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It was dark outside. Well, lights were on, pushing most of the darkness out, but it was night. Maybe around the same time as I had been taken yesterday. That thought made my eyes water, allowing desperation back in. How many nights would I have to endure here? Or would this be all I would see for the rest of my life, however long that might be?
For the hundredth time, I tore at the neck collar, felt for any clasps that weren’t there, and tried to pry it off, but only accomplished chafing the tender flesh on my throat and gave up.
As long as I wore this thing, there was no way for me to escape. Even if I got my hands on Gitgo’s remote. A small shadow darting through the darker parts of the street caught my attention. Serthia?
For some reason, thinking of the little girl gave me hope. If a kid managed to survive out here, I should be able to too, right?
I grabbed the old, worn blanket I had used to trap the trash from the living room in and knotted it up, hoping Serthia would be by the incinerator again. I made my way through the kitchen and stopped by the fridge.
I had no doubt I would get in trouble for having eaten half of the salami. I didn’t think I would get into any more trouble if the whole thing was gone and it might buy me an ally.
Before I lost my courage or thought better of it, I opened the fridge and grabbed what was left of it before I unlocked the backdoor to step back out into the alley.
Moving toward the incinerator, I watched the shadows and tried my best to ignore my thumping heart. If the little girl could hide out here, so could other things or people. People whose intentions might be more sinister.
Perhaps I should have waited until daytime, but I was sure it had been Serthia creeping through the streets. Chances were she would be back here and I didn’t want to miss this opportunity.
“Hel-lo!” I called out tentatively.
Was it my imagination, or had I heard a small scraping sound?
“Hello?” I called again, a bit louder, ready to bolt back for Gitgo’s door if I had to.
“You are so stupid human,” the girl whispered from the shadows.
“Hey.” I forced myself to smile and calm my racing heart which had picked up a notch at her words.
“What do you want?” she hissed.
“Do you know how to get this off?” I asked, grabbing at my collar.
She stepped out of the shadows, a look of derision on her small, dirty face. “What if I did?”
Wordlessly, I held up the salami.
She cackled like an old woman. “Lady, you’ll have to do a whole lot better than offering me a quarter of a seshsquad.”
“What would it take?” I asked exasperated.
“Fifty credits.” She shrugged.
She might have asked for fifty million. “I don’t think you’ll allow me to pay you later?”
She cackled again.
“I didn’t think so.” I stared at her. “Look, I can get you whatever you want, but I need to get out of here first.”
“Yeah, and I need to meet the emperor.” She guffawed, turning.
“Please don’t go.”
Rolling her eyes, she faced me again. “You’re wasting my time.”
“Please, how do I get this off?”
She held out her hand.
Reluctantly, I gave her the seshsquad.
