Alyssia warily crested another in a long line of monotonous hills. She wasn’t certain how much farther she could go. No one had offered to give her a ride today, at least no one she had trusted. A few lecherous old men had stopped for her, but she had gotten good at recognizing the look men gave her when they were after her body. She sighed as she slowly plodded along, perhaps just one more hill today, then she would stop.

        Looking up from her feet to size up the next hill, she smiled. Something she had rarely had cause to do throughout her life. Instead of another hill, she saw the city of Tressin. The smile quickly faded, however, as she began going over plans in her head. It was less stressful to survive out here in the wilderness, but without a steady influx of supplies, impossible to do for long. Only towns and cities offered the possibility of prolonged survival. However, that survival was not easy.

        Walking down the gradual slope of the previous hill towards one of the city's entrances, Alyssia tried to take a measure of this potential new home. It was smaller but much more densely packed than the last city she had lived in. The density and size were likely caused by the enormous lake that butted up against the north and east edges of the city. It had been a long time since Alyssia had seen a body of water that large. Having only lived on terraformed planets for as long as she could remember, most of those didn’t have large bodies of water.

        She couldn’t imagine the size or number of comets it must have taken to create a sea that large. Many of the houses in the city were tall rather than wide, some seemed to overhang streets below. The city looked… unhappy. She couldn’t place her finger on exactly why but the entire place gave her a bad feeling. But then everything seemed to do that lately.

        As she continued down the slope of the hill, she noticed the traffic on the road began to increase. From her vantage near the height of the hill, she could see the entire road right up to where it met the city three or four kilometers farther on. By the time the road reached the city proper the mechanical and pedestrian traffic looked to be quite heavy.

        Stepping off the road briefly she rearranged the contents of the pack on her back, trying to make sure nothing would be easy to steal once she was in close quarters with so many other people. She also made sure the pistol and her money were secured under her dress. Once back on the road, she tried to keep her mind on her surroundings as much as on her future plans. She didn’t want to rely on handouts again if she could help it, she needed to find a way to make her own money this time.

        She wasn’t sure what marketable skills she could offer. She didn’t really know how to use computer systems beyond the most primitive manipulation. She barely knew the basics of math and writing. Sighing, she shook her head to herself and decided to put that issue to the side for now. First and foremost, she would need a safe place to sleep tonight. That had to be her first priority. It wasn’t safe to sleep out in the open inside a city, doing that was a good way to wind up penniless, dead, or worse.

        As the road became more congested, she put those concerns to the side for now as well and turned her full attention to staying aware of her surroundings. It wouldn’t do to get robbed before she even made it into the city itself. Looking around at the pedestrians on the road with her, the uneasy feeling from earlier returned. Those heading in the direction of the city had gaunt weary faces with precious little hope left to them. Those heading out of the city looked one step away from death.

        Perhaps those traveling inside the many vehicles on the road looked more hopeful, but even if that were the case it still didn’t bode well for anyone low on funds. And Alyssia was very low on funds indeed. She still had what the old couple had given her before sending her on her way but that would only hold out for a few days of food and shelter in a city this large. She would need to find a job and find it soon. That likely meant menial labor for her, but she was used to working hard. If it meant a safe place to sleep, food on her plate, and not being indebted to anyone, she would take it. There were other jobs a young-looking girl could get that paid well in a city like this, but she would sooner slit her own throat than take that path.

        Despite her earlier admissions to herself, she became lost in her thoughts as she walked the last kilometer towards the city entrance. Suddenly she was thrown off balance as she felt someone pull hard on the pack on her back. Fortunately, she had a firm grip on the two straps over her shoulders. As she regained her balance she spun around, looking for her assailant. She saw no one behind her, at least no one who would have been close enough.

        Shaking her head at her inattention, she turned and resolved to keep her mind on the task at hand. She paid careful attention to every moving object in her vicinity, be it mechanical or pedestrian. As she crossed the archway leading to the city proper, her paranoia increased. She knew all too well some of the unscrupulous trades practiced in places like these, she had practiced them herself from time to time.

        Finally finding an out of the way corner she could put her back to she stopped to observe her surroundings more carefully. This side of the city seemed to be where the more well off citizens lived and shopped. Most of the destitute faces she had seen walking the road with her didn’t even slow down upon reaching the entrance, whereas many of the vehicles peeled off from the main road, likely seeking local destinations.

        That meant the poor sections were probably near the water, and also shelter that was more likely within her price range. Moving out of her protected corner, she continued down the main road towards the other end of the city. As she walked she noticed fewer vehicles and more destitute hopeless faces. Rounding a slow bend in the large road she saw the sparkle of water about a kilometer ahead at the end of the main road.

        Most of the buildings closest to the water appeared to be tall warehouses. Deciding the docks themselves might be a little too rough for her, she took a side street at random. She hadn’t passed any maps or information boards on the way, so it looked like she would have to find an inn or apartment the hard way.

        She looked at the doors of every building she passed as she made her way down the narrower side street. Nothing so far seemed to indicate a place with rooms to let. As she continued walking the street became narrower and the buildings on either side would often overhang the street itself. In some sections of the road, the houses from either side would overhang and meet above her, creating a short dark tunnel.

        Many of the narrow alleys off of this side street were covered entirely with very little lighting inside their dark impenetrable depths. Every time she passed one of these she moved a little faster, the feel of malevolent eyes speeding her steps.

