24| Found

Ruby.

A lost child wailed for his mother, a man frantically searched for his missing wallet, shopkeepers screamed out offers on the top of their voices to attract customers and customers desperately tried to bargain for the best possible prices. This was the kuto market, a place which seemed like it was always drowning in the sea of people, at least, ever since I came around. Not a single empty place could be spotted between the stalls. Some held a hand against their forehead to shield themselves from the sun, others made fans out of newspapers or magazines. The sun mercilessly shone down upon the market. Beads of sweat glistened on everyone's forehead and many faces turned red due to the sweltering heat. The salty odour of sweat mingled with the nose tingling aroma of spices and the sweet smell of foods and snacks coming from the vendors. All of these smells mixed together and gave the market a rather unique scent, which hung in the air from early morning to late evening.

I slipped into the crowd. I wouldn't trade this anonymity for anything. They can keep the podiums and cameras, the fame and money, which are only safe so long as you tow the right line. I'd take the shadows and a hundred faces that look just like mine over all of that anytime.

I tried to walk amidst the crowd, carefully avoiding bumping into people. People walk in this place like the way a gas fills a jar, no matter how few of them there are, all the space will be taken. Each person in the crowd moves as if unseeing hands drag them this way and that, pulling their eyes to one thing and then another. They respond in predictable ways, each of them with a goal to achieve for the day. It's like they were programmed to get as far from one another as possible, make no eye contact and move fast. This city was so much safe than my so called home in every way, although they behave like everyone they meet is a potential danger.

I had been passing through this same path everyday for the past five days, as it was the only path that led to the hotel I stayed in for days now. I had purposefully chosen the cheapest and most rural area in another state I could think of in a short time. The hotel was very cheap that if I stayed in it for two months, I still wouldn't run out of the one hundred and fifty five thousand I had brought along with me when I eloped. I dare not try that where I ran away from.

The Sewere hotel was an old building that had somehow managed to elbow its way between a converted warehouse and a block of apartments. The hotel had just six bedrooms, stacked on top of one another like a house of cards.
It was one of those seedy places men with beer guts went to bang other men's wives with promises they couldn't afford to keep. Or where the hookers brought their customers to and have rooms paid for by the hour. Weeds grew through the cracks in the concrete path and the litter from cheap take-out meals were strewn across it. There were always at least two or three screaming matches going on in separate rooms, and the cars were always packed outside the building as there were absolutely no parking lot.

The receptionist smelled of stale perfume every time and the tables had ashtrays instead of flowers. Even the hotel lobby had the same odour as an old woman's home. The floor carpet was a decade too old and with an old fashioned pattern of large flowers interrupted by worn and thread-bare patches. The large windows should allow a lot of light through, yet the heavy drapes and city dirt on the panes leaves it dull to the point of depression.

It was definitely not the regular five star hotel I was used to.
It was dingy, dark and cheap. Perfect. Perfect for a runaway who doesn't want to be found. Absolutely perfect. No doubt about that.

I could bet that it didn't even cross their minds to check these kind of places for me, they were probably looking for me in the rich people areas and that's the goal.

I was a few feet away from the hotel when I heard a yowl from the dark corner just beside the building before the hotel. Sounded like a cat. I love cats, always have, always will. The stereotype connecting them to witchcraft and all in my country didn't change my perspective towards them.

As if on cue, a little fluffy animal popped into the light. It was a kitten.
It looked softer than any department store toy I had ever seen. It was so cute and definitely female, I'd bet. She yowled like a baby calling for her mother. She couldn't be more than a couple of weeks old, too young to be alone like this. I walked towards her and she was frightened, trotting down a long concrete pipe that looked like it had been lying there forever. I looked closer and saw a black cat lying right beside the pipe, looking like it had been dead for a few days. Definitely her mother, my heart ached for her, I felt like I was staring at an animal version of me as she sat in the dark yowling, so I did the only thing that sprung to mind. I stood stiller than a statue at the pipe entrance, likely if I don't move she won't be able to see me, then I used one of my few God given talents. I can meow quite convincingly, though I wasn't sure it would work. Fooling a person is one thing, but fooling a cat? I returned her "meows" and she replied every time. I could hear that her sound was getting closer and closer.

Eventually, her fluffy black and ginger face appeared at the end of the tunnel. I didn't move. Too soon and she'd run before I can get low enough to grab and this trick was only going to work once. After a little more of our "conversation," she was a foot from the tunnel mouth, right next to my shoes. As fast as I could, I reached down and grabbed her, holding her softly and then meowed and purred to her. Now the challenge will be feeding and raising such a young kitten, but she's healthy enough, just hungry.

"Hy, Mrs Ruby Daniels." A deep masculine and stormy voice spoke behind me.

I jumped up in fright as I turned around trying to get a look at whoever called my name. Nobody seemed to recognize me in this place.
"Who... who are you?" I stuttered while holding the kitten carefully.

"A good person here to take you away from all evil and dirtiness to a place a princess like you should be." He croaked out, smiling.

A short man stepped from the shadows, a man too proper and prim to be from this neighbourhood. His nose was the star of his face, and not in a good way. It stuck out like a pinch of clay fashioned into a beak. It was arched, but not in a regal way. He looked like a carnival mask painted in fleshy tones, it was odd to see something that shape covered in real skin and stubble. The look was made more pronounced by the thick black eyeliner he wore. There was a seriousness about him that unnerved me.

His dark sunshades and shiny black suit was a hint to who he might be working for. As if it was rehearsed, more men suddenly showed up around him.

I couldn't help but pray that they were at least Toby's men. Better Toby's men than some assassins sent by a rival political party or just a random enemy who'd like to use my parts for rituals.
I surveyed the area I was in. I was almost trapped between them and the entrance but I had already spotted an opening wide enough to lead me away from them and then I ran.

Being chased was nothing like the movies. The stars look heroic, sexy and in command of the situation. Reality was far removed from that pretty version of running to save you skin.
I wiped the sweat from my forehead, exhausted. My long legs broke from beneath me and collapsed. It had not been long before I could smell him, them - the stench of their expensive cologne. My heart started racing and I knew I had to keep going.

The floor constantly attacked underneath my feet, refuse crunched under my feet and big, brown bins and pipes seemed to appear out of nowhere as if to try and stop me. But I could still hear them. I had to stop before my lungs gave out on me. My rough hair was matted with some dirty liquid, my arms and legs all bruised and cut and my clothes looked like rags, dirty and tattered. I knew I definitely looked like a leaking pipe but I had to keep running.

I kept running but I soon knew my time was up. Out of the corner of my eye I saw something sharp and long coming towards me. I tried to jump out of the way but it was too late. I screamed giving away my position but the pain was unbearable. I collapsed to the ground.