[Nanowrimo] Black Dust

[Stuffman]

[17:16:08] <Stuffman> Hmm I'm not sure if my story should really go in PSL, it's not even vaguely reminiscient of touhou this time
[17:18:55] <Amra> neither's mine
[17:18:56] <Amra> at all
[17:19:10] <Amra> in fact this is so self indulgent I should probably keep it to myself :V
[17:19:55] <~Iced> Snrk.
[17:20:12] <~Iced> Well it can go in with the NaNo title.  It's not like anyone reads stuff in PSL.
[17:20:24] <Stuffman> hahahahaha it's funny because it's true
[17:20:36] <Amra> it's also kind of sad
[17:21:13] <~Iced> I've gotten used to it.  And by that I mean I'm bitter.

This story was originally envisioned as the story mode to a western/industrial fighting game. As such, the genre is dieselpunk martial arts. Please enjoy.

BLACK DUST
Route A



[ mood music ]

   It was Wednesday evening in Port Boroughs when the train arrived. The atmosphere was muggy and dismal, seeming like it could start raining any time, but judging by the soot-choked skies, it probably looked better that way than it would if the sickening red glow of the sunset was shining through the canopy of black clouds.

   Dusty disembarked and stepped onto the platform, and walked to the railing to take in his surroundings. ?Shit,? he muttered, lighting up a cigarette. This was not at all what he was expecting.

   Kit, a waifish young girl wearing a ragged poncho, followed him closely.

   Dusty looked down over the city vista. Port Boroughs was built on a fairly steep incline, with dense rows of buildings, many with billowing smokestacks, stacked up one after another. The sea, black and placid, met the town rather abruptly, with a shore consisting almost entirely of huge, jagged rocks. Countless warehouses and spartan-looking cargo ships dotted the ocean's edge.

   ?I guess this what I get for talking it up so much. Sorry, kid. The ocean usually looks nicer than this.? Dusty shook his head.

   This was the first time Kit had seen the ocean, so in her mind it was impressive nonetheless, but she didn't say anything.

   ?Not that I would really wanna swim in that, but sitting on the beach again would've been nice,? he lamented.

   ?Hey buddy, move along!?
   
   Dusty turned around to see a heavyset man carrying a load of luggage, and realized he was blocking the way. ?Shit, sorry,? he said as he tugged at Kit's poncho, leading her towards the stairs. Dusty picked her up and set her on his shoulders as he went down, which she didn't particularly like.

   ?This is it, kid. This is where we start over.?

   She didn't believe there was any chance that things were going to go so smoothly, but she stayed silent as always.

   ---

   Dusty and Kit walked down Main Street, which weaved up and down through the middle of town all the way to the docks. Despite the elaborate network of twists and turns meant to make the climb less steep, the cargo trucks chugging uphill seemed to be having a hard time of it. The sidewalks were busy with harried low-class workers looking only somewhat cleaner than Dusty and Kit.

   Dusty opened his wallet and counted up its contents. ?Okay. We have...twelve dollars until my next paycheck.? He ran his hands through his greasy, tangled hair and sighed. ?Alright. It's cool. I just gotta get a job tomorrow and we'll be fine.?

   The girl remained focused on the sidewalk ahead.

   ?If I don't get one then we'll worry about it then.?

   Kit looked at a bakery across the street, pulling up her muffler to block out the scent of fresh bread. She was hungry, but wouldn't dare say so. Being unusually experienced in managing finances for someone her age, she knew they would have to stretch every dollar. She wasn't too worried, though; if it came down to it, she could always go back to stealing.

   Coming to a major intersection, Dusty looked around, and found a wall covered in fliers. ?'Kay. First order of business is finding somewhere to live.?

   ?You don't have enough for rent,? the girl muttered.

   ?S'alright, we'll just have to negotiate,? Dusty answered. He looked through the advertisements, but didn't see any apartments available that didn't demand rent and a deposit up front. There were a serviceable number of job positions open, though, which helped him feel more confident about his situation. ?We're probably better off renting a room or something for now. Let's go walk around. Any area in particular you'd prefer??

