Charlotte ran a hand up her arm and didn't respond, because what would be the most polite response to that? Life wasn't easy but that was no surprise to the fact that everyone was now jaded.
Lucia turned her attention back to packing her bags, and Charlotte could see the anguish on her face. What could Lucia have left in the place that she so hated?
There were more footsteps in the hallway, the creaks echoing and heard through the walls, making Lucia stiffen as her hands slowed to a stop for a pause for a breath. Charlotte glanced back to look over at the door, and she couldn't tell if the door was locked or not. Judging by Lucia's apprehension, it likely was not.
Biting down on her lips, Charlotte stood which made Lucia send her a chilling look Charlotte lifted a hand to silently tell her to calm down. Moving over to the window, she poked her head out to get a breath of somewhat fresh air rather than the stifling atmosphere inside that threatened to choke her.
She couldn't see anything interesting from her view out of the window, just another look out at worn bricks and broken buildings with the glow of dim synthetic lights down to the ground that was moving signifying how people were still awake and moving around doing whatever plans kept them up.
Out in the outer circle, the stars still couldn't be seen, not that Charlotte was expecting much now that she staring up into the darkness, but the night sky was normally a hazy navy near the center due to the beaming lights were now a clear black that was a blanket across the sky in a calming turn of events.
To see the stars shine, one would have to leave the city to find another embankment far away or any other vacation home the wealthy would have and build meticulously to show off to one another.
She hasn't seen the stars for ages, and even at Vincent's family home which was somewhat far from the city, it still wasn't far enough to get out of the reach of bumbling center lights.
Charlotte pushed herself back into the room and crossed her hands under her arms and waited for the house to quiet down once more. There had to be children in the house since despite not being able to hear what words the people in the house were speaking, it was the innocence of high-pitched voices.
After a minute, Lucia finally relaxed and continued to pack her items away. Despite everything that had happened, she could see that Lucia was a pure soul amongst the darkness that threatened to swallow everyone out here in the outer rings.
Charlotte watched as she dumped the rest of her valuables from her basket on the desk into her large back and finally stood.
Charlotte fiddled with the string of her pack. "Do you have to pack all of your valuables now?"
Lucia didn't even bother looking up. "Yes. I can't leave any behind right now."
Lucia broke off the sparkling chains from dresses in the closet, sending some of the beads and such scattering. Her clothes only ranged from scandalous to more so, and Charlotte watched as Lucia continued to break off whatever was deemed as just a bit valuable as it could be sold off later for a bit of money.
"Why are you only deciding to leave now?" Charlotte asked again. She knew that Lucia didn't want her to pass, but the events and situations surrounding her didn't add up well to fully make Lucia's story credible which only made distrust well up in Charlotte more.
"There are too many ties that know me even while covered up, so I was taking my time to make my escape," Lucia replied with a slow breath. "I can't leave here too abruptly and leave traces anywhere."
"Why? Who is going after you?"
"The folks in this place," Lucia said as she stretched her arms out. "In the place that houses over fifteen orphans, we are in this hell together."
Charlotte turned over to her. "You're trying to protect the kids here aren't you?"
Lucia ran a hand down her arm. "It is what it is. I want to leave, yet I also can't even protect what little I have since I don't want the younger kids to have to deal with the business that had caught up to me."
Charlotte frowned. "Who runs this place?"
"It's not an establishment of any kind," Lucia said. "It is more of a hole that all strays have found shelter in."
"But you speak of it as there is someone running the place."
"The man who owns this building comes every so often to find his next courier."
Charlotte tilted her head as dread filled her. "Courier?"
"These are young girls, you see, who have not even filled out their form yet. But, I am doing my work the same as them only a few miles away."
Charlotte's mouth dropped. "It can't be."
Lucia turned back slowly to her. "You, yourself, know that anything is possible out here dear."