        After walking almost a full kilometer along the unpleasant street, she finally found a building with a sign that read ‘Apartments’. It was a mostly unremarkable metal building about six stories tall that looked much like all the rest. As she stood there studying the structure, trying to decide if she should investigate it further, hands suddenly wrapped themselves around her torso and her face.

        Whoever had grabbed her put a filthy foul-smelling hand over her mouth and carried her, pack and all, backward into one of the many pitch-black alleys along the street. She struggled with all of her strength, trying to throw her assailant off balance. The arm around her torso was as thick as a stump and pinned both her arms to her sides. The man carrying her seemed completely unperturbed by her efforts, he had turned on his heels as soon as he was inside the dark alley and now all Alyssia could see was the pitch black in front of her.

        True terror began to bubble up within her as they moved further and further into the dark abyss. She couldn’t scream, even biting the foul hand that was covering her mouth appeared to have no effect. She could barely even breathe, between the hand almost covering her nose and the arm compressing her ribs like a vise. She couldn’t scream out loud so she screamed in her mind instead. She screamed and flailed and squirmed with every ounce of strength she had.

        It did no good. Her vision started to narrow from the lack of air, her struggles became weaker. Just as she thought she might escape this horror by virtue of asphyxiation, she was roughly thrown from the man's grip into a nearby wall previously hidden by the darkness. The impact knocked out what little air had been left in Alyssia’s lungs. Without the strength left to command her legs, she fell to the dirty floor of the alley on her side, gasping desperately for breath.

        The alley suddenly burst into light as whoever had been carrying her turned on a small lantern. Alyssia looked at her attacker and hope began to leak out of her like water from a sieve. He was massive, easily over two meters tall. His arms and legs were as thick as tree trunks and lined with veiny muscles. It wasn’t his appearance that caused hope to die in Alyssia, however, it was the vile crooked lecherous leer plastered across his face. He was looking at her as a man used to table scraps might look at a stuffed turkey.

        Finally collecting what wits were left to her, Alyssia desperately scrambled under her dress for the pistol she had hidden there. Finally getting her fingers around the grip she looked up just in time to see the towering man casually lean forward and backhand her.

        Stars exploded in Alyssia’s eyes, she lost touch with reality for a moment as pain blossomed in her head. She heard the sound of fabric tearing as she tried to regain control of her mental facilities.

        In a horrible slurring accent she had never heard before, the man said, “No needin fer thisss pet, jusss calm yersself an let it happen.”

        Vision finally began to return to Alyssia’s eyes. She saw the giant man holding her pistol, dwarfed in one of his massive hands, along with a scrap of cloth. A cold draft informed her she was missing a good piece of the front of her dress. Desperately commanding her limbs to obey her, she wrapped her arms around herself, trying to cover her breasts while scrambling backward.

        The man just smiled wider and slowly moved forward towards her. Tossing the scraps of her dress and her pistol behind him, he reached out and grabbed a handful of her hair. Yanking painfully, he brought her to her knees in front of him.

        “Jusss give up gerl,” the man growled, “yer mine.” The man kneeled down to Alyssia’s level still holding her hair with one hand. With his other hand, he reached out and took one of her arms. With nearly inhuman strength he easily pulled her arm away from the tattered remains of her dress she had been trying to hold together. As her breasts slowly came into view, the man's lear increased and a slow slurring chuckle came from his throat.

        The terror and desperation in Alyssia’s mind began to reach a fever pitch. She didn’t want this. She would rather die than this. The universe had taken from her every precious thing she had ever valued in her life. Everything but this, until now she had always been the master of her own body. Now it seemed, even that would be taken from her before the end.

        Gritting her teeth, she slumped in the man's grip, letting both arms hang limply by her sides. The sad remnants of her torn dress doing nothing to maintain her modesty, the tear going all the way down to the light dusting of hair above her genitals. The man, sensing her apparent defeat, released her arm and her hair, his smile growing even wider if that were possible. As he reached hungrily for what no man had ever touched before, Alyssia gathered every ounce of strength she had left and lunged at the man's face.

        She tried desperately to scratch, claw, or gouge some vital part of his anatomy. It was like picking a fight with a towering oak tree, and about as effective. The man barely even grunted as he threw her into the far wall with the force of a robotic cargo arm. The air wooshed out of her lungs for a second time. Laying on the ground, desperately gasping for air, tears started to stream down her face.

        “Thasss it gerl,” the man said, “get it outa yer sssystem. Ssssooner ya give up, sssooner isss over.”

        Still gasping, Alyssia looked up at the man who was going to take her will to live. He didn’t even have a scratch on his face from her apparently feeble efforts. Sobbing uncontrollably now, she cursed the universe that had given her this life. She fervently wished there was a god so that when she was finally dead she could scream at it for not helping her. Looking up at the cruel lecherous face smiling above her, Alyssia’s will finally broke. It wasn’t fair.

        With only the hum of distant activity from the city and her own labored breathing to fill her ears, the pistol shot was sharp and distinct. The leering smile slid off the man's face as his eyes glazed over. He fell slowly to his knees and then, even slower, fell to his side. He lay there, in the dirty alley, his lifeless eyes staring at nothing as a trickle of blood leaked from his nose.

        Still trying to comprehend what had just happened, Alyssia glanced up from the lifeless form of her would-be rapist. She saw the silhouette of someone standing behind where the man had been, holding something in one outstretched hand. Realizing that she was still kneeling in that dirty alley almost completely exposed she quickly scurried back to the wall behind her, trying to cover herself with her arms as best she could.

