal most of the time. Some people on Hailey's planet feel illisks' pain but the government has deemed these folks as fools and drummed up some legislation to punish anyone who says they're sensitive to illisks. Again public safety and awareness above all else.

Hailey isn't aware of what it means to be a companion of an illisk but she welcomes any true belonging to any creature.

"You're cute." Hailey says as the illisk rolls over on her belly and pawing at Hailey's foot.

The intimidation from such a large creature would put an Earthling on edge but on this planet, illisks are revered throughout the world, so Hailey uses her hand to paw back at Baron's chest in an attempt to acknowledge her knowing a belly scratch is a distrust move.

"Sweet girl." Hailey says drawing her head up and continuing to play with the large creature.

Baron has offered herself to others but most folks on the planet don't understand their signaling. They'll touch an Illisk's tail, leg, or belly and then get upset like cats do on Earth. Certain places on their body are a no-go - illisks won't let companions even touch them there. Recanting her previous experiences as she sits beside Hailey, Baron has seen a companion fall to her death, a companion strike her when he wasn't feeling well and drinking (different alcohol than Earth but just about the same effects), and plenty of passing people attempt to touch her when a companion is near so she's been uncomfortable and protective, hurt, and lost before. Baron brings a lot to Hailey and Hailey isn't sensitive to Baron right now, but there's things Hailey isn't aware of.

"I'm getting so hungry now." A famished Hailey says as she reaches out to Baron, extended her arm slowly.

Baron gets a sense that Hailey is in trouble. What Baron doesn't know is that Hailey has been out for most of the day. On Gannicus, people will offer help when they really feel like breaking the rules because of laws made by the World Government so an abandoned Hailey didn't get anything today except eyes darting away from her. She's been in this alley all day thinking about her next move but the poor girl is too young to venture on. Every time she built up the courage to wander out of the alley, she started crying in frustration, turned around and stomped her feet, then sat back down.

Gannicus' weather has not offered her much comfort either. The recent storms, much like Earth, usually gather to hot places. This part of the city especially with its tarmac-like roads and concrete-like buildings absorb a lot of heat. While Hailey retracts her arm back from Baron, Baron rubbing it while purring loudly, Hailey starts to feel light-headed. She looks up at the stars, while laying her head down on the pavement. There's nothing comforting in this alley except Baron.

While she peers up, she sees all the night sky has to offer her in the form of a escape. The life supporting layers on this planet are bombarded by constant solar rays so aurora borealis type waves are visible throughout the planet at night. The government on this planet chose, a long time ago, to tax everyone making a certain amount of money to deal with the bombardment of energy on their planet. Unfortunately, the taxes were used to pay a lot of administrators, some who helped politicians collect that money for their own endeavors, so the program was shut down because of corruption. The government has been throwing about ideas recently to bring that program back now since they're more comfortable with space. Many folks warned the public about the corruption within the program but no one has seen them since they spoke up about it in public because vehicles would pull up, grab the whistleblower, and abruptly leave. Very strange that they didn't appear to be public transportation.

Hailey starts seeing blues and greens stream across the sky as the star begins to lower. The reds and oranges are painted on all the buildings at an angle. She looks through those nearest colors, for the blues and greens, beyond. They whip around quickly like a neon snake across the sky. Other forms of energy appear as explosions happening on the surface of this world's protective layer - like fireworks across the US on the fourth of July.

Most of the night sky is visible at this time of night but Hailey has seen this night sky for a while now. Siting in this alley, alone, with a strange creature, hungry, missing home, and not knowing what to do, Hailey looks beyond the lights. Hailey wonders what it's like to be somewhere else in the solar system and then onto the universe. She's heard stories of what appeared to be colonization on another planet in her solar system but she's too young to know that much about it, so she wonders. She wonders how life must be like elsewhere - to have a family and a warm home, to know your parents are right down the hall, have siblings to play with, see friends out in the streets playing with each other, and a nice bed to lay down on. She continues to think about the bed she had at home before this whole thing happened to her.

