Criminal

2: Jace

Warning: Blood and Killing. 

I had anything but a goodnight sleep. The ground was hard and the air smelled of trash and sewer gas.  I thought I heard Terra fall asleep finally but when I opened my eyes to check she was standing in the opening of the ally with her head down in deep thought.  I decided to fall back asleep and wait for the sun to finally come out.  It never did. 

            The morning brought rain and dark clouds.  Terra waited for me to awaken before she gathered all of our bags and we kept walking.  I, being the little kid I was, followed my older sister believing she knew what she was doing.  How stupid was I to think that.  We just walked for what felt like forever in the pouring rain.  Pedestrians walking on the sidewalks beside us not giving us any attention, and cars blazing by us.  My mother always taught us never to talk to the weird people on the streets in New York.  I always believed her and was frightened when I saw beggars and people who looked like they were about to shoot me.  Now the perspective has changed as I saw mothers pulling their children closer to them as we walked past. 

            I felt Terra pull me into another ally and she frantically ran till there was a dead end.  A ladder led upwards to the top of a building.  Terra pulled me forward and ushered for me to climb.  I didn't disobey her and climbed till I got to the top.  I am quickly followed by her as she threw the bags up first. 

            "What are we doing up here?" I asked in my little kid voice.  But she didn't pay attention to me as she walked to the edge of the building.  Her fists clenched.  I thought she was about to jump off but she just stood there.  Staring. 

            I finally got up enough courage to walk over to her and stand next to her.  I looked out as well trying to mimic her eyesight.  She pointed out and I looked but saw nothing.  Just buildings. 

            "There, that will give us some shelter."  She said before turning around and picking up the bags again. 

"What, where?" I asked.  But she didn't say anything.  She just started climbing back down the ladder.

I obediently followed her, she seemed to know what she was doing.  How was I supposed to question her anyway?  So I grabbed my own bag and started to climb down the ladder.  She was waiting at the bottom for me and grabbed my arm.  I didn't have time to say anything after she took off.

The rain poured and it actually hurt when we ran through it.  Our clothes were soaked as the puddles splashed back up onto us.  Terra soon let go of my hand and I ran right behind her as we ducked through alley ways and passed people on the sidewalks.

Soon she turned to one alley way and started climbing another ladder.  I was about to do the same when she turned back around.  "Stay down here, Jace."  She said and then continued climbing.  And I did.  I was the good little boy and sat down on an abandoned crate.  I was soaked, cold, and uncomfortable in these clothes.  

It seemed like an eternity before I saw Terra climb back down the ladder and stared at me.  I looked up facing her.  Her hair was dripping with water and some strands were dangled in front of her face.  But I wasn't looking at that.  I was looking at her stare.  There was something in her expression I've never seen before.  I couldn't tell if it was evil or stress, but something was off with her.

            "It's only a couple more blocks."  She said tilting her head to the left.

            "Where are we going?"  I asked.  She sighed and knelt down in front of me.  She didn't look at me at first but had her hand on my knee.  "Someplace, hopefully, that will be safe.  Don't worry Jace.  I won't let anything bad happen to you.  Alright?"