        The silhouette lowered what was probably a pistol to its pocket and moved forward slowly toward where Alyssia sat huddled against her pack. The man who came into view was shorter than her now deceased attacker, and his build was a more modest average. Most importantly, however, his expression was one of caution and concern.

        The man, apparently realizing the state of Alyssia’s clothes, quickly took off his own jacket and held it out in front of him as he continued to cautiously approach her.

        “It’s alright,” the man said, “I won't hurt you, I promise. Here, take my jacket.” Moving slowly to where Alyssia huddled, he slowly draped his jacket over her and then stepped back. Kneeling down from his position across from her he glanced at the dead man next to him and said, “Are you ok? Do you need a doctor?”

        Alyssia didn’t answer, this new stranger was just as dangerous as the previous one had been so far as she was concerned. Just because his face tried to say he was kind, didn’t mean he actually was. In this universe of big fish eating the little fish, rescuers often turned out to be a stronger predator. And then there was the pistol he had, she glanced cautiously at the bulge in his pocket which indicated its presence.

        Glancing at his own pocket, the man slowly took the pistol from it. Looking it over briefly, he turned it around so that the grip faced Alyssia. With painstaking slowness, he leaned forward moving the pistol towards Alyssia and gently laid it on the ground at her side. Returning to the opposite side of the narrow alley he leaned against the dirty wall.

        Alyssia waited for a moment, watching to see if the man was preparing to lunge for the pistol he had just placed within her reach. Eventually, she decided if this was some kind of test she would just as soon fail and get it over with. Holding her breath she darted her hand out and snatched the pistol up. Holding it in her hand, her finger resting lightly on the trigger, she pointed it at the man and studied him again. He hadn’t even twitched, glancing at the pistol Alyssia verified it was the one she had lost earlier. Inspecting it closely, she didn’t see anything wrong with it. The safety was off and it still appeared to have ammunition left. Looking at the man again, she didn’t see an ounce of fear on his face. But also not an ounce of malice. Flipping the safety on, she tucked it underneath the man’s jacket she still wore over her front.

        For a few more moments they stared at each other in silence, each waiting for the other to make a move. Suddenly squinting at her face in the darkness the man raised a hand, moved forward slightly, and said, “You’re bleeding, please let me help you.”

        Alyssia scrunched even further back against the alley wall behind her and quickly said, “I’m fine.” Carefully, she reached a hand up and dabbed at the wetness she felt trickling from her split lip. It was hardly life-threatening, and doctors usually cost more money than they were worth unless you were dying.

        Letting his hand slowly return to his side, the man said, “Ok… Well, my name is James. What’s yours?”

        He sat on his haunches looking at her, waiting. Eventually, Alyssia decided he had at least earned her name for saving her and said, “Alyssia… I’m… Alyssia.”

        Somehow bowing from his crouched position, James said, “Nice to meet you Alyssia.” Glancing at the pack sitting on the ground next to her, James asked, “Is there someplace I can escort you to?”

        Still not sure what James’ motivation was for being so nice to her, she hesitated. Finally, she settled for a simple, “No.”

        James seemed to be waiting for something more, when no further explanation was forthcoming, James said, “Alright… Is that because you don’t have any place to stay? Or perhaps you don’t know where you're going?”

        Alyssia was silent for a moment. She just wanted this man to leave her alone, she wanted them all to leave her alone. But then, why was she in a city? Because without other people, she couldn’t survive at all. It seemed unfair to her, that she couldn’t just live off the land with her own two hands like the people in antiquity used to. But on this once barren terraformed chunk of rock, necessary resources like food and shelter could only be found near other people.

        And so she had to deal with people like James and like… that other man. Frowning slightly, she realized that wasn’t fair to James. By all accounts, he had rescued her and seemed to be doing everything he could to prove he wasn’t a threat. Perhaps she could at least give him a few grains of trust, even if they were the very last grains she had.

        “Looking for a place,” she finally mumbled.

        Smiling, James nodded and said, “Looking, alright, I can work with that. Do you need something temporary, permanent, do you have a job?”

        “I… I don’t know. No job yet, I have…” she had been about to say she had some money. Pausing though, she wasn’t sure if she should be telling this man that she had money. Then she suddenly remembered where she had been keeping her small purse, right next to the pistol, in her dress. Glancing around quickly, she didn’t see any signs of her purse. Finding anything that small and nondescript amongst the dross littering the alley would be almost impossible. Sighing, she finished in a mumble, “...no money.”

        “Ahh,” said James. He reached into his other pocket and pulled out a purse, leaning forward he placed it next to her. “I found this near the pistol, I don't know if it's yours or…”, he glanced briefly at the corpse still lying beside him, “well, it’s yours now.”

        Hesitantly, Alyssia reached for the purse. Picking it up she glanced inside, the twinkle of credit chips greeted her. She laughed shortly, the laugh ending in a sob. Looking up and smiling through her tears, she said, “Thanks.”

        Standing, James held out his hand to her and said, “Come on, let's get you somewhere warm and safe so you can get cleaned up. I’m sure Madam Tully will let you stay a few nights for free after what you’ve been through. We can sort out the job and the money later.”

        Staring at the outstretched hand, Alyssia felt scared. She still wasn’t sure if she could trust this man. She was almost more afraid that she could. Every good thing she had ever found had been ripped away from her. She didn’t know how many more times she could find someone or something worth living for, only to have it torn away before she completely lost her mind.

