The year
2203. The future. No one expected it to be what it became. Threats were made,
bombs were used. There was death and ruin everywhere. The world had become a
wasteland. The remains of civilization had gathered into small cities and a
weak monetary system was established in each. Regardless of this monetary
system, some survivors ended up not being able to afford food. A lot of these
survivors ended up starving. Others that survived had to take jobs as builders
to help restore buildings for a low price. Others… who were more fortunate, got
to help run the market place. These market vendors were able to price their
merchandise. Sadly… some couldn’t afford the prices, so they went through
illegal means to feed their families…
Revan Streak looked
back and forth as he entered the one of the vendor’s shops. As familiar he was
with stealing, something about being forced to the point where he had too kind
of made him feel blank inside. But he had a good reason too, and the prices
were expensive. And though he worked, three hours a day and three days a week
on working to build houses and hotels, he still didn’t get enough to purchase a
full week’s worth of food.
He took his bag off his
back and slowly started bumping fruits into his bag as he walked down the row
of tables. He stopped by the bread which smelled extremely nice. He made sure
no one was looking and picked one up and quickly put it in his bag, closing it.
He picked up another piece of bread and looked at it. He was beginning to
wonder if he should pay for this loaf, when he heard shouting. He turned, and
saw the police… or what passed as police. They were canines with muscles and
they looked well fed. Of course they were… The vendors paid them to make sure
people like Revan didn’t steal from them. But even then, why would anyone need
to steal if the stuff they sold was actually affordable! But Revan didn’t think
on that for long. The police were coming over and they looked mad. As if
canines weren’t terrifying enough when they have rock hard muscles, they also
had pointy things… (He knew that there was a better name for them, he just
didn’t know what it was.) That was more than enough to scare him, so he ran.
Revan winced as he
tripped and fell to the ground, his bag falling out of his paws. Of course the
cops would be suspicious of him. He was a young, very hard-to-miss red fox, and
a known trouble-maker in town. Though… that was one of his favorite things to
do. Cause trouble. Luckily for Revan the bag didn’t spill open. As much as he
liked to cause trouble, today was not the day to get arrested… Again.
Revan looked up as the police
dogs came over to the tent to put him into his restraints. He looked up and
chuckled as he secretly pushed his bag under the table so they wouldn’t see it.
He had to make sure he came back for it later so he made it visible but not too
obviously placed. “Are those the same restraints as last time?” he quipped,
trying to sneak his way out of this bind.
He
had almost been caught stealing food… again. But seriously, everyone knows that
a dollar for a loaf of bread was a rip-off, especially with people being so
poor these days. How was someone supposed to raise a family in the
twenty-second century on fifty cents a day? Besides the police, who confiscated
the bread he had “stolen;” these rip-off vendors were the wealthiest people
around these days. Stealing from them made him feel like Robin Hood.
Revan
smiled as the police dragged him up to the vendor, a pig by the name of
Archibald Stine. “Archie! My old friend! How are you doing today?”
Archie
glared at him. “Revan. I thought I told your thieving tail to stay away from my
food.”
Revan
gave a carefree smile, “Oh, but Archie, the bread smelt so good! I just had to
come over and take a look.”
Archie
snatched the loaf from one of the officers, who had just went to inhale the
scent of the bread. “I know. I made it myself. And it’s for my PAYING customers.
Not for some red-furred demon to go shoving in his pockets! And you sir, were
here taking more than just a look.”
Revan
gave Archie an arrogant look, “I always did see myself as a handsome devil.”
Inside though he was relieved. That meant Archie hadn’t seen the other stuff he
had snuck into his bag.
Archie
rolled his eyes and turned to one of the cops. “Take ‘em away. I have no
business with foxes that don’t pay for what they take! Once was me being kind,
twice was mercy, but this is the last straw. I will not sit around and let him
take my goods.”