   ?Somewhere quiet,? she mumbled.

   ?Yeah, I gotcha.? Dusty opened up his pack of cigarettes, and counting nine left, declined to light another. This was going to be a hard week. ?Let's check out the area by the cliffs over there,? he said, gesturing north with his chin. ?Looks like a lot of houses over there.?

   Dusty looked down the street and figured it would probably be faster to cut through the alleys, so he sidled by a storefront and past a dumpster and wandered in that direction. Kit followed him in lockstep.

   ---

   About ten minutes later, Dusty was totally lost. A maze of concrete walls and chain link fences had prevented him from walking in anything that resembled a straight line, and now he was surrounded on all sides by tall, dilapidated office buildings, preventing him from seeing the city skyline.

   ?Damn.? He reached for another cigarette, but decided to put it back. ?Should've stuck to the road.?

   Kit suddenly leaped up a brick wall and started scurrying up a fire escape.

   ?Hey, where're you going!??

   ?I'm going to take a look around,? she called back, annoyed.

   ?That fuckin' kid,? Dusty muttered to himself, shaking his head.

   When Dusty looked back down, he noticed he was surrounded.

   A group of men in plain-looking black jackets and worn jeans ? some young, some not ? had each blocked off one the ways leaded out of the alley. A thin-looking man with one hand in his pocket and a knife in the other approached Dusty with a playful saunter. ?How's it going, pal? You new in town??

   Dusty stayed calm as his eyes darted around for a way out. He briefly considered going for the fire escape, but the mugger had made it a point to juxtaposition himself between him and it. ?Yeah,? Dusty nodded coolly. ?Just got here.?

   ?Cool, cool,? said the man, clearly amused with the exchange. ?So, uh, in case you haven't noticed. This is a robbery. Why don't you hand over your wallet??

   Dusty decided to attempt diplomacy. ?I don't got any money.?

   ?Well, how about you hand me your wallet and I'll check that for myself??

   ?Okay, that was a lie. I got twelve bucks. But I need that to eat.?

   ?I gotta eat too, pal. Nothing personal.?

   ?Come the fuck on,? Dusty rolled his eyes, starting to get agitated. There was no way he or Kit would survive the next few days without a penny to his name. Handing the money over wasn't an option.

   The man got a little closer. ?Look. I'm a reasonable man. But I still stab people for a living, so if you're lookin' for somebody to cut you some slack, you've come to the wrong place. So how about you hand over your wallet, and you won't have to pay a hospital bill on top of being twelve bucks in the hole??

   Dusty let out a sharp sigh in frustration. There was only one way he was getting out of this. Reaching into his pocket, he walked towards the man.

   The mugger smiled and bobbed his head in a nod, taking his other hand out of his pocket to receive the wallet. Dusty noticed that he had a steel prosthetic arm. ?Good man, good man. Nice and easy, nobody gets hurt.?

   ?Except you.?

   Dusty suddenly spun around and slammed the toe of his shoe into the side of the man's head, knocking him clear off his feet. He dropped his knife as he hit the ground.

   The other muggers jumped into action and ran to join the fight, carrying clubs, broken bottles, and other improvised weaponry.

   Dusty shuffled backwards, trying to position himself where he could fight them off one by one. Dusty had been in no small number of fights in his lifetime, but he had a sinking feeling this was going to end badly.

   Ducking under the first attacker's pipe swung at his head, Dusty charged the thug with his shoulder and knocked him into a second man wielding a piece of rebar, then jumped up and knocked them both over with a straight kick to the sternum. A third man thrusted at Dusty with a broken bottle, but Dusty caught his arm and threw him over his shoulder into a pile of trashcans.