        Shaking her head, she decided she didn’t have much choice. Continuing to walk around this city by herself was likely just as dangerous as taking a chance on trusting James. Looking down at herself, she realized she would need to make some wardrobe adjustments before leaving the alley. “Turn around,” she said to James.

        His arm still outstretched, he looked confused for a moment. Glancing at the jacket still draped over her, comprehension dawned on him and he took a few steps towards the mouth of the alley. Leaving his back to her, he said, “Let me know when you’re ready.”

        Alyssia waited for a few moments, staring at his back. If he’d wanted a look, he could have had one earlier she supposed. Sighing again, she stood carefully, wincing at her bruises and sore muscles. Moving the jacket away, she looked at the torn dress. It was one of those Verra had given her before leaving the farmhouse. It wasn’t the nicest of them, fortunately, but Alyssia didn’t think she could fix it.

        Kneeling down, she opened the pack beside her and rummaged around for one of the other two dresses she had been given. The first one she found was the best of them, it fit her snugly and was almost exactly her size. She decided snugly was not something she wanted from a dress right at that moment and grabbed the second one that was a little larger on her.

        Standing, she glanced at James again. Seeing that his back was still turned, she slipped the straps of the ripped dress over her shoulders and let it fall to the ground. She almost groaned out loud when she saw the state of her body. She was covered almost head to toe in darkening bruises. There was a particularly angry looking welt that ran across her chest just below her breasts. Quickly pulling the other dress over her head, she pulled it down, hiding the worst of her injuries. She contemplated briefly the one pair of underwear she had in her backpack, she hadn’t been wearing them to keep them clean, but now she felt like every scrap of cloth she could cover herself in might be worth it. Grabbing the underwear, she gingerly stepped into them.

        Glancing again at James to make sure he hadn’t peaked, she bent down and stuffed the torn dress back into her pack. Picking up the pistol and her purse she put those back into their usual hiding places despite the irritation to her bruises. Picking up the jacket James had given her, she turned and held it out towards the man and said, “Here.”

        Hesitating, James asked, “Can I turn around now?”

        Smiling to herself, Alyssia said, “Yes.”

        Turning, James looked at the jacket in Alyssia's outstretched hand and said, “Why don’t you keep it. You look a bit cold.”

        Alyssia looked at James for a moment. Slowly, she put the jacket on over her dress. Not really knowing what to say, she just said, “Thanks.”

        Turning, she grabbed the strap of her pack and picked it up. As she tried to settle the weight on her shoulders she winced. Her shoulders and neck were starting to get stiff from the thrashing she had received earlier. With her eyes half-closed, she tried to find some comfortable position to put the straps of the pack that didn’t dig into a sore muscles.

        Suddenly the pack became weightless in her hands, looking up, she saw James standing next to her holding the back of the pack in one hand. Looking down at her with a kind expression, he held a small pouch out to her with the hand not holding onto her pack.

        “I figured you probably wouldn't trust me to carry this for you,” said James, “So I’ll let you hold on to my credit pouch as collateral. Deal?”

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

        Alyssia stared at him for a moment, at a complete loss for words. She just couldn’t fathom someone being so honest and kind at the moment. If this was a scam, it was the most elaborate one she had ever seen. Deciding to bet on those few grains of trust she had so far given him, Alyssia released her hold on her pack. Moving her hand to the pouch he offered, she pushed it back towards him.

        “It’s ok,” Alyssia said, “I… trust you.” Those last words sounded alien and false to her, they felt strange leaving her mouth; as though they contained sounds she had not made since she had been a child. She wasn’t certain if she even believed them. It felt like a leap of faith from someone who had lost all hope. It felt like a leap into the unknown that could end in either salvation or death, and she wasn’t certain which one she hoped for.

        If the man ended up running off with her pack, maybe she would just keep walking to the end of the street. Maybe she would keep walking to the end of the piers jutting out into the lake, and maybe she would walk just a bit farther than that.

        Shaking herself, Alyssia realized she had been staring aimlessly off into space. Looking at James standing next to her holding her pack, she saw a look of concern on his face. Trying to look more sane than she felt, she bolted a smile to her face and said, “I’m ready.”

        James looked like he was going to say something but then apparently thought better of it. Instead, he simply said, “Alright, stay close.”

        Moving to the entrance of the alley, he glanced down the small street both ways and then headed back in the direction of the main street. Alyssia kept as close as she could without walking on his heels.

        As they moved back down the street, Alyssia thought it was strange that no one had come to investigate the pistol shot. Not that the pistol was particularly loud, but certainly anyone near the alley's mouth would have heard it. Not to mention anyone inside the buildings butting up to the alley. Perhaps that said something about the city, if it did, it certainly wasn’t something complimentary.

        Reaching the main street, James turned up towards the entrance Alyssia had originally arrived in. As they moved back up towards the nicer sections of the city, Alyssia was beginning to get worried about the place James was taking her to. Even if this Madam Tully did let her stay a few days for free, she probably couldn't afford whatever the rent was on an apartment in this area.

        About halfway between the fateful side street Alyssia had picked and the main entrance to the city itself, James turned to the left down a wider and more well kept side street. Less than a hundred meters down this street, James turned to the door of a large tall building with a sign above that read ‘Tully’s Apartments’.

        Walking the two steps up to the front door, he opened it and motioned for Alyssia to step through with a grand sweeping gesture. Hesitating, Alyssia almost expressed her concerns about the cost of the place right there.