Revan
cackled, “Oh is that what you’re telling them this time?” The dogs started to
pull him away. He panicked on the inside as the possibility of jail came closer
with every step he was taken, and he spoke louder, “I seem to remember you
saying you told me never to come back after one time, Archie ol’ pal!” The dogs
slowed but didn’t stop. The fox tugged on his restraints trying to make his way
back to Archie’s table. “And who’s to say I wasn’t ready to pay for that
bread!”
The
guards completely stopped. Archie raised an eyebrow. “You actually have money
to pay? What’d you do? Steal that too?” He laughed.
Revan
feigned a hurt look. “Why Archie! I am a hard-working fox. I have three day’s
wages to show for it!” He pulled the money out his pocket, well… the best he
could in his restraints. “That’s a dollar fifty if I am not mistaken…” He
scratched his head. “I don’t know though. I am just a red-furred demon.” He
shrugged.
Archie
snorted and glared at Revan. “You’re up to something. I know it. You foxes
always got some sort of nasty trick up your sleeves.”
Revan
looked down at his clothes then back up with a laugh. “Ah-hah! I don’t have
sleeves.”
Archie
balled his fist. “Away! Go on, scat!”
Revan
slowly turned to look at the officers, “Okay!” They sighed and unlocked his
restraints. “I could always take my business and money, elsewhere…” He waved
behind him and slowly started to walk away… Just waiting for…
“Oh
fine. Come buy your bloody bread.” Archie growled.
Revan
smirked and turned around with a humble look. “Are you sure?”
“Don’t
make me change my mind, fox.” Archie grumbled as the fox came up to his table
and picked up the biggest one and handed him the dollar and fifty cents.
Revan
smiled and gave the pig a friendly wave. “Keep the change Archie. Maybe that’ll
convince you I am not as bad as you think.” He winked as the pig turned to
another customer, then turned to leave. But not before casually picking up his
bag from the ground where he had left it before.
Revan
strolled through the market, and came to a broken down building near the
entrance to the market place. He grinned and took a deep breathe. “Home sweet
home!” He walked through the door and placed his bag and the bread on the table
and called out. “I’m home you little miscreants!”
He
chuckled as a smaller male red fox ran through the door followed by a rat. The
young fox jumped into his arms. “Revan!”
Revan
laughed and hugged the little guy. “Hello, Lucas!” He put him down and knelt to
be eye level with the younger guys. “How’d you do today?”
Lucas
grinned, “I survived another day.”
Revan
smiled. He’d been doing that with Lucas ever since he had taken the little guy
in two years ago. The poor kid was deserted, alone, and starving. And Revan
found him, running from an angry vendor. The kid had stolen an apple and the
vendor had been throwing rotten tomatoes at the kid. What else could Revan have
done? He was definitely not going to let the vendor hurt the kid. So he gave
him a way out and a home with him. Of course, now he had grown from the little
kit he was. Revan was proud of the way Lucas was growing up. He was starting to
become like…”
“He’s
starting to become like you.” Revan turned to the rat. Ajax. Ajax had been
Revan’s friend since long before he remembered. He was there when Revan was
helpless as he watched his wife starve to death when all of this began.
He
chuckled lightheartedly, “And is that such a bad thing?”
Ajax
nudged him as he walked to the table. “With an ego like yours? Yeah, it’s a bad
thing!”
Revan
faked offence. “Ajax! I am so hurt! I do not have an ego. I am way too humble
for that!”
“Yeah
sure.” Ajax picked up the bread and grinned. “Revan! This looks delicious.”
Revan
smirked, “Bought that off of good ol’ Archie!”
“Good
job!” He looked at the bread. “We could split it into nine parts and that
should last us three days!”
Revan
giggled and opened his bag. “No need to ration.” He pulled out the loaf of
bread and all of the fruit from the bag, that he had stolen earlier, and put
them on the table next to the other loaf. “These should last us long enough,
don’t you think?”
Ajax’s
eyes went big, and Lucas peeked out from behind Revan. “Can I have an apple,
Revan?”
