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The money was stuck in his pocket haphazardly, jetted out and bounced along with his step. The bills stuck out enough that a body could count the individual bills. $100, 2 $50 and a few $5. That would be plenty of money for Malik to buy food for himself and the little monster for a few weeks. A month even. And this man surely wouldn't miss $210. Malik reached out and snagged the bills, tugged them effortlessly from the pocket and spun around to carry on his business. He thumbed the corner of the bills nervously. His eyes, mismatched, searched the area for the armed patrols and found none in sight. The sun threw beams of light from behind the bare branches of various trees, from magnolia to oaks. Malik's feet trudged through filthy streets which reeked of waste, rot, and dead.
When he returns home he found the one dubbed 'Little Monster' in the corner of their cement room. She was staring at a large mutt, probably one of the patrol's unwanted.
“Kali,” he called and the little girl looked up at him in surprise. “What is that doing here?” he asked and she threw her arms around the dog's neck in almost a protective way. Malik frowned and shook his head. “We can't keep it. We don't have enough food for ourselves to begin with.” he stated as he hung his coat on a nail in the wall.
“I'll give him my food,” the girl begged in a high-pitched, nasally voice that usually accompanied sickness.
“You need your food to get stronger,” he retorted and kicked his boots of, leaving them and their grim at the doorway. “Besides, he might be dangerous. And I need you to run out and get our dinner.”
“Why didn't you do it on the way in?” she pouted, slim arms crossed over a slim chest.
“Because you need to leave this room and see the world. I won't have you brainwashed into thinking things will get better,” he answered, perhaps a little too blunt. She huffed and sniffed and made to cry before Malik pulled out his money. “Buy for three, but you better come right back.” he warned and watched her as she left- the fluffy hound at her heels.
He sighed heavily and sat in a wooden chair by a wooden desk to reread the pieces of paper that were strewn about. Medical bills, analysis, notices, fines. He would have to steal more than $210 to keep the law away. But the risk of running away with the shape Kali was in would surely kill her. He drew out another sigh and leaned back onto two legs of the chair, kicking his feet up onto the desk.
By the time Kali returned with three bags of whatever food she could find, Malik was nearly asleep. The mutt barked once and Malik almost fell out of the chair. Kali laughed at him and he chaste her for laughing first.
“You have to make sure they're okay first,” he told her, her head downcast. “Then you can laugh at them for being stupid.” he added and that made her perk up a little. She placed the paper bags on a low sitting table and plonked down onto the floor by it.
“I found some pretty cheap vegetable soup and uh...” she dug through on of the bags and pulled out some sort of meat in a container. “They claimed it was beef but I think I might be rat.” that made Malik let out a snort of laughter before he sat down opposite of her. He got out his own food, packed in Styrofoam containers, and spooned some of the soup into his mouth.
“I think this might just have carrots and potatoes.” he informed the girl with a mouthful of food and she offered him a shrug.
“Jasper doesn't like his soup,” Kali said to Malik, looking at the untouched portion on the floor. Malik looked over too. The mutt must have felt his dinner was in danger because it gobbled up the thin soup as soon as Malik's eyes found it. They continued to eat in silence for a while, picking at the food here and there before Kali dropped her spoon and looked up at Malik.
“Am I going to die?” she asked bluntly. His eyes enlarged for a moment before he regained his composure and cleared his throat.
“Why do you ask?”
“I'm always sick and you're always getting letters and stuff after you take me to the healer.” she answered and it took him a moment to realize that Kali was no longer the infant girl he found abandon and that she had the ability to understands things. Things like death.
“If you continue to eat and regain some of your strength you won't.” he said back, avoiding the word die. Jasper gave a yap before he found a place to lay down, seemingly sensing the shift in the air.
Malik stares at the girl revered as his little sister and could see his mismatched eyes in her clear blue ones.
“I think I'm okay with dying,” she admits in a small voice. “But I'd miss you.”
“If we can just get out of here and find someone who's willing to... help you, you'll be fine.” he said, not sure if he was assuring himself or Kali.
