Raven – "survival is the ability to swim in strange water." – Frank Herbert
Laughing, I run away from the guy I just stole from. I toss the small bundle of cash over in my hand. I find a small pop up stall at the end of an abandoned building, I buy a can of tinned beans and set of back home.
Well, I say home, it's more of a small cave type area. It's on the corner of a street, hidden through a hole and under some nettles. I'm far too tall to fit here, but somehow, I make it work.
The day is still early, so I'll save my food, it's unlikely ill find anything else. I run over to my mate; he looks around before smuggling me through the hole at the bottom of a building. Unfamiliar warmth fills me, I haven't been in a building like this in forever.
"Yo, Raven, hurry up man, we ain't got much time." My mate, Timmy shouts. I nod and change as quick as I can into some old rags on the small coffee table, the clothes hang off me as I sprint away from the building as the gang leader arrives back. I hate the way the clothes fit me, I'm so skinny from the lack of food. And so tall, at least 6ft.
I rub my hands over the makeshift fire and think to next week. They'll hate me, all of them. They think we're evil, all of us. I don't blame them, I thought so to, until I got kicked out of Rosaland and got sent here. The only reason I failed that stupid test was cause I missed a target in shooting, I mean, seriously?! And now I'm stuck here, stuck at Relicta land, or as everyone else calls it, the junkyard.
Anyways, I'm not complaining. Things here aren't as bad as you might think. Sure, I'm homeless, with no money and completely alone, but if you find a gang quickly and know your place, you'll do just fine.
There are no rules here, no rulers, no jobs except stealing and fighting and surviving. A lot of the people have to resort to drugs. Thankfully, I haven't found the need to yet.
I've been here less than a year, the day after I turned eighteen was the day I got kicked out. Still I'd rather be here than Rosaland any day of the year. The thought of going back haunts me, the man I used to be is gone. Will they even recognise me? I hope not. I'm different now, maybe not as physically strong, but I've definitely grown. My name used to be boring, ordinary, now it's Raven, given to me by one of my mates, Rocky, cause of how 'smart' I am.
I suddenly find a perfect target, a newcomer I'm guessing, who left a small bread roll laying out in the open. I take my chance and grab it, I run, and the adrenaline fills me. For a second, I feel guilty, but at the end of the day, I'm doing them a favour, they can't learn if they don't experience.
When darkness hits, I tuck myself into my corner and start eating. I eat the roll tonight, but leave the beans for tomorrow, just in case there's no food. I tuck my legs under me, my fists ready for any intruder and my ears trained to pick up and movement or scuttle. It takes a couple hours before I finally drift off.