She didn't mind the bed or the friend's company at Larrington, they just were not as good as what she had at home. At home she was free to associate with whoever she wanted to but at Larrington, she felt like she was forced to be with all those other kids - good and bad. She felt the lack of attention, the neediness of the Sisters wanting constant respect, even though Hailey thought they deserved none, and she felt when they taught that they were more interested in telling the kids what they thought and how they feel than teaching anything worth while to the kids. Hailey wishes those books were open and not in the hands of the Sisters all the time. The kids at South Larrington School for Children are instructed by Sisters. The books they hold during a discussion are only for the Sisters. The supposed purpose for this is so the kids do not damage any books, and to help the children from having to lug them around all the time. Unfortunately, that's not the real reason. The school can't afford any books. Since a lot of this education is socialized, they have no funding to replace the books - or use any modern documents since they'd need to be replaced all the time. Since this has happened, the Sisters now have an internal rule to just keep the books away from the kids. They do not wish for them to think of anything outside of their verbal teachings. Since the Sisters have gotten used to doing it this way, and the books are from decades ago, missing pages, have spilled coffee all over them, they typically stand with the book without actually reading anything, almost like a warrior standing before a battle and donning his weapon. The Sisters then whimsically tell the children about nothing that can help them, which is stories about their life, things they think are right, and embellish and twist the things they barely remember from the books. The books also are decaying like most other written documents but not as well as the more modern ones her mother and father had to read for their jobs. These books are so old, they decay the old fashioned way, by abuse. Since the school is a government institution, the Sisters have a duty to protect the books, especially from the children. That also means it's quite alright to keep them without them being destroyed. The do as I say not what I do phrase comes to mind.

Hailey briefly remembers all this garbage and lets out a sigh.

"There has to be something better in this life." Hailey says reaching out to Baron again. Baron now lays on her side as she watches the alley around her with her new companion, then closes her eyes to receive a touch on the head. Purrs start back up again.

"I don't see why any of this has happened to me. I can't cry myself to sleep again. I'm tired and want to go to sleep but can't here." Hailey says continuing to pet Baron.

Baron stops for a moment and looks around. She gets up slowly so she doesn't alarm Hailey and walks closer. Baron starts rubbing Hailey hard.

"Ow! That's a little too rough!" Hailey says with a concerned face at Baron.

Baron lets out a tiny meow and puts her butt on the pavement. She gets up after a few seconds to zero in on Hailey again.

"Okay! Okay! I'm getting up!" Hailey yells in frustration.

Baron walks slowly to the opening and Hailey hesitantly walks in Baron's path, behind her.

Baron, still sensing Hailey is in tow, proceeds faster. Hailey is getting a little more comfortable but is still cautious of the alley opening.

Hailey then stops abruptly.

"I can't girl. I've tried all day and I can't go out there. I'm afraid they're going to take me back if they see me."

Baron lays on her back and curls then starts to purr loud - motioning Hailey in a 'come on, it's okay' illisk cat-like gesture.

Hailey doesn't know that when a kid goes missing at these government run locations, a file is made, and their bed is cleared. A few months back, Hailey was angry with her parents about something silly. She told them that she was leaving the house and did so. When Hailey stood outside for a few minutes and no one came, she started crying. When her parents heard her crying outside, the gently opened the front door to see her standing there, with them crying as well. Hailey got a big, warm, group hug from both her parents as Hailey started to say: "You left me out here! If I had left, would anyone come to get me?" Her parents, knowing the truth, said yes, they'd be the ones to come get her. They left out the part that there's no reliable government branch that will, however. On Gannicus, there are branches of government that attempt to protect kids. It's the same one that put Hailey in South Larrington. The problem is, they are not always there and sometimes when they are, they abuse their power and unfortunately, the children they've sworn to protect. Things left uncheck eventually fail so Hailey is not aware there will not be a search party for her. She is now, for certain, homeless.

