Wretchedly Divine (Gasping for Air)

I didn’t sense it so much as I felt his presence, like a physical touch, and I vaguely remember speaking with him, but not what I spoke about with him. I had only been asleep for an hour, but now that I was awake if I went back to sleep I risked not waking up again, or waking up too late to escape, and with my hair the way that it was I’d never be able to explain it, and they’d interrogate me for sure.
I sighed and crept out of bed, looking out the window briefly to see a patrol officer and a shadow casing the perimeter of the complex. I got the feeling that I shouldn’t leave today, that it was a bad idea, but shook it off, not wanting to know where such feelings came from when I knew that today was my best bet in the terms of safety for escape. Perhaps it wasn’t the safest, but it was as safe as I was going to get for the time being, and even if it wasn’t there was no turning back now.
I slipped out of bed and slunk onto the floor, pulling the tub out for the final time.
I stripped while kneeling on the floor and pulled on a new set of clothes, excluding my shoes. I decided to climb into bed and wait a little longer to attempt an escape. I couldn’t leave before guards cooled at eleven, but I wanted to wait longer than that, at least until midnight if I had to, but at one ideally. That would give me at least four hours before the guards picked up again, and was the slowest time for guards, so I was least likely to get caught. My only problem would be the shadows. Those damn things had the hearing of hawks. I knew because I was once three feet away from one, and nearly yawned, but stopped myself in the middle of church, and the shadows were staring at me. Shadows don’t acknowledge anyone unless they’re breaking the law, so I knew that I had been caught me muffling my yawn.
I was afraid that it would be able to hear me if I stepped on a twig while it was on the other end of the compound. Hopefully they were keeping the patterns that I had memorized months ago the same, because if they didn’t I’d be taking a wild hit in the dark as to when it would be safe to go, and that certainly wasn’t going to be safe.
I watched the window, looking for guards. Usually from ten to eleven there were three guards that passed, then eleven to twelve just one, but there were seven guards that passed by my window while I was watching.
“Shit.” I said after the eighth guard passed with a shadow beside him.
I continued counting guards. Four passed in the next hour, and as I waited for the twelve to one hour to pass there were only two. I sighed in relief when there wasn’t another shadow, and then I climbed out of bed.
I slipped my shoes on, and pulled on the bag that I was going to fill with expensive junk, then filled it. I waited beside the window for the next guard to pass. It took twenty minutes, but when he showed up and passed I slid out the window.
My feet hit the ground and I crouched on instinct. I was going to close my window, but then decided not to on a whim. If the guards came back around they’d think I was just airing out my room, as I often did, and they’d ignore it, or close it, and not think anything of it.
The quickest way out was straight ahead, through several miles of open field right to the wall, but I’d be spotted most certainly, so I decided to go towards the slums.
I circled the main complex back towards the church, and then ran for it towards the slums.
I breathed a sigh of relief when I entered the dirtiest and most forgotten parts of the box.
I was halfway through the slums when I was met by two boys my age or slightly older.
“Hey, pretty girl, what’re you doing out this late? Aren’t you afraid of the guards?” The taller of the two asked me. His teeth were crooked, his face was dirty, and his clothes were torn.
“No, are you?” I asked him, playing cool and collected, wondering whether I needed to beat the kid up, or give him the bag I had full of stuff.
“’Course not.” He glanced down at my bag. “What’s in there, doll face?”
“Clothes and crap.”
“Crap? Really? That’s a strange thing to be carrying around with you.” He snickered at his own joke, and I pretended to roll my eyes, deciding that I was just going to kick the crap out of him.
“Yeah, well, I’m a strange girl.” I shrugged at him, trying to move past him, but he caught my upper arm, wrenching me back.
“Strange, yeah. So, wanna tell me what’s really in the bag honey?”
“Not really. You’re being so rude I’d much rather-” I brought my knee up to his crotch with extreme force, simultaneously grabbing his neck and pinching my fingers around his windpipe briefly, making him spasm. As he stumbled back his friend came up behind me and tried to grab me. I elbowed him in the solar plexus and stepped hard on the top of his foot. More contraband, I know, but I wasn’t planning on going out without any sort of defense mechanisms.
He cursed under his breath and I made my escape.
“Idiots.” I murmured as I took shelter behind a building that smelt like urine. I tried not to touch anything, since living in the desert wasn’t going to allow for much bathing, and I didn’t want the smell of urine lingering on me along with the sweat and dirt that I was sure would appear sooner or later, more than likely sooner.
I was halfway to my goal, almost out, I knew exactly where there was a break in the fence that would let me out. I just had to get there, hopefully without anymore disruptions.
I could literally see where I was headed when I heard the ever familiar sound of someone else’s footsteps, seeing how mine didn’t make sounds.
“Hey, you.” I heard a distinctly feminine, but strong, voice call, hopefully not to me. I didn’t stop, but slowed my pace.
“Yeah, I’m talking to you Blondie.” She called again. “You the one who beat up those to morons back there, right?”
“Yeah, that was me.” I said, not turning, just listening to her footsteps coming closer.
“’S it to ya?” I asked, knowing that speaking colloquially would prove advantageous.
“They were my brothers. Idiots.” She scoffed. “There aren’t many girls that can do that to a man, especially not half blind. Where you from Blondie?”
“I’m not from anywhere.” I told her, glancing over my shoulder. Her arms were covered in tattoos, mostly of things related to contraband. “And the name is Ashtin.”
“Ashtin? Really? You look more like an Ashley to me.” She smirked and I felt strong arms grab me.
“You bitch.” I growled at her.
“Never let your guard down, hon. It’s your own fault.” She shrugged. “Where’s my money, boys?”
“Relax, you’ll get your dough. Just keep an eye out for anyone followin’ her. We’ll be back at dawn to pay you.”
“Whatever, you boys jack me and I’ll find you and fuck you up.” She warned them as they hauled me away.
“Bitches are supposed to stick together motherfucker!” I screamed at her.
“I don’t think she’s from the Main.” The taller of the two spoke. He had black hair and a ring in his nose along with a bar in his left ear.
“I ain’t from the fuckin’ main! Who do I look like, some Rich Bitch? I’m jus’ tryin’ to make a fuckin’ livin’ out ‘ere, so get your fucking paws off my, dirty street scum. Cum lickin’ faggot asses. Get your fucking paws off me!”
“There is no way this girl is from the Main.”
“Who the hell from the Main would be all the way out here? Are you stooped o’ somethin’? Ain’t nobody from the main gon’ be out here! I don’ know what your fuckin’ problems are, but get the fuck off me!”
They looked at each other and let me go. “There’s no way she’s from the Main.” They walked off and I continued to spout curses at them.
“Mother fucking ca-pet munchers.” I called after them, spitting on the ground.
They glanced back at me with disdain and I sprinted away from them.
This was too freaking easy.

Notes

I randomly threw in that last bit with the name calling and the capture, but I'm sure glad I did, it was so much fun to write XD

- ♥ Ashtin