        Before she could open her mouth, James said, “Go on, you and Madam Tully will get along great, I promise.”

        Realizing she was in no shape to argue at the moment, Alyssia walked inside and waited for James just past the entryway. Glancing around quickly, Alyssia took in the neatly kept, clean lobby she had stepped into. The furnishings were sparse but looked well made. The colors muted but cheerful. The entire room was a warm welcome change from the drab depressing monotony of the monotoned steel construction that dominated the city on the outside.

        The most notable feature of the room was a tall, robust woman standing behind a desk on one side of the room. The women had long graying black hair and wore a well-cut skirt and blouse in neutral colors. The woman had her back turned to the door when Alyssia entered and did not immediately turn around as James followed her into the lobby.

        “Good evening Madam Tully, you’re looking lovely today,” said James in a chipper voice.

        As the women turned around to regard her new guests, Alyssia moved slightly behind James, peering at the women around his back. Her face was deeply lined and accented with a stern frown. She looked like she was probably a beauty in her youth, beauty that now seemed to have transformed into regal dignity.

        Eyeing James with a distinct lack of enthusiasm, Madam Tully said, “Mhmm… Brought in another stray I see.”

        “Not a stray Madam,” said James, “she’s new here, looking for a place to stay. She’s been through a lot and I thought you might be willing to let her get on her feet here. I’m sure she's a hard worker and I can get her a job with Mr. Sinver without a problem.”

        Sighing, Madam Tully moved from behind her desk to stand in front of James. “And I suppose you want me to give her a good deal too,” said Madam Tully. “You know I run a legitimate business here James, I can’t keep giving…” Her voice trailed off as she started to glance around James' shoulder at Alyssia who was still standing behind him.

        “By the Void girl, what happened to you,” asked Madam Tully, “you look terrible. Are you alright? James, why didn’t you take her to a doctor? She’s bleeding, what’s wrong with you boy?!”

        “No doctors,” Alyssia said, huddling even closer up to James’ back, trying to hide her face from the intimidating women.

        “She’s… a little short on trust I think,” said James. “Some muscle brained dock rat was trying to… well... I put a stop to that. She just needs someplace to rest for a bit.”

        Roughly pushing James out of the way, Madam Tully crouched down in front of Alyssia. It was almost amazing the transformation that took place on the woman's face. Instead of the stern frown that had been there when Alyssia first saw her, there was now a concerned gentle motherly face. “Are you sure you won't see a doctor child?” she said.

        “No doctors,” Alyssia repeated. Despite the now motherly appearance of the woman in front of her, she still found her presence intimidating and took an involuntary step backward.

        “It’s ok child,” Madam Tully said gently, “you don’t have to if you don't want to. Maybe you’d like a hot bath and a warm bed then?”

        Looking at the floor, Alyssia mumbled, “A palette and some wash water would be fine.” She didn’t have much money and she figured anything here was going to cost a lot. Even if James could get her a job as he had said to Madam Tully, it likely wasn’t going to pay well enough to afford a place this nice.

        “Nonsense,” Madam Tully said briskly, “we can do much better than that, come, follow me. And don’t worry about the money, we’ll figure that out later.”

        Turning she moved to the stairs at the back of the lobby with a brief stop at her desk for a small box and a ring of keys. She was apparently in the habit of expecting people to do as she told them because she didn’t even look back to see if Alyssia was following her. Alyssia hesitated for a moment and glanced at James still standing beside her. He nodded at Madam Tully’s departing form and said, “Go ahead, I’ll be right behind you.”

        Looking at James for another second, Alyssia turned and walked quickly to catch up to Madam Tully who was almost already at the top of the first flight of stairs. Madam Tully didn’t stop to see if she was being followed, she simply walked with purpose, continuing to climb the staircase until she reached the third floor.

        Once there, she moved down the hallway to the fifth door on the left and, quickly flicking through the keys on the ring she had grabbed earlier, unlocked and opened it. Standing in front of the now opened door she motioned Alyssia inside the room beyond.

        Alyssia walked into what she would have called a luxury apartment. The first room appeared to be a living room of sorts. It contained a small kitchenette in one corner, with a table and several chairs in the other. Beyond those was a long comfortable looking couch and two more doors. The first appeared to lead into a bedroom and the second to a bathroom.

        Staring open-mouthed at the furnishings for a few moments, Alyssia felt sadness welling up her again. This wasn’t just a little beyond her price range, it was completely out of the same star system. “I… I can’t afford this,” she said, feeling tears threatening.

        “Posh,” scoffed Madam Tully, “I said don’t worry about the money. I’ll work with whatever you end up making from Mr. Sinver. As long as you work hard, you’ll have a room and food, I’ll make sure of it. And don’t even worry about any of that right now, until you’re healed up you can stay for free.”

        The tears that had been threatening now began falling in earnest. She didn’t know what to say, but she knew she had to say something. Kindness like this couldn’t be taken for granted, it was far too rare. Unbidden, thoughts of the farmhouse she had briefly stayed at as well as the kindly Verra popped into her head. Was someone going to show up and take this away from her too? Her thoughts and emotions were quickly becoming an impenetrable whirlwind of chaos. The best she could come up with through her tears, however, was a simple, “Thanks.” It seemed like she had been saying that a lot lately, it didn’t feel like anywhere near enough. She would do better, she promised herself, once she got collected.

