Not Spooksville. BUT STILL GOOD READ I think... O.O

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.