Revan
took an apple from the table. “Here you go. Big and red, just like you like
them, little guy!” He gave it to Lucas who squealed and ran to his cot to eat
his new shiny apple.
Ajax
gave Revan a big hug. “Revan! This should last us an entire week! Maybe even
more!”
Revan
returned the hug, “What can I say, Ajax? Our family not starving to death is
very important to me.”
Ajax
smirked a little and let go, “I take it you didn’t pay for these?”
Revan
shook his head. “Nope. I am such a naughty fox.”
“Oh
you most certainly are. And you call us the miscreants.” Ajax chuckled, “Well,
as I said before this should last us the entire week I’d say. As long as we…”
“Don’t
eat all of it in two days. I know Ajax. You say that every week.”
Ajax smiled and winked
at him. “Glad to know someone listens to me.”
Revan grinned. “So what
did you two do today?”
Ajax
smiled, “We went out scavenging.” He turned to Lucas, who was just finishing
his apple. “Lucas. Show Revan what you found.”
Lucas
beamed and ran into one of the other rooms, and came back with a rickety old
wagon full of some interesting things. Revan smiled as he watched Lucas take
out the things that interested him and put them on the table.
Revan
looked at the stuff Ajax and Lucas found as they put it on the table. There
were some things that could be sold, like parts from cars that no one used
anymore, an old wedding band, and a splintered baseball bat. Lucas was particularly
happy about his find— a
dusty rubix cube with half of the stickers peeling off and two books with faded
covers.
Revan
had never found the time to read anymore since he lost his wife, but seeing
Lucas proudly display his books – It bought a smile to his face, and he
promised the boy that he would help teach him how to read.
They
had a small dinner and then gathered by the window to watch the sunset, just
like they had done every day for the past two years. Revan smiled as he tucked
Lucas in on the cot and settled down to sleep in the window while Ajax went to
go get some sticks, and started a fire.
Revan
smiled at his friend, while the smoke from the fire billowed through the hole
in the roof. “Today was a good day.”
Ajax
smirked when he looked up from the fire. “What? You didn’t almost get arrested
today?”
“I
didn’t say that.” Revan chuckled and slid from the window sill, going to sit by
the fire with Ajax.
“I
would say that I’m surprised, but nothing you do surprises me anymore.”
“Drat!
There goes my spontaneity.”
Ajax
nudged him. “No need to be sarcastic.”
Revan
stuck his tongue out, “Yeah right, I know you love me. And my sarcasm.”
Ajax
smiled, “Yeah. But only because you’re a troublemaker. Someone’s got to be
around to keep you in line.”
Revan
chuckled and patted Ajax on the back. “I just like to make it difficult for you,
buddy.” He winked. “It’s much more fun that way.”
Ajax
sighed, “Just promise me you won’t actually get arrested for real again. We
need you here. We haven’t had much money lately for food, so you’re basically
the one who’s providing here…”
Revan
smiled, “Don’t worry Jax. I won’t.”
Ajax
smiled and playfully shoved Revan, careful to push him in the opposite
direction of the fire. “I need to go to sleep. I’m gonna go sell those things
we found. Maybe I can get us even more food.”
Revan
chuckled, “And then we can eat more?”
Ajax
laughed, “As if!”
Revan
smiled and climbed up in his window-sill and got comfortable. “Night Ajax.”
“Goodnight
Revan.” The rat chuckled and sat against one of the wall and closed his eyes.
Revan
stared out his window at the stars and thought, didn’t sleep, just thought. He
thought about the same thing he thought about every night. His family. Ajax and
Lucas had been his family for two years. He thought about what life would be
like if everything was different. If they had their own house instead of a
broken down building to sleep in. What it would be like if his wife was still
alive. What it would be like to sleep in a bed.
It
was fun to think about that. But he knew it wouldn’t happen. He just liked
thinking about it. He didn’t want it at all, even if it was possible. He had
everything he needed.
He smiled as he looked
back at Ajax and Lucas, both sleeping peacefully now. He figured he should
probably do the same, so he closed his eyes and fell asleep.
