Stormy night

The day was dying fast as this time of the year. The snow had been falling all day and now you could feel how the chill winds came from north. The sky was cloudy though but this didn’t help shielding the city from the cold weather of Canada’s December. All the homeless with their racked clothes and whatever drugs or alcohol they had managed to get during the day were gathering around the burning barrels spread in the alleys trying to shield each other from the biting wind. The alleys helped protect them from the cold but there were still a few individuals laying in the snow frozen to death. Their best clothes had already been stolen by the other homeless even before the fallen had died. During the winters of this terrible world people were fighting to survive and wouldn’t mind killing their best friend to get their few belongings.

There, in the middle of the snowflakes and on the middle of the quiet street a figure was walking around looking for food or whatever the figure could find. Under the lumps of clothes was a young girl, she was 17 years old but she had herself long forgotten to take track of time. There was no point. No one was there with her anymore. Her parents had been killed by thugs when she and her little brother had been out looking for food. A month or so later her brother died of a very aggressive flu. She had gotten it too but his immune defense was stronger than that of her lost brother. This all happened 3 months before this night.

Now she was like a scavenger, searching for food and new clothes to shield her from the coming winter. She had lost all hope for her future though and she didn’t expect to live long if she didn’t get away from this environment. Being a young girl like herself would draw a lot of attention and it could end up in very bad situations, maybe even death if she was not careful. Right now she was looking at the different drunk homeless in the alleys. As she saw the bread one of them was eating her stomach started turning around in her stomach. She had not eaten the entire day and was not feeling well. If she didn’t get this piece of bread now she was not sure if she could keep herself warm the entire night.

The figure moved towards the burning barrel with 4 homeless people surrounding it in the alley. On was eating of a well looking bread, it didn’t seem to be too old. Who knows where he’d got it from? The other three homeless was staring with a hungry look at the homeless as he gladly took more bites of the luscious bread as he drank some kind of strong alcohol from a bottle he had strapped in his belt. They all wanted a piece of the bread but they also knew that if one tried to snap the bread, the others would react and probably only one would be able to survive if they got too far in a fight.

The young girl got to the barrel with no trouble. She put forth her gloved hands to warm herself by the fire as the other four. Without saying a word they moved a little so that the new person could get some warmth as well. It was common courtesy among the homeless to someway be friendly and look out for each other. At least if the person you helped earlier got some drugs, alcohols or food you could always break open his skull and take it all for yourself.

The girl was waiting for just the right time to strike. The guy with the bread didn’t seem to suspect anything either. He was probably too drunk to sense much, or maybe he was just so concentrated in eating his meal that he didn’t see what was coming. After a short while longer she decided to act. Just as the homeless with the bread lifted his arm to take another bite of the bread the girl quickly snatched the bread out of his hand and started running the other way. The others were dull and only reacted staring at the figure running off with the bread. The man with the bread stared at his empty hand for a second or two, and then his face was lit with rage as he turned around screaming and yelling at the mere shadow that was the thief. As he first ran off soon the three other were running each eager to get the bread before the other.

The girl was running as fast as she could out on the open street. No one from the alleys would probably chase he, there was shelter from the snow and wind in the alleys. The only people she had to worry about though were those four guys running after her yelling and bawling at her, sending curses of the one or another kind in her direction. She seemed to be gaining distance though and in a second as her head turned around to look how far away they were from her she thought she was losing them. That was until she fell over something in the snow, face down on the ground. It didn’t hurt that much though, the ground fell kind of soft but as her sense slowly returned from the fall within the second she recognized the smell. It was the smell of death. As she got up on her knees she realized she had fallen over a body of a homeless.

He didn’t seem to have been dead for too long, but a rat or two, the size of a cat each, had already ventured over to him and started to chew on him. None seemed to be scared of the girl. Perhaps they too were just dulled by the cold wind. As the girl yelped and tried to get up she could feel someone grab her shoulder. As she tried to yank herself free she lost the piece of clothe shielding her head, long brown hair was let loose. She turned around and looked into the eyes of the guy whom she had stolen the piece of bread from. His eyes were filled with anger but there was something else in them, and she knew he was thinking thoughts of some kind of perversity now as he found out about her gender. The three others soon caught up with him and were now standing at his side, coughing because of the long run. Out of the corner the girl saw one of those big rats run off with the bread. The guy in front of her didn’t seem to notice as he just looked her up and down, his mouth turned into a disturbing smile revealing many missing teeth in his mouth along with a breath stinking of strong liquor.

“Hey, dude,” one of the homeless said, “would ya mind sharing her? I’ll give you a bottle of whiskey for an hour or two.”
The guy holding her said while still holding her: “You got a deal, I’m gonna enjoy this little lass. You’re gonna be a good pay for that bread you just fed the rats. And don’t even think about running.” His grip was tightening against her shoulder. She knew she would not be able to fight against four men. Despairing and fearing what would come next she tried to find a solution, tried to think of something to say but she was too terrified and shocked, tears started to form in her eyes. But all of the sudden she heard a voice from a man behind her.
“Would you mind taking your hands of my daughter, sir”.
She did not understand… she had no father anymore. He was dead! In strange hope that it was actually him she quickly turned around and took a look at the shape that was standing there, casting a shadow over her and the man that had those terrible plans for her.

Only a short while has passed since the confrontation between the homeless people and the unknown man that had appeared to help the young girl (who was now free from the one man's grasp). The man had approached the men with money. As greedy homeless that they were they wanted that and the girl but they learned not to be greedy. As they approached the business looking man he drew a gun and his expression changed. The homeless froze their movement in the cold wind at the sight of the gun pointing at them.
"Uh... sorry sir! Please we were just joking, we d-d-d-didn't mean to do anything to your daughter! We swear!" the first on said falling to his knees in the snow. The business man looked at the girl.
"What do you think should happen to them, my daughter?" he asked with his warm smile. The homeless gazed at her waiting for her reply with anxiety...
"Please, just let them go...I-I don't want to see any more death." the girl replied tired. She backed away from both the homeless and the strangely friendly man who had just helped her. The man in the business suit stared at the homeless which was a sign for those to get out of here and they didn't think twice about getting out of there.

Only after they were long gone did the man lower his gun and he put it somewhere underneath his jacket again. He turned to the girl.
"Are you alright?" She nodded silently, but she seemed tense. "Listen, I am not going to hurt you. I have come to help you. Please, let me..." He took his longcoat off and put it around the girl even if she tried to move away at first, but she eventually accepted the warm coat. "I have a car around the corner. If you'd like to be helped out of this hell you can go with me and start a brand new life." She nodded silently.
"Where will you take me?" she asked curiously.
"To the place where I work, Neue Leben. It has been founded to help people in this dark future we have created ourselves. Please, let me at least just show you the place..." he took his arm around her and they started walking towards the place where his car was parked. "So, what is your name little girl?" the man asked her as he led her towards a black limousine.
"Amy." she replied shortly.
"My name is Adam Sylar. It is a pleasure to meet you."