   Three more were coming at Dusty. If he could knock them over quickly, he'd be able to run out the alley and get away, but he was forced to back up even further, jumping onto a loading dock. He reached down and grabbed a wooden pallet, bringing it up just in time to stop the machete of the fourth man as he clambered up after him. Dusty blocked a few more swings, then tossed the flat end of the pallet into the man and dropkicked it, sending him flying off the concrete platform. Unfortunately, the fifth man landed a glancing hit on his shin with a baseball bat as Dusty scrambled to his feet. Dusty grunted in pain and struggled to stand up as man with the bat came up after him, and another man with a broken bottle joined him.

   Dusty grabbed at the baseball bat as the man swung it again, and wrestled with him in desperation as he tried to keep its owner between himself and the other man. Eventually, Dusty was knocked back off his feet, just in time to luckily save him from being stabbed by the bottle. Dusty rolled off the dock.

   Dusty staggered, landing on his feet, and wanted to run, but the other men were getting up, and he didn't know what to do.

   At that moment, Dusty heard a crash, and whirled around. A small wooden box had just fallen from above and broken on the last man's head, knocking him out cold. The source came down a moment later, as Kit leaped from the wall and dropped onto the man with the bat, flooring him, and then proceeded to stomp him in the face.

   Dusty whirled around to face three of the men who had gotten up. He stepped in to avoid a strike from the man with the pipe, landing a solid uppercut on his chin. He took down the second man with a roundhouse, and immediately regretted it as he stumbled backwards on his injured leg, but Kit flipped forward off the dock to interrupt the third man's attack.

   Now without a height advantage, Kit was eyed suspiciously by the mugger, until he moved forward to smack her out of the way. In a flash, Kit flipped open a jackknife that would've been oversized even for an adult, and darted under his swing to stab him in the leg. The man screeched in pain and toppled over as Kit unflinchingly turned her attention back to the man with the machete that was now approaching. The girl and the man stared threateningly at each other for a moment, blades at the ready ? but the man decided not to take any chances with the surprisingly dangerous child, and ran from the scene.

   At this point, the mugger that had originally spoken with Dusty was now back on his feet, as was Dusty himself. The man rubbed the side of his head, gesturing pointedly with his knife. ?Fuckin' out-of-towners. You have...? he stopped to rub his jaw in pain, ?You have really shitty manners, y'know??

   ?Fuck off already,? Dusty winced.

   ?Interesting kid you got there. Reminds me of me.?

   Kit returned an icy glare, holding her knife tightly. Dusty put his hand on her shoulder, stepping forward. ?I got this,? he said quietly.

   ?What's your name?? the man asked, shuffling a bit.

   ?Dusty.? He shook out his leg, hoping he had walked off the pain.

   ?Name's Joey,? the man said. ?Let's go.?

   Joey lunged forward with his knife, and when Dusty stepped aside, Joey swept his leg to knock Dusty off his feet. Dusty landed in a backwards roll, and flipped back onto his feet as Joey came at him again with a wide slash. Dusty fell backwards again, but planted his hands on the ground to kick Joey in the stomach. He climbed back up again as Joey staggered, and tried to capitalize with a flying heel to his face. Unfortunately the gambit did not pay off as Joey recovered quickly and grabbed the back of Dusty's longcoat after dodging out of the way. He pulled Dusty close, gripping him by the shoulders with his powerful machine arm, and pointed his knife at his neck.

   ?You done yet??

   ?Shit,? Dusty grumbled, looking down at the blade, and thought for a moment. ?Yeah, I'm done.? He reluctantly reached for his wallet.

   Just then, Joey jumped up and yelped in pain as Kit stabbed him in the foot. Dusty broke free, caught his knife arm, and threw him into the ground on his back. Kit dived in, but Dusty caught her arm at the last moment, barely preventing her from sinking her knife into Joey's eye socket.

   ?That's enough,? Dusty said, making eye contact with her. He glanced back at a bewildered Joey, and the rest of his toppled crew. ?Let's get out of here.?

   Dusty and Kit ran out of the alley, though not as quickly as possible thanks to Dusty's aching leg.

   Joey laid his head back down on the pavement. ?What the fuck was that??