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Hailey gives it all her might and moves in closer to Baron. With Hailey by her side, Baron walks down the mostly empty street as the night sky, buildings, walkways, businesses, are dark. The 'neon snakes' still hover above them casting faint blues and greens on random objects as they pass. Hailey is wondering at this moment if she should trust such a mysterious creature. She's putting all her faith in it as she strolls along beside Baron but then again, she's hungry and has no place to go.

Baron and Hailey are moving away from the direction of the South Larrington School for Children. Hailey is slightly aware of this and starts to get calmer and calmer as that place and those memories begin to fade. With every foot laid down on the side walk, Hailey garners more confidence and her new friend periodically rubs her leg and purrs - like motioning to Hailey 'this is the way, thank you for following me'.

The part of town Baron is taking Hailey has a lot of big shops and restaurants. There's a good bit of people out right now in this lively part of town. Most folks see the illisk and don't pay attention to the young Hailey. Hailey sees them and keeps her head down - thinking someone is still looking for the poor girl. The only thing most people have noticed with Hailey other than the big cat is her attire. She's still in her school sleep dress that's now covered in soil, dirt, and a little bit of blood.

Finally, the two stop at one nicely lit restaurant as Baron looks around. Baron's eyes can pierce through the darkness so she's on the hunt for anyone who might harm Hailey. Hailey isn't aware of this keen feature on illisks so Hailey is concerned the big cat 'lost her scent' or is no longer needing Hailey. Once she's confirmed this is a good spot, Baron lays down on her side and starts being silly towards Hailey.

"You're so sweet. Where have you been my whole life?" Hailey says as Baron rubs the ground with her head and reaches out a paw to touch Hailey's. Hailey doesn't know Baron is sensing how she feels. Baron feels Hailey is in a better mood so she goes a little more wild and cries a meow and starts to purr.

"What now, girl?" Hailey says as she reaches out to Baron to scratch her back.

Suddenly, the door to the restaurant opens and a couple walks out - loudly talking and carrying on. Baron jumps and then growls at them.

"What the...! Calm down you!" The lady says as she's startled by Baron. Both ladies are wearing clothes that Hailey doesn't recognize but look very nice. In this brief moment she was also able to smell their perfume - which reminded Hailey of her mother.

Hailey pulled her hand back as soon as Baron jumped up. She's still uneasy with Baron so she briefly thought the back scratch riled her.

"She won't hurt you. She hasn't hurt me." Hailey says in a calming voice.

"Well she sure as fire scared me little girl! Where are you parents!" The lady angrily continues.

Hailey pauses for a moment and then starts to cry. She remembers what the old hag at the school told her and she still hasn't come to terms with her parents being gone so, the crying intensifies.

"Look what you did? What's wrong with you. It's an illisk with her companion......little girl, are you alone out here?" A calmer and nicer lady that is with the angry lady, begins to speak.

[https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/0adcdb2b-2a27-4d02-b707-ec3de1b96f2a/dfbfxn6-535d0ad7-c736-4b4b-b45b-315b1fd3905c.png?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzBhZGNkYjJiLTJhMjctNGQwMi1iNzA3LWVjM2RlMWI5NmYyYVwvZGZiZnhuNi01MzVkMGFkNy1jNzM2LTRiNGItYjQ1Yi0zMTViMWZkMzkwNWMucG5nIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.CI6DiB_h4K2NxI5dS-YxJ75p6sW1uQClgKrlZPHJ9-Q]

"I'm sorry. I just met this illisk. I don't have a.....my mom and dad are..." Hailey tries to get out but continues to cry.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong?" The nice lady says as she slowly starts to approach Hailey.

Baron doesn't want anyone around Hailey so she lunges at the nice lady and growls.

"Oh! Well! That creature really has an attachment to you young lady." The nice lady says now slowly moving back.