        “Well,” Madam Tully said, “don’t mention it. Us girls have to stick together you know. Anyway, why don’t you get cleaned up. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask James. His room is right across the hall from yours. He may look unreliable, but he’s a gentleman and my best tenant.” Holding out a key and the box she had grabbed from her desk earlier, she said, “Here, this is a first aid kit, you can at least put some antiseptic on those cuts. And here's the key to the room. If you change your mind about the doctor, let me know dear. I know one who is honest and you don’t have to worry about the cost, I’ll take care of it.”

        Looking at Alyssia with a soft motherly expression for a few more moments, she turned to James and said sternly, “You make sure to take care of her, understood?”

        Smiling indulgently, James replied, “Yes ma’am.”

        Nodding as though he were not just humoring her, Madam Tully smiled once more at Alyssia and, turning, walked back through the door and down the hallway.

        Alyssia just stood there in a daze, holding the first aid kit in one hand and the key in the other. She wondered if perhaps she had hit her head harder than she thought when that man had thrown her against the wall. Maybe this was all a dream. It just didn’t seem real to her, did she have a home now? Someplace to call her own? No, her mind wouldn’t accept it, something was going to happen. Something always happened.

        “Would you like something to eat?” asked James, putting Alyssia’s pack on the floor just inside the room.

        Alyssia was so lost in the maelstrom of her emotions and thoughts she barely registered the question. Almost on autopilot, she responded, “I have MREs.”

        “MREs,” James said flatly. “Right… Ok, well why don’t you go take a bath and I’ll bring some food by in about an hour or so, ok?”

        Only one word of that sentence managed to penetrate the thick fog surrounding her mind. That word rang like a gong and caused everything else to evaporate in a puff of mist. “Bath?” she said the word incredulously.

        “Ya… you… know what a bath is right?” James said, looking a little concerned.

        “Of course, I’ve just…” never had one, she silently finished to herself. “I’ll do that, thanks,” she said out loud instead.

        Nodding, James backed into the hallway and closed the door.

        For another full five minutes, Alyssia stood there just inside the small apartment, completely unable to wrap her head around the concept of potentially taking a bath. She had washed herself in a lake once, years ago, but that water had been far from warm.

        Finally freeing herself from the mire in her mind, she turned and put the key she held on the small table. With the first aid kit in hand, she headed to the bathroom.

        Inside the bathroom, she spent several minutes marveling at the grandeur of it. There was a tub big enough for her to sit down in, a sink with running hot and cold water, and a flushing toilet. The tub probably impressed her the most, she had occasionally had the chance to take a shower before, but a tub was something she had always thought only the rich had access to.

        Figuring out the controls, she filled the tub with hot water. Carefully stepping out of her dress and underwear, she slowly lowered herself into the tub. Sitting on the bottom of the tub with her legs pulled up almost to her chest she was able to submerge herself in luxurious hot water all the way up to her neck. Leaning her head back against the edge of the tub, she closed her eyes and tried to relax. The hot water did wonders for her sore muscles and the bruises she had received earlier.

        Sitting there in the hot water, she completely lost track of time. As she finally started thinking back on the conversations she had had just before starting this bath, she suddenly remembered that James had said something about bringing food later. Sitting up, she realized she had no idea how long she had been there. Actually, the water was only warm now, so probably more than long enough. Standing, she looked longingly at the tub below her, maybe she could take another bath later.

        Draining the water, she dried herself off with one of the towels hanging near the tub, then moved over to the sink and the mirror above it. She took a long look at her face for the first time in years. She could definitely understand why so many people kept calling her a child. Even through the bruises and cuts she wouldn't have pinned the face looking back at her as more than sixteen, maybe seventeen if she was being extremely generous.

        Alyssia sighed. Her face hadn’t changed much in the last twenty years that she could tell, perhaps it had but the changes were so slow in coming she just couldn’t see them. She wondered what James would say if she told him she was more than thirty years old. To be honest, she didn’t know exactly how old she was herself, but she knew it was at least over thirty now.

        Opening the first aid kit she had placed on the sink, she looked through its contents. There were antiseptic pads and vials, pain relievers, bandages, analgesics, and all manner of other treatment items. Taking one of the antiseptic pads, she opened it and started dabbing at her various cuts and abrasions. It stung, especially on her split lip, but it was nothing compared to an infection so she tried to be thorough.

        Once she had finished with the first aid kit, she stepped back into the living space and opened her pack that still sat next to the door. She had originally planned to put the dress she had taken off in the bathroom back on, but for some reason she couldn’t quite pin down, she had suddenly changed her mind and decided to put on the snug-fitting one instead.

        Fishing it out of her pack, she put it over her head and pulled it down over her body. She winced several times as it rubbed against various bruises and abrasions, but once it was in place it didn’t bother her too much. Glancing briefly at the one pair of underwear she had decided to wear, she now regretted having put them on. After having gotten clean for the first time in forever, she didn’t want to put the soiled garment back on until it was cleaned. Shrugging, she put them next to the other dress she had on before. Picking the pack up, she walked into the second of the two doors in the living space. The bedroom was simple, it contained a bed, a small dresser with several drawers, and a nightstand. Putting the pack next to the dresser, she hesitated. For some reason, she just couldn’t bring herself to unpack anything into it yet.