[Stuffman]

   Once Dusty and Kit had made it back to the road, Dusty found a bench and flopped himself down. Dusty pulled up his pant leg to inspect his shin, and found a sizeable bruise.

   ?Well, that sucks.?

   Kit looked down at it and back at Dusty. She didn't bother asking if he was okay, because she knew he wasn't.

   ?It's fine,? he said, returning her glance. ?I can walk it off. Didn't break anything.?

   Dusty decided that now was a fine time for another cigarette, and lit one up. Eight left. ?I guess this town isn't any better than the last one. Sorry.? He took a long drag. ?We're stuck here for now, though. Better make the most of it.?

   Kit waited silently for Dusty to make his next decision, folding her arms into her poncho, and observing her surroundings suspiciously out of the corner of her eye. Dusty wanted to chastise her for getting involved with the fight, but he knew that he wouldn't have made it out without her help. In the end, Dusty wasn't really taking care of her; it was more like he was trying to keep her out of trouble. Unfortunately, he didn't seem to be doing too well on that front either.

   Dusty grunted and got back up. ?C'mon, let's move while I still got some adrenaline in me.?

   ?Where are we going??

   ?Same place as before. Although we'll stick to the beaten path this time.?

   Dusty shook his leg out, and started hobbling up the sidewalk. ?Wish we didn't end up downhill, though.?

   Dusty began his arduous climb towards the housing in the distance. The miserable situation put Kit at ease, in some bizarre way, knowing that nothing had really changed.

   ---

   Thanks to Dusty's slow pace, to his visible discomfort, it was starting to get dark and a bit drizzly. The two had already bypassed the apartment complexes that were clearly out of his price range, and were now perusing other options. Unfortunately, without a job or more than twelve dollars to his name, none of the landlords he had talked to were willing to offer them a room.

   ?Alright, next.? Dusty peered through the gates into the next complex. It was a wide-open lot; it looked like it had been a fancy motel at some point, with multiple buildings consisting of two stories each, but its current state of repair could be described as utilitarian at best. Rusty railings had been replaced with plain metal bars welded together. Rotting supports had been replaced with untreated wood. One building looked like it had severe fire damage and was in the middle of renovations.

   ?Smell that? That's the smell of discount lodging,? Dusty mused to his cheerless companion as he opened the gate and followed a sign indicating the direction of the office.

   The office looked like just another apartment, so he knocked on the door before trying to step in. A few moments later, Dusty heard the door unbolt and unlock, and he stepped back as it opened.

   The person that answered the door was quite possibly the most beautiful woman Dusty had ever seen in his life.

   ?Can I help you?? she asked curiously.

   Dusty was stunned. Her voice was like the breeze of a fresh spring day. Her amber eyes sparkled like champagne in a crystal glass. Her lips glistened like rose petals covered in the morning dew. Her skin looked as pure and supple as as a roll of the finest silk. The light cast from behind the edges of her shortly cropped brown hair glowed like the corona of the sun, a halo fit for the merciful angel that now looked upon him. She was wearing a sweater and had nice boobs too.

   Dusty's heart swelled and he froze up for a moment. ?Uh.?

   The woman looked on quizzically.

   ?Uh...? Dusty desperately tried to remember the reason he was here.

   Kit observed this with annoyance. ?Dusty.? The dull sound of her rarely-heard voice snapped him back to reality.

   ?Uh...shit, sorry.? Dusty rubbed the back of his head and looked away, embarrassed. ?Are you the landlady??

   ?I can get her. Can I tell her who's here to see her??

   ?Potential customer. Name's Dusty.?

   ?Okay, one minute.? She closed the door without locking it, and went back in.

    Dusty tried to regain his composure as Kit looked up at him judgementally. ?What?? he asked. Kit shook her head, looked away and went back to staring at the door.

   A moment later, a older, stronger-looking woman with none of the subtleties of the previous one opened the door. ?'Lo there. What can I do ya for??

   ?Hi. You got any apartments available??