"Sweetie I can't tell if you need help or not. Can you tell me at least that?" The nice lady says as she stops moving and continues to peer over at the 4 foot illisk angrily looking at her with her ears down and showing her teeth.

Hailey is still crying with her head down but manages to node to the couple as the two ladies start to talk to themselves.

"What if this is a game? She may work for a government agent?! What are you planning on doing?" The angry lady says.

"I'm going to go back in and get this girl something to eat. Forget that - I don't know of any government agent that have children working for them and have trained illisks!" The nice lady says smiling and walking off to enter the restaurant again.

The angry lady starts to back up to the other side of the restaurant door as Baron backs down and lays beside Hailey who is still crying. Minutes pass as the nice lady is still no where to be found. The angry lady gets even more angered and stomps off into the darkness. A vehicle can be heard starting up - stirring Baron. Hailey and Baron then see lights from a vehicle as they both stare into its headlights. Baron begins to growl again, this time squinting her very sharp eyes from the light being burned into their faces.

The angry woman is overheard while the lights are still in their face.

"How much? This is getting ridiculous. I'm already having a bad night. Whatever......Yeah she'll be out in a minute, just wait here. I had just seen her." the angry lady says.

"Little girl! Little girl! I have something for you! I've got to take this cab, please come get it!" The nice lady appears in between the headlights of the vehicle, approaching Hailey and Baron as the restaurant door slams shut from exiting.

"I'm going to leave this right here ok?" The nice lady says loudly while motioning Hailey to come get it off the ground.

"Hey! Ma'am!? How were you able to get me food?" Hailey yells as she is not aware of the location she's in nor their practices.

"Did you have to use a voucher?! I can pay you back when I get a chance! You didn't have to do that!" Hailey starts to yell louder as the nice lady is heard getting into the vehicle, then it driving away.

Hailey looks at Baron and says:

"How? I've never been to a place like this before. What's in there girl? What is this place?" Hailey says in dismay and still confused.

Baron quickly takes the food around the corner and hides it. She's trying to quickly get back to Hailey who is walking towards the doors of the restaurant.

Hailey opens the door and is greeted by a tall man with a sharp red and black uniform on, towering over Hailey.

"Little girl, are you lost?" The uniformed man says in a calm voice to Hailey.

"What is this place? People eat here? My mommy says that you can't do that but my mom isn't here now." Hailey says with her eyes squinted and head to the side.

"Noooo sweetheart. This is a place to dine - or eat. We have a list of people who can eat here. They schedule a time to come and we prepare their food. When they arrive, we seat them at a table, and they eat the food we've made. Make sense? Are you lost?" The uniformed man says very quickly like he's making a horrible car lot ad on TV.

"I thought everyone was given vouchers when they worked and then used those for food at the store? You're not supposed to cook food for others." Hailey says still trying to understand the tall man.

"Nope. Not here. I think I know where you're from. That's a long distance away from here though. How'd you end up here?" The tall man says as he glances up at the riled off illisk scratching the restaurant's front door then back at Hailey.

"It's kind of a new thing. Vouchers are well...getting old and so is the old model. There's a bit of a revolution going on.....The local government here...." The uniformed man starts then stops as he approaches the door.

"Hey you! Stop that!" The uniformed man yells at Baron who's still outside scratching.

"She's mine, I guess." Hailey says running up behind the man and shrugging her shoulders then looking on - about to start laughing.

"If she is then you need to handle her! If the local government sees her without a companion they will kill her. I'm about to myself if she doesn't stop!" The uniformed man says now getting upset.

"Thanks for the information. I'm leaving. I'll get her." Hailey says as she wipes the smile from her face.

Hailey gets to the door and Baron moves to let her out. The man moved to the door to lock it and stare angrily at the illisk while both Hailey and Baron walk away. Baron has her ears down while staring at the uniformed man.