        Maybe tomorrow, she told herself, or the next day. Turning she noticed a larger mirror attached to the back of the bedroom door, moving in front of it she looked at herself head to toe. In the snug-fitting dress, she looked more like a woman than she had ever seen herself before. Especially with all her usual dirt and grime washed away. Turning sideways, she noticed that the dress even gave her a few curves in the right places. Her breasts weren’t anything to write home about yet, but with this dress she actually had some noticeable cleavage.

        Suddenly realizing what she was thinking she blushed. She hadn’t thought of herself as a woman in years. Between the dirt usually covering her face, her short stature, and the formless clothes she usually wore most people just saw her as a child. The few who were still interested in her after that were not usually the ones she wanted to associate with.

        Looking down, she wondered if James would be interested in her, now that she was showing off some of her assets. Did she even want someone to be interested in her? She had spent so much effort guarding her virginity for years, it felt strange to think that she might actually want someone to look at her.

        Shaking her head, she started to turn with the intention of changing back into the previous dress, even if it wasn’t quite as clean. As she reached for the pack she heard a knock at the door. She hesitated for a second, then smiling, she decided to stick with what she had on after all.

        Walking to the door, she opened it. Standing on the other side was James, holding a large crockpot in both hands and a bottle under one arm.

        Alyssia had expected maybe some bread or a small meat pie or something. The crockpot, however, looked large enough to feed ten people. And the bottle he held under one arm looked far too fancy to hold simple water. Alyssia suddenly realized she was just standing there staring at the food in his arms.

        As Alyssia was about to open her mouth to ask him to come in, James said under his breath, “You’re beautiful.”

        The words hung in the air for a moment, until James apparently realized he had spoken them out loud without meaning to. Blushing for the first time Alyssia had seen, he stammered, “I… I mean… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

        Alyssia was stunned at first, but then she felt a warmth suffuse her cheeks and, blushing herself, she said, “It’s ok. Come in, please.”

        Stepping out of the way, a still blushing James moved to the small table and put the large crockpot and bottle on it. “I uh… brought you some food, and some juice. I hope you like it. There should be plates and silverware in the drawers and cabinets over there,” said James, indicating the cabinets in her small kitchenette.

        James took a step back from the table, he seemed nervous, far more nervous than he had been before when he’d rescued her. It looked like he was about to excuse himself. For some reason, Alyssia didn’t want him to leave. Entirely on impulse, she said, “Would you join me, please?”

        As soon as she spoke the words she wished she had them back. Not that she didn’t want James to stay, but she realized how pretentious she must have sounded. She didn’t have any right to ask more from him than he had already given her. And she didn’t want to accidentally promise more than she was willing to give at this point. Putting a hand over her mouth, she waited for him to make some excuse to leave.

        Instead, still blushing, he smiled broadly and said, “Ya… ok, I’d like that.” The words seemed to release whatever had been holding him still. Moving swiftly, he pulled one of the chairs at the small table back and indicated that Alyssia should sit.

        Alyssia moved slowly to the chair James was holding. Her movements felt strange to her, as if she was watching someone else's life. She watched some strange pretty girl sit in the proffered chair, she watched as James snugged the chair up to the table. She continued to watch as James hustled over to the cabinets and started pulling out plates, cups and silverware.

        In bemusement and disbelief, she watched James put plates, silverware and cups on the table. As James opened the top of the crockpot sitting in the middle of the table, the first undeniable evidence of reality hit her square in the nose. The aromas emanating from the pot were beyond anything she had ever smelled before. Even Verra’s soups and breads hadn’t had this much impact.

        Alyssia stared hungrily at the stew James began ladling out into the plate he had sat before her. It took a few moments before she realized James was trying to talk to her while he was ladling out the stew. “What?” Alyssia asked.

        “I said, let me know when you want me to stop,” James said in amusement.

        Blushing even harder now, Alyssia said, “That’s good.” She didn’t mean it. She would have loved for him to keep going until the entire contents of the pot sat in front of her, but she didn’t want to be greedy.

        Ladling some of the stew out for himself, James then turned to the bottle he had brought. Uncapping it, he poured some light red liquid into both of their cups. “I would have brought some wine,” James said, “but… well I wasn’t sure… anyway, I hope fruit juice is ok.”

        Shaking her head, Alyssia said, “It’s amazing, it’s all amazing. Thank you, so much.”

        Chuckling, James said, “I don’t know about amazing. I just threw some stuff together. If you want a real dinner, I can do a lot better than this.” He paused for a moment, then shook his head and said, “Sorry, I ramble a bit when I get nervous. I didn’t mean to ask you on a date so suddenly.”

        Alyssia was stunned by the stream of words. A date? She barely even knew what a date was. Was this a date? Trying to hide her confusion she picked up her cup and took a drink of the juice. The sugar hit her tongue like a ton of durasteel, putting the cup down she swallowed quickly and coughed from the unfamiliar flavor. She had never tasted anything so sweet before, but she thought she liked it.

        “I’m sorry,” James said, “I… I didn’t mean to embarrass you like that, are you ok?” He paused for a moment while she gestured that she was fine, then he continued, “It’s just… It’s been a while since I interacted with a beautiful woman.” James sighed heavily, then continued, “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, perhaps it would be best if I let you eat in peace.”

        “No!” Alyssia said quickly, “No… please, stay. I’m just… not used to people really. It’s just a lot to get used to, that's all.” Blushing even harder than before, she mumbled, “I’ve never had a nice guy call me beautiful before, It’s kind of a novelty for me.”

        “Ahh, well,” James said, his face becoming more serious. “I can’t necessarily vouch for the nice guy part.”

