Chapter 1: Desperate Hopes
Page 2
The crushed honeycomb in the plastic bag over the water began to slowly melt as she held it in place. They had already extracted all of the honey from it. The bees that made it lived in the outlands not to far from the city. Grandmother had always walked there every few months during spring, summer, and fall and come back with an armload of honeycombs. Extracting the honey was hard work, but everyone appreciated the sweet honeyed scent it gave the apartment.
4 honey jars and 4 honey candles always went to the apartment manager to pay rent. The rest were kept in cabinets or sometimes sold to neighbors. She wasn't entirely sure where the rest of the honey went, other than grandmother always took a jar or two with her when she went out during the day, and always came back with the Unicef Foods.
She knew what the street name for honey was though Liquid Gold, she'd found that out soon enough. Liquid Gold was worth a lot, but not as much as water, you couldn't buy pure water with Liquid Gold. The first man she'd talked to had told her so, it had to be paid with something more fine and pure.
The melting wax gave off a slightly sweet scent as it slowly melted itself into a golden liquid. She readied the plastic candle molds and wicks and carefully stirred the golden-white wax. At first it wanted to stick to the spoon, but gradually it became warm enough to just slip right off. She carefully picked up the bag and poured the wax into the first of the eight candle molds.
She had only gotten to the fifth candle when there came a knock at the door. She ignored it at first, because beggars were always knocking at the door trying to get in. Finishing with the wax, she set the bag down and was trimming the wicks when the knock came again with a gruff voice saying 'Police! Open the door!' She hurried over to open the door, when it was abruptly kicked in, and a gun pointed at her and her brother on the floor. She looked at the man open-mouthed.
The man she'd had it with last night came in with a uniform on. He looked right at her, and pointed. That's her, the little girl that stole my wallet last night.
I didn't... she started to say when she was abruptly grabbed and pushed up against the wall by the man. Don't Lie, were the police, he snarled at her. She turned silent, realizing the hope for her grandmother had been a trick to get them into more trouble. Well girl? Where is it? He snarled at her again. She pointed to the room where her grandmother was laying in bed. His friend checked it out. He came back with the bottle of water she'd paid for. Well here it is. You like water? he chuckled at his friend.
That's she started to say and stepped forward. That's what? he snarled at her, that's my paycheck you little wench.
His buddy stopped and looked at them. He held up the water in one hand. Outside he said to his partner. The man snarled and walked outside. He held the water up to the girl and said, did you receive this water as payment for... he swallowed and looked nervously around... doing anything for my buddy last night?
She nodded and said Yes, I gave him Unicorn's Blood for the bottle of water for my grandmother.
He seemed to smile but it was a twisted smile, and for a moment she thought he was going to hurt her too. Then he handed her the water and patted her on the shoulder. I hope your grandmother gets better. He stood up and walked out, shutting the door behind him.
Standing near the door she heard some harsh remarks and words in the hall as they left. She looked in on grandmother, still the same as before, not moving, just laying there. She too hoped Grandmother would get better.
The crushed honeycomb in the plastic bag over the water began to slowly melt as she held it in place. They had already extracted all of the honey from it. The bees that made it lived in the outlands not to far from the city. Grandmother had always walked there every few months during spring, summer, and fall and come back with an armload of honeycombs. Extracting the honey was hard work, but everyone appreciated the sweet honeyed scent it gave the apartment.
4 honey jars and 4 honey candles always went to the apartment manager to pay rent. The rest were kept in cabinets or sometimes sold to neighbors. She wasn't entirely sure where the rest of the honey went, other than grandmother always took a jar or two with her when she went out during the day, and always came back with the Unicef Foods.
She knew what the street name for honey was though Liquid Gold, she'd found that out soon enough. Liquid Gold was worth a lot, but not as much as water, you couldn't buy pure water with Liquid Gold. The first man she'd talked to had told her so, it had to be paid with something more fine and pure.
The melting wax gave off a slightly sweet scent as it slowly melted itself into a golden liquid. She readied the plastic candle molds and wicks and carefully stirred the golden-white wax. At first it wanted to stick to the spoon, but gradually it became warm enough to just slip right off. She carefully picked up the bag and poured the wax into the first of the eight candle molds.
She had only gotten to the fifth candle when there came a knock at the door. She ignored it at first, because beggars were always knocking at the door trying to get in. Finishing with the wax, she set the bag down and was trimming the wicks when the knock came again with a gruff voice saying 'Police! Open the door!' She hurried over to open the door, when it was abruptly kicked in, and a gun pointed at her and her brother on the floor. She looked at the man open-mouthed.
The man she'd had it with last night came in with a uniform on. He looked right at her, and pointed. That's her, the little girl that stole my wallet last night.
I didn't... she started to say when she was abruptly grabbed and pushed up against the wall by the man. Don't Lie, were the police, he snarled at her. She turned silent, realizing the hope for her grandmother had been a trick to get them into more trouble. Well girl? Where is it? He snarled at her again. She pointed to the room where her grandmother was laying in bed. His friend checked it out. He came back with the bottle of water she'd paid for. Well here it is. You like water? he chuckled at his friend.
That's she started to say and stepped forward. That's what? he snarled at her, that's my paycheck you little wench.
His buddy stopped and looked at them. He held up the water in one hand. Outside he said to his partner. The man snarled and walked outside. He held the water up to the girl and said, did you receive this water as payment for... he swallowed and looked nervously around... doing anything for my buddy last night?
She nodded and said Yes, I gave him Unicorn's Blood for the bottle of water for my grandmother.
He seemed to smile but it was a twisted smile, and for a moment she thought he was going to hurt her too. Then he handed her the water and patted her on the shoulder. I hope your grandmother gets better. He stood up and walked out, shutting the door behind him.
Standing near the door she heard some harsh remarks and words in the hall as they left. She looked in on grandmother, still the same as before, not moving, just laying there. She too hoped Grandmother would get better.
posted by Skaldi at 5:02 AM
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