" How many times do I have to tell you stop bringing this trash, find a job or bring useful things, you are hurting my business kid "
Hossam, a well-known trader who runs a shop selling old devices and equipments in the slums, looking at the skinny boy in front of him, " Listen Tobi, i lost how many times I bought these things from you without getting any profit from it " Hossam said
The skinny teenager turned to walk away out of the store, but Hossam stopped him, " Damn it, but this will be the last time I swear u hear that Tobi, don't bring me these things again, or I'll throw them right at your face. " He showed his electronic bracelet and extended his hand, "Quickly, before I change my mind" in this new world, digital currency is what everyone use, and it was called SP aka Stone Points.
"Now get out of my shop you are ruining my business " Hossam said as he pushed Tobi out of the shop.
" Thank you Sir " Tobi said
He walks through the narrow alleys towards where he lives, an abandoned house on the outskirts of the city where artificial sunlight does not reach far from slums. Nobody lives here, but Tobi finds it more comfortable and peaceful here, away from people and most importantly it's free.
" Okay i get it so stop avoiding me " A voice coming from a little black little fox was chasing Tobi all the way but the latter was avoiding talking to him
" But you must agree with me, what I told you was true, well it's always true hehe ... come on, talk to me, you're killing me like this, aren't you the ones who want me as your friend? " The fox smiled.
Growing up alone in the slums, Tobi doesn't remember anything about his parents or anyone ever took care of him or tried some kind of help. The moment he could walk he was alone and only relied on himself. He didn't find anyone to talk to him . He was lonely all his life,
before he remember he invented an imaginary friend to help him and save him from this nightmare of loneliness. The little fox's name is Friend. The moment he appeared in Tobi's life everything became easier and life became less lonely and less painful.
Even Before Tobi could learn to speak properly, He called the little fox Friend and kept doing it. The fox never said anything about it and just like that how he got his name.
"The old man always starts with kicking us out of his shop and complaining, but in the end he pays us for what we bring him. I think we'd better stop taking advantage of his kindness," Tobi said to the fox.
" His kindness? What he gives you barely pays for even one meal. Look at yourself. You're barely eating. Damn I don't even eat and I look better than you. Soon you'll be a walking skeleton, no one will recognize you but me. " The fox sneers at Tobi.
" Why do we even live? " Tobi opens the door of the house
"What? Here he is again with his stupid suicidal thoughts. You can't go a single day without talking about your miserable life. You know most of the people here in the slums are in the same condition as us. Instead of thinking of a plan to get out of this situation, you just keep looking for the easy way ." the fox said
" Is there another way out of this hell?"
'.'
'.'
"That's what I thought"
"We can wait. Maybe one day you'll get a chance? Maybe you'll be Supe like the rest of the people who escaped from this place." The fox looks at Tobi trying to motivate him.
"At this age it is impossible to become a Supe"
Tobi went to his bed and lay down. In his house there is nothing to look at. All things are either stolen or brought from the city dump.
His bed was worn out and filled with dust and stains of dirt. Feeling tired Tobi lay there, not caring about anything.
He keeps looking at the ceiling and the cracks on it
"Now that I think about it, I always wanted a friend to talk to, and then you came. But now you have become a curse that keeps me going in this cursed world." He said before falling asleep.
Friend keeps looking at him while he's asleep
.
.
.
"I feel like I slept too long" Tobi woke up looking at his bracelet "It's been over fourteen hours, I think we should go eat something, I haven't eaten in two days now I forgot to buy something on the way back here too"
Tobi looks around
"Friend?!"
"I can't believe you're mad at me now, come on, show yourself we have a lot to do?" Tobi looks tense
"Well, you win I apologize if I offended you"
"FRIEND !!!" Tobi screams
"Okay, here I am. Stop yelling. My ears are going to explode."
The fox appears from under the ground
"Look at yourself, i was only gone for two seconds, and you were about to cry haha... For a moment, I almost believed you that you don't want to live, but you can't even spend one second alone without me"
The little fox jumps over Tobi's head
"Okay, let's go get you something to eat before you lose your appetite again."
"Damn I envy you for being able to hide, and come out from under the ground as you please," Tobi said
"I would have taught you how to do it , but you're only good at yelling" the fox jokes
"Now stop whining and walk faster," the fox ordered
They left the house and quickly headed for the city walls.
After the creation of the city only some time has passed before the city experienced a great growth in population.
People that are looking for work, or children whose parents have abandoned or died.
Crime has increased dramatically, robbery and kidnapping have become a frequent occurrence
and it became dangerous especially when Supes began to do it.
The government had to intervene and save the situation, or at least reduce it.
This is how the walls were built around the city, it has been locked down and all the useless residents for society who have no home or work have been evacuated outside of it.
That's how the slums became outside the city and entry is now forbidden unless you are authorized by the government or someone from within the city invited you.
Some merchants from within the city took advantage of this, they started to sell the leftovers by the walls cheaply to the people who live outside the city, since most of them don't have any power to do anything, they have no choice but to submit to this new order or starve to death.
Not much time passed before the place became a market selling not only food, but several things such as clothing, equipment, stones technologies and tools…
And that's where Tobi and the fox are headed now. Passing by houses that look like they might fall at any moment or the dead people lying on the ground or maybe on their way to die, Tobi didn't care or feel anything he got used to watching these scenes every single day.
It didn't take them long before they arrived.