“But we can't leave because I'm always sick and you're in debt. Because of me. I know.” she said, even more proof that she was no longer dependent on him as she was a year ago.
“Kali,” he said slowly, “You're 13 years old. There is no way you're solely at fault here.” he sets his face in a grim gaze.
“You took me in, helped me. Called me your little sister because I didn't have anyone, but now it's time to grow up. Both of us. Open your eyes, Malik, and see that I'm only slowing you down. You can run away from this place, find a place to settle down, and live. I want you to do it.” she said with a chin held high; as though she was 30 instead of 13.
“It wouldn't be worth it without my little monster running alongside me.” he decides. He stood up, tossed his Styrofoam into the trash, and pulled his boots on. He walked out the front door.
The air held a fresher, crisp, yet rotten stench. The gooseflesh on his arms made him feel alive, but also reminded him of the coming of winter and the dangers that held for him and Kali. Malik contemplated freedom. He had to make his decision now. If they didn't leave now....
He stopped to look at himself in the glass of a half-busted out shop window. He was a lean boy, with tight, curly black hair and heterochromatic eyes; one brown and one green. As the sun finally sank beneath the mountains and people started shuffling home. After sundown an armed guard would sweep the area. They would give the people a five second warning, then they would blindly fire at any dark shape that move, slaughtering the lingering citizens.
When Malik returned home he found Kali laying in the floor with the mutt. He took one of their blankets and covered her up. After he laid on his own pallet on the floor he listened. Listened to the wheezing sort of breath Kali was making, the sound of feet moving this way and that. Then, after some time he heard the sound of the guard, winter and protective gear making their footfall a lot heavier that those of the scantily clothed 'citizens'. The men of that guard laughed at each other and joked whilst gunning down anyone out after the sun set. It made Malik's stomach churn.
Yes. It was easier to slowly gun down and massacre the needy than to give them stale bread and yesterday's soup.
After an hour or so the feet moved off, the shooting fading out, the soldiers moving to another district. It was now or never.
He shook Kali awake and dragged her to her feet. The hound beside her awoke with her as well.
“We're leaving.” he said in a hushed whisper. She complied quickly with a short nod and got ready; slipped on her coat, shoes, and hat, then met Malik at the door. He patted her hat, covering her filthy blonde hair and they crept into the night. Malik led her through the shadows, swerved them through posted guards and beams of light.
They could see the boundary line, guarded solely by a few guards and two guard towers every thirty feet. A wooden fence surrounded the outline. He checked guard positions with a few glances- there were many times he sneaked out and just sat to ponder the ability of escaping. If they were to be captured he could be taken into custody to be questioned as assumed spies. Either way, it would be death if they were caught out here. When he deemed the way clear he touched Kali on the back and whispered a 'go' and they took off running.
They were free. Free of debt. Free of oppression. Free of fear. He grinned to himself. They were 20 feet away. 15 . 10!
A bright beam of light washed over their backs, making Malik freeze, but Kali, Kali continued sprinting toward their freedom.
“Freeze,” a patrol boomed, standing behind the light. “Halt in your escape your lives will be spared. Do not and we will fire.” he warned.
“Kali,” Malik screeched, and reached to grab her as he flew past him. Jasper was the first one down. He gave a straggled whimper as he was shot in the side and tumbled lifelessly to the ground. Kali still didn't stop She didn't even slow down. He heard the shot. He watched helplessly as Kali's lithe, young body jolted from the impact of the bullet. She gave a cry, walked a few more paces before she, too, collapsed to the ground. He felt the prick of tears in his eyes.
“No,” he whispered to himself, watching his little sister's lifeblood draining in the dead grass. “No,” he said again. “She was 13,” he lashed, turning around to swing at the closest person. He caught the guard in the jaw and anger surged in him with the sound of a crack. “She was 13 years old! And sick. Sick! You people are monsters!” he sobbed out. He could smell the gunpowder from the guns as he took another swing at someone. They quickly detained him, grabbing both of his arms and started pulling him from the scene. “She was sick and I couldn't help her.” he whispered to himself.
The guilt tasted bitter in his mouth.