        Staring at her meal and smiling, Alyssia said, “You saved my life James, in more ways than one. You’re the first person I’ve felt like I could start to trust in… a long time.”

        Looking even more serious now, James said, “Alyssia… you’ve obviously been through a lot, I can tell that what happened this morning wasn’t even the least of it. But despite all that, you can still smile from your soul.” James sighed heavily and continued, “I’ve done a lot of bad things in my life, this… this nice guy you think I am… a lot of that is just me trying to make up for some of the awful things I’ve done. You’d probably be better off staying away from me…” James was staring at his own plate by the time he finished.

        Alyssia looked at James across the small table for several long seconds, at first she didn’t know what to say. What kind of awful things could this kind caring man have possibly done. Letting the rose-tinted glasses evaporate for a minute, however, she admitted to herself that she knew very well what kind of awful things people could do. They could do awful things to someone one minute, then turn around with a false smile pretending to be a perfect gentleman the next. But the eyes, as Alyssia knew all too well, the eyes never lied.

        “James,” Alyssia said, “look me in the eyes.” James looked up without hesitation. In his eyes, Alyssia could see a fog of pain, almost a mirror of her own. Swirling through the fog were streaks of regret, longing, and self-loathing. But nowhere there, did she see even a hint of malice. Ultimately, so far as she was concerned, that’s what made the difference between evil men and good ones who just made bad choices.

        “James, you are not a bad person,” Alyssia said. “Perhaps you did bad things for bad reasons, but mistakes don’t make you a bad person. I look in your eyes, and I see pain and regret, not malice or hatred. I’ve come to know the look of evil in people’s eyes, believe me, I have, and you can trust me when I say you are not a bad person.”

        For a long moment, James just stared at her, without saying a word or changing expression. Alyssia began to get worried that perhaps she had said the wrong thing. Perhaps he was starting to wonder why a girl who looked less than twenty was talking as though she had a lifetime's worth of experience. Or perhaps she was just sounding pretentious. There was a good reason she tended to keep her mouth shut most of the time.

        Just as she was about to apologize, James suddenly smiled and said, “You are an amazing woman, Alyssia.” His expression became sympathetic, “I can’t imagine how much evil you had to personally witness in the world to become so familiar with it. Yet you still manage to find a light in dark places.” Shaking his head ruefully, he said, “Well, I guess I really put a damper on this evening huh? Why don’t you try my stew and see if maybe it can help you forget all this depressing talk for a while.”

        Alyssia nodded and picked up her spoon. The first mouthful of stew did indeed make her forget all about whatever it was they had been discussing. She had never tasted anything so flavorful before in her life. The complex blending of spices and ingredients was beyond anything she could remember. For the next several minutes, she did her best to shovel the stew into her mouth with as much dignity as she could manage.

        As she was busy scraping up the last of the stew she could find clinging to the edges of her bowl, James’ chuckle broke her out of her trance. Looking up she suddenly became aware of her surroundings again. James was no longer sitting across from her, he was standing next to her, stew ladle in hand. “Would you like some more?” he asked.

        “I… I don't want to…” Alyssia started to say. She wanted more, desperately. But she didn’t want to appear selfish.

        “Please,” James said, “have as much as you want, I won't judge, I promise. If you’ve been living on MREs all this time, I can’t imagine what real food must taste like. I was going to leave the crock here with you anyway so you would have leftovers.”

        Leftovers… That was possibly the strangest word Alyssia had ever heard in her life. She knew what it meant, but it made no sense. The safest place to store food was in your own stomach, anything ‘left over’ after that was fair game for someone else. Mentally shaking her head, she tried to return her mind to the present. She got sidetracked too easily these days it seemed.

        “Ok,” she said. “Thank you.”

        James filled her bowl with a few ladles of stew and returned to his seat across from her. Only then did Alyssia notice that he had barely touched his own bowl. “Aren't you hungry?” she asked, indicating the almost untouched bowl.

        “Oh I am,” James said, smiling, “I was just mesmerized by how much you were enjoying my stew.”

        Realizing that she must have been shoveling the stew into her mouth at an entirely undignified pace, she blushed almost bright red. Poking at the refilled bowl of stew in front of her she mumbled, “Sorry.”

        “Please,” said James, “Please don’t be. I could imagine no finer compliment, no one has ever appreciated my cooking as much as you have. If everyone enjoyed it that much I would have probably taken it up as a profession. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to embarrass you. Again…”

        Still blushing, but smiling now, Alyssia said, “That's ok. If you bring me more of this stew, I’d probably forgive you for anything.”

        For the first time that Alyssia had seen, James laughed. Not just an amused chuckle, but a full-on honest laugh. “I’ll remember that,” James said, still laughing.

        The blushing was worth it, Alyssia thought. If she could get James to laugh, it was definitely worth it. She thought he was pretty cute to start with, but when he laughed like that, it made the butterflies in her stomach dance. Looking back down at the stew in front of her, she decided not to let it get cold and set about polishing off the second bowl.

        The tiny spark of hope in her heart that had been guttering on the verge of going out, sputtered back to life. The smallest fraction of a candle flame, it burned feebly. But it still burned. Cupping the flame in her heart, she shivered as a chill ran up her spine. She just couldn’t shake the feeling that a gust of wind was going to rip away that tiny flame at any moment.

        For now, though, she ate the delicious stew and warmed her hands on the tiny flame of hope James had given her.