Ch 2. [Michael's focus] the red hooded girl

When I'm walking back to the bar to bring back everything, I see a fox like creature run pass me. It takes a look at me; I look back into its eyes. When I do it speeds away and nobody else seems to notice it. wait, was I not supposed to be able to see it?

back down here at the exit of the Innercity, ground level. the air is stale again, it's dark and uncomfortably warm. the streetlights being the main light source makes it hard to believe this place is actually outside. thinking that, someone calls out to me. a girls voice.

"Hey, you with the bag" I turn back to look at her. she was a girl wearing a red hood with a school uniform, her hair and eyes were black. She's a messenger from the school. but why stop me? i'd never receive any letters from the outside.

"What do you need?" She seems to think for a moment, looking at me without talking for a good few seconds

"...You. you haven't seen my pet, have you? he ran away while I was looking around here" A pet?... I did see a fox I guess, but this is leaving a bad taste in my mouth, this exchange... I need to leave her.

"No, I haven't seen any animals around here. sorry" I try walking away quickly at that. but she calls out again,

"Really now, it's a fox I'm looking for" I look back at her, does she know? how would she know? She speaks again "it's likely the one you're thinking about. if you know what's good for you, you'll follow me" Shit...

I hold the amulet in my hand, ready to run if I need to but I follow her. she climbs the pipes, I do the same. she seems surprised that I can follow her easily with the bag on my back, I thank the amulet in my hand.

When we're alone around the mid levels she looks at me, the fox comes out of a corner. the same one I saw. she speaks

"So, you can see him" she says, unable to hide it I decide it best to tell the truth

"I can. but how did you find me out of everyone down there?"

"You looked at him. normal people aren't supposed to see these ones, so that must mean you're an achiever too" achievers. people who can use magic, based on their deeds good or bad, they can get stronger hence the name of them. But as far as I know, I'm not an achiever. Just a guy who used an amulet.

"Achiever huh. As far as I know, I'm not one" I tell her the truth, "I just happened upon a handy little thing. but you're not seeing it"

She raises an eyebrow at my statement, then asks

"You do know just holding that 'handy little thing' makes you an achiever, right?" so, I've already said too much, didn't I. "no, I didn't know that" I reply

"Now, I don't know what type it is. And I don't have the means to take it by force right now. I'm not stupid enough to try and take you on right here either. But keep in mind you're on my list" good luck trying to find me I think to myself right before the fox jumps on me

"Hey, what the hell?!" the fox disappears, then right back near her. this time though without a tail

she smiles at me "you look cute" she says, I look behind me and I have a tail!? "You won't be able to hide from me now and don't worry no one will see how cute you are now. I have to leave now. don't get into trouble" That last part sounded like a threat.

Once she leaves, I'm left alone now having a fox tail no other can see, or so she says. well, today was eventful I'll finish my errand. I go back down to the ground levels to see that bar again. approaching I don't see that man I took the amulet from.

I walk into the bar then give the bag to the barkeep. he looks through making sure I got everything

"Did that idiot bring all the food?" I'm a little surprised he doesn't acknowledge the tail immediately

"Everything's here. Here's the last bag" he hands me a bag of canned foods

"I'll take this up then. see you whenever"

He nods, I leave. at the ground level of the exit. having done all I need to; I go back to the Innercity. taking the familiar twists and turns. ladders and pipes. soon I see that idiot coming back

"Oh, you're here. And you have the last bag" guess he was going back to get this.

"Did everyone eat?" I really hope he didn't feed just the girls

"Everyone except me. so, what was the errand this time, dog?"

"Don't call me that, just call me Michael" ugh, that name. I hate it.

"Sure Michael" he says mockingly "You just picked that 'cause it's the first real name you've heard"

We talk on our way back to the family. idiot, that's what I call him. no real name just like me, our family's like that, we decided to trust each other when we had no one. among my family there're four boys and three girls. the boys are me, Idiot, Rat, and Tear. the girls there's Mother, Girl, and Sol.

Mother's the oldest among them, but smaller than me. we're not sure who's the oldest of our family but it's between the two of us, I'm the leader, she's the caretaker.

Idiot and I get to our place just under an hour of walking, climbing and jumping. Our place is scaffolding floors with brick and glass walls with very little natural light, we must be 150 or 175 meters above ground level. the buildings around here vary a bunch being old bricks or stone, sometimes wood.

I jump down from a pipe onto the scaffolding where my family lives. Seeing Mother and the kids when I look up

"Hey, got food" I hold up the bag of canned foods passing it onto Mother.

"Thanks, Io brought a bunch earlier as well. thanks for taking on an errand" She takes the bag then stores it away. she doesn't like insulting others, so she calls Idiot Io instead.

that's when Idiot jumps down too soon followed by a loud "OWW!!" I look over to him to see what he did this time, and he tried to do a superhero landing. landing right on his knee

"Really..." I look down at him writhing

"Damn! l almost got it too!" I really doubt that

Anyway, onto other matters. I turn to Mother who's treating Idiot "so Mother, i have something i need to show you in private. when you're done with..." I point at her treating Idiots leg "That, I'll see you up top" She nods

I head to the upper floors of our place then go inside a building through a window. the building room is big. but there're few people here, ignoring them I go to the staircase. the building is dark, smells of sweat, and starting to break down. when I head to the roof tops, I'm finally free again. seeing the sun setting, orange skies and a calming wind blowing over me... it's nice

I wait here for Mother, to tell her about the amulet and what to do with it.