Just another night in the City

A short city block, completely dark except for the convenience store's florescent lights spilling out through the plate glass windows in a square on the street.

The store was the only place in the City with lights. The only place that seemed normal. The only place that didn't seem like a maze of streets, fire escapes and abandoned buildings; Sin City as drawn by M. C. Escher. It was also the only place in the City were you could get food.

The most dangerous place in the city.

The gangs would speak of it in hushed voices- “Man, we're outta food. Someone's gotta go to the store.”

In Navaja's gang, they drew straws. No one wanted the weight of choosing who had to go. This night, Navaja drew a short straw, along with five other people.

Now they all stood on the corner, each imagining this was the city they came from and that they were just around the corner from their own apartment. At least until Skit heard a noise somewhere around the corner.

“We gotta do this quick.”

Navaja nodded, fixed her eyes on the store, and whispered “Let's go. Skit, you're lookout.”

They all hurried towards the store. The door was always locked, so they didn't bother trying. Devon threw a huge brick through the window.

There was never anyone inside, so they spread out, grabbing everything they could. Navaja went for the bread, smashing them together to hold more in her arms. Smashed bread was better then nothing.

Then the word from Skit, “Outoutoutout!”

They all bolted, jumping over the small window ledge and running as fast as they could. They didn't need to see what was behind them, they all felt the chill up their spines. He was there. The Officer.

Navaja heard the gunshot behind her. She felt the hit. There was no real bullet, The Officer didn't know how those things worked, but he knew pain. It ripped through her body and sent her sprawling on the pavement. She tried to get up, to run, but He was standing next to her before she'd hoisted herself up.

"Resisting arrest." He said in a cold, serious voice. She felt his boot hit her gut, and lost her breath. Another kick, hard, to the thigh.

She gritted her teeth against the pain, and laid still, hoping against everything she knew that he'd stop. He stepped on her wrist and she heard the bones crack, and another jab of pain.

"Who were your accomplices?"

She said nothing. She didn't rat people out. It wasn't going to make it hurt less, not in the end, and it was going to make it hurt a hell of a lot worse for other people.

"Smart one, eh? Maybe this'll teach you to talk." He took a step back, and she saw his shiny black boot headed straight for her head. She tried to roll, but her body was sluggish from the bullet and the beating. The world swam around her. She couldn't think for the pain. He said things she didn't hear, until she caught the one phrase everyone in the City dreaded. "Maybe a few nights in my Jail will loosen your lips."

She tried to beg, but all she could do was gasp and vomit blood. A few nights, in a City where the night never ended, was as long as The Officer felt like it. The Jail was where he kept the real twisted, murderous monsters. But they weren't the ones in the cells. . .