Alice’s father sat down on the edge of her bed. She was comfortable and snuggled up in her warm blankets. He leaned his forehead against hers as they gazed into each other’s souls. They breathed life into each other, they sustained one another. Father and daughter together. He breathed deeply and departed from her face.
“Are you good? You’re not sick, are you?” he asked, as he touched her forehead with his palm.
“No, daddy,” she said smiling.
“No? Well then, that means you can start hunting with me tomorrow! I’ll show you everything I know.”
With wide eyes, Alice said, “Wow, really?”
“Yep! I’ll show ya how to aim and shoot. That’ll be your first lesson. But! You must sleep for tomorrow will be a busy day, my sweet one.” He kissed her on the forehead, bade her goodnight, blew out the candle, and closed the door.
Alice called out. “Daddy?” The door opened a crack.
“Yes, sweetheart?”
“Can you keep the door opened a little?”
He smirked at her. “Of course.”
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Alice woke from sleep.
Dreams always seem real. Especially right after you wake up, but then it disappears and reality hits you in the face. Alice experienced that phenomenon that morning.
Turning to her side, she saw the kids getting up at different times, at varying levels of alertness. She didn’t want to get up, wanting to sleep forever, but finally made the move.
All of the children ran around to get ready. There were about fifty children all ranging from sixteen to six years old, boys and girls and all rambunctious. All were on a mission either using the bathrooms, finding some clothes, doing laundry, making breakfast or running around for no apparent reason. The scene was a harmonious tune all playing together and working towards completing a symphony.
Fast turning like the cogs and switches of clockwork, Alice and Max got ready and followed their respective groups.
Alice was led by Lily on where to go. Telling her in the morning they would have a small gathering before going off and finding children with Miss Rose, the girls would either assemble outside or in the living room of their hideaway. Today they met outside.
The dark day was milder than usual. It was warmer too. The other girls told Alice it was what they called the early Spring. It was coming sooner than they expected and the street was lit with burning lamps of fire. Different lights strung up on the balconies of buildings shone brightly around them. People roamed the streets each getting to their respective places of work. This district was much more civil than most. It was the richest, friendliest, and safest, but that was not saying much.
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“Gather, ladies,” Miss Rose commanded as she had them lined up and gave them a public service announcement for the day.
“I know all of you girls are ready to find new souls, but remember, most people want to either kidnap you, kill you, or something far worse. Remember, trust no one. If anyone is giving you trouble, you come run on home then. If anything is suspicious, don’t hesitate, just run. Everyone is to remain in pairs. Got it?” They all nodded. “Under no circumstance are you to bring any child back until I get a good look at them. Understand?” She said sternly. All the girls nodded again.
“OK. Be safe out there and watch out for each other. Don’t be afraid, I’m out here with you.” Turning and walking into the crowd of milling people, she left the girls to themselves like little piggies being separated from their mother on the side of the street. Suddenly, the girls went off two by two in search of lost or abandoned children.
Lily asked, “You wanna come with me?” Alice agreed. The duo were off into the dark and mysterious streets. Alice suggested they take the higher ground, saying to scale the buildings and jump across each one.
“You really are a street kid,” Lily said to Alice with a little chuckle. Alice took it as a compliment as she started to climb a little bodega. She finished her ascent when she noticed Lily wasn’t climbing after. “What? Are you afraid?”
“No, I don’t know how to climb!”
“Well, I’ll be up here and you’ll be down there and we can each get a different perspective.”
“Miss Rose said not to split up!”
“We're not splitting up, we’ll be right alongside each other. We’ll look after one another,” she said winking at her.
“OK, Alice!”
The girls crept around alleyways and scanned different places. The city was vast as Alice looked out over the artificial landscape. Blimps the size of elephants roamed the skies and strange star ships sailed along polluting the air. Far away a building tall and monstrous that was sentient quaked the earth as it slowly moved silently across the muddied streets destroying shops, and killing pedestrians in its path. A horrible and wicked scene that disturbed Alice.
Hours went by until they came across a little boy. He was much younger than both of them. He had on tattered clothing that was full of muck and dirt, looking like he had never taken a bath in his life. Digging through garbage, the filthy boy came across a banana peel studying it, smelled it, and then started to eat it.
Lily started, “Oh, don’t eat that!” The boy sneered at her. He began to run away.
“Wait! We’re not trying to hurt you!” He disappeared into the shadows. “Why did he leave?”
“Lily, some kids don’t want help. Usually, if they do, they’ll find you,” Alice said from above. “Come on, let’s go on.”
They started to move ahead when they saw Miss Rose. She approached Lily.
“Lily! Why are you alone?”
“I’m not alone! I have Alice! Look!”
“Alice, you come down here now and never leave Lily’s side!”
“Miss Rose, I’m more useful up here! I can see everything up here!” Her face froze and suddenly she hid herself.
“Come down here, now!” Rose insisted.
She turned and saw a man’s face right in front of hers. It startled her, but knew immediately who it was.
“Captain Rapture… I didn’t see you there! You scared me!” She said charmingly with a smile desperately striving not to give Alice away. She stood her ground and dared not look up as Rapture stood glaring at her emotionless with a fellow guard at his left side.