Hailey walked for a while with Baron and into another district. Each local government has their own set of rules but it's not like nation-states or states within the US. A long time ago, the large unified federal government wanted to control all of the districts but did not have the manpower to do so. They wrote law after law but none of them stuck yet some are still on the books. In this particular district, they don't get federal funding for food like they do where Hailey is from so it's not grown here nor does the government control the food process. The food, however, that Hailey's parents grew when they had a turn at growing, within the urban farms, may have been purchased by this restaurant. This has been a recent event on this planet so you'll find a lot is going to change now and in the future when we catch back up with older Hailey. These districts still have to deal with the larger government but most folks know that their one size fits all approach is laughably unenforceable. Their main government is already busting with busy bodies but not enough of them get off their butts to do anything so the people on this planet pay taxes to a bunch of lazy, fat, know it alls, who pretend to run everyone's life. This may sound familiar to Earthlings.

Hailey sits down on the other side of the restaurant next to a dumpster. Darkly lit, Hailey glances around to see if anyone is there before looking directly at the dumpster and wondering:

"That's a lot of good food thrown in there going to waste. We should be thankful, girl." An abrupt fowl smell starts coming from the dumpster. Hailey then side hops with her butt to get away from it. She felt more secure beside the dumpster because now she's out in the open a bit more. Baron senses her uncomfortableness.

Baron comes from the other side quickly thereafter to bring her the food bag. The nice lady even ordered something the big cat might like - a big piece of meat.

"I'm pretty sure this is yours." Hailey says as she slowly gives Baron the piece of meat. Baron then proceeds to gently take it away from Hailey in her mouth. This made Hailey more comfortable around Baron.

Hailey sits down to look at what the nice lady ordered her. A large salad with a little bit of meat.

"This was really nice of her." Hailey says while opening a disposable utensil and looking over at Baron happily making sounds from ripping apart the barely cooked meat.

The vegetables that Hailey is putting into her mouth may have been harvested and also the last thing her parents did on this planet. In our strangest of moments, I guess it doesn't really matter what planet you're on, because time really has no meaning. Her parents aren't here but she's enjoying the fruits, or veggies rather, of their labor.

Hailey's courageous escape from South Larrington earned her a good meal and a new friend. As she finishes up, she gets the sleepy-belly-full syndrome most Earthlings are aware of and dozes off beside the dumpster. In her head she recants this morning:

Hailey woke up after falling asleep from her horrible dream of Ms. Yuni and her parents. The wind outside rustled an old iron-like bar covering the window close to her. All the windows in the sleeping area are barred so no kids can get out. However, Hailey notices that this particular one has not been taken care of. With her heart beating fast, she jumps up quickly to inspect the window that's a good bit away from her. She realizes the window, like the bars, are not secure. In a brazen leap onto the wings of courage, she goes to grab the chair at the front of the sleeping area. Some children start to rustle in their beds as she moves quickly to grab it and not thinking of how loud she's being. With all her might, she raises the chair's legs to her waist, thrusts the chair forward, and jams one leg under the slight opening of the window. Children start to open their eyes and lean over to one side to watch Hailey. The Sister's office down the hall has a light come on that Hailey can see under the doorway into the hall.

She doubles her concentration and forces the window up. She then uses all her strength, in a struggle to survive moment, to push up open the window slightly more.

"Ahhhhhh! I can do this! I HAVE to do this!" Hailey exclaims while pushing herself to her limits, shaking all over her body, and as trouble stirs.

"Children! Are one of you up?! Are all of you up?! I need my sleep like you do!" Ms. Yuni can be heard yelling in the hallway.

Hailey has managed to open the window up but now there's a problem. The bars on the outside won't budge. She stops while she awaits her fate from Ms. Yuni, closing in on the sleeping area, overwhelmingly aggravated. She slides down the wall on her back, exhausted, reaching the floor with her but, and burying her face in her hands, until...

The nice boy from a few beds down jumps up quickly since Hailey is using the window closest to him - he's right beside her. They begin to push on the large bars on the window, together.

By sheer luck, the undermaintained bars give and fall off of the window as the side of the falling bars crashes into the glass-like panes in the window, alerting the entire room full of children who are now rising from their beds in shock.

With Ms. Yuni's hefty, angry, butt moments away, the two look at each other briefly:

"Go. Now. I'll stay. I'll miss you. Good luck." The young boy says as Hailey hastily climbs out the window through the small opening like a cat trying to get under a door on Earth.

The young boy looks down at Hailey who manages to not fall on anything that would hurt her. She gets up, looks back at the boy, waves briefly, then runs. The boy throws his hand up while Ms. Yuni runs up beside him and starts screaming and yelling at him. His smile turns to a frown, while being shocked from the near Ms. Yuni, and shrugging his shoulders with cringe, when he looks up at the angry obese Sister who is now short of breath and trying to get words out. Most of the words to the young boy are unpleasant, and garbled.

Hailey rushes to the gates in the hope her luck continues. When she arrives, she's met with disbelief.

"The gates are locked! What am I going to do?" Hailey says in desperation.

With the courage she had just moments ago, she digs deep again. She calms herself and then says:

"I'm going to get over this gate. Now!"

Hailey takes a step back and runs quickly to get a good jump on the gate. The grounds here at South Larrington have also not been maintained but no children have ever tried to get out, even with the large iron-like gate, because of the watchful eyes and scornful hands of the Sisters.

Ms. Yuni peeks out of the window to see Hailey ascending the 10 foot gate.

"I see you you little rat! I'm coming for you! We are all coming for you! Sisters! Turn the outside lights on - we have a runner!" Ms. Yuni yells at Hailey who is now at the top of the gate and at the Sisters running up behind her.

Hailey was jerking from head to toe while she stood up and looked back at the children who are now all peering out at her on top of the gate. She heard what Ms. Yuni said so she calmed herself once again and started to descend.

By the time the Sisters could manage to get to the outside lights, Hailey was gone. Her legs were scratched up from the climbing and the fall but she managed to suck it up and gun it.

She got to an alley on the west side of the district and collapsed. When she wakes up, she remembers everything that happened however, she doesn't know how bad life is going to be for her now.

Back at the dumpster where tormented Hailey is starting to get so sleepy she's about to pass out, a loving illisk moves in to warm her and lick a few of her early morning wounds. Hailey wakes up a little with Baron licking her and remembers something.

This morning, a young boy passed by her as she laid in the alley half asleep. Strangely, we humans have these moments too where the sleep-wake time reveals things to us, especially when we're very tired. He never said anything to her but Hailey remembers him tugging on his mother's nice dress, while he too, was nicely dressed and cleaned up, asking his mother something.

"You think we can help the poor girl?" The young boy asked in earnest.

His mother leans down to reply:

"No. Unfortunately son we live in a society where people prey on others."

"What do you mean?" The boy looks now at his mother in dismay.

"This little girl appears she's had a rough time - I'll say that. However it's not up to us to help others. That's the government's job." The woman replies confidently as she raises back up and pulls the boy along with her hand holding his.

On Gannicus, voluntary stuff like what the nice lady did earlier is frowned upon and in some districts, outlawed. The large government has made it clear that it is the only entity that has a duty to help its people and the care you think you're giving to another may hurt them. Obviously, a lot of people here go without while others leave their houses without hearts.

The boy goes on about his day remember what his mother said. As he lays in a warm bed surrounded by new toys, electronics, and a full belly, he remembers the little girl in the alley.

"I wonder what she's doing now? I wonder if she found somewhere to stay? Poor thing." He says as he tosses over in frustration.

"Allijah! I told you it was time for bed a little while ago! Please go to sleep. I can hear you talking to yourself." His mother says from the other room loudly but not in anger.

"OK mom!" the young boy replies loudly.

"There's something I can do for this world, I know it. If a little girl is left to sleep in an alley by people like my parents who can easily give when she's clearly hurting, something has to be done." the very smart, young, boy whispers to himself.