   ?Sure do. One room with one bath, five twenty a month. You can pay rent now or later but I need the deposit up front. No furniture, so no stove or fridge, but garbage, water, and heat's included,? she explained concisely, then included an aside. ?Had to raise the price and start including that last one when some dumbass froze my pipes.?

   ?Is the deposit the same as the rent??

   ?Yep. You wanna see the room??

   ?Uh, before you go through the trouble, I should probably tell you my situation.?

   The woman sighed and leaned against the door frame, folding her arms. ?Go on, then.?

   ?Alright, so, uh. I just got into town and I don't have enough money to pay the deposit right now.?

   ?You know I can't give you a room for free, right??

   ?Well, hear me out. Can you let us crash for just one night? I'm gonna look for a job tomorrow, if I don't find one you can throw us out.?

   The woman groaned and tilted her head back. ?Why should I do that? What do I get out of letting some freeloader crash on one of my floors??

   ?Please? Like, charity to a man in need? I mean, shit, it's not even about me, if it was just me I'd find somewhere outdoors and just rough it. But the kid needs a roof over her head, y'know?? Dusty gestured towards Kit. Kit was annoyed at the implication that she couldn't take care of herself, but said nothing.

   The woman looked down at the dour little girl in ragged clothes, starting to get soaked as the rain was picking up. She sighed in annoyance, and looked back at her niece, who was watching the conversation. The younger woman gave her a pleading look.

   ?Alright, fine.? The woman reached back inside and asked her niece for a keyring, then grabbed a raincoat off the coat rack and stepped outside. ?You're gonna get that job tomorrow, you're gonna pay the rent on time, and you're gonna have deposit by then, too, or you're out on your ass. Got it??

   ?Got it. Thank you so much.?

   ?And don't go callin' all your deadbeat buddies here tryin' to get the same deal.?

   ?I'm out here alone, but sure all the same.? Dusty breathed a sigh of relief. At least he would make it through the night. He wished he had given himself until Friday to get a job, but it was too late for that now.

   The woman led Dusty and Kit across the lot towards one of the corner buildings, and led them up the stairs. Dusty half-expected her to throw them in the burned-out flat, but it seemed she was feeling either genuinely charitable, or desperate for customers. She unlocked the door, stepped inside, and turned on the lights. ?There y'all are. I'm keepin' the key until you get that job.?

   Dusty looked around. It was a modestly sized single room apartment with large windows and cheap wooden floors, lit by hanging, unadorned lightbulbs. It had a kitchen counter with some cabinets and a sink, but was otherwise completely unfurnished, as advertised. Through an open door, Dusty could see a bathroom with a metal sink and old-fashioned tub.

   It wasn't glamorous, but it was good enough for him.

   ?Okay. Thanks again, I really appreciate this.?

   ?Yeah, yeah.? The woman took a good look at Kit, now under better lighting. ?You feeding this kid properly??

   ?I'm trying.?

   She shook her head. ?I'll be stoppin' by in the morning, so be up bright an' early.. What's your full name??

   ?Dustin Smith. I go by Dusty.?

   ?Alright then, I'll be drawin' up the paperwork.? She turned to leave. ?Oh, one more thing. Since I can smell it on ya, no smokin' in the apartment.?

   ?Shit.?

   She gave a stern look, and headed out the door.

   Dusty gave a deep sigh and sat on a windowsill, and turned his attention back to Kit. ?Well, kid, here we are. Make yourself comfortable.?

   Kit seemed unimpressed. The room was bare and cold; it wasn't really an improvement over the attic she had been holed up in previously.

   ?It'll be a while before we can buy any furniture. Sorry.? Dusty looked around, as if planning what to do with the place. ?Some carpet would be nice. Not looking forward to sleeping on the floor.?

   Dusty rolled up his pant leg again to look at the bruise. It had gotten darker than before. He shook his head at it.

   ?I guess I should go get dinner before we settle in. There's a convenience store back down the hill.? He stood up again, adjusting his coat.

   ?I'll go get it.?

   ?Nah. Let me take care of that sort of thing from now on.?

   ?It'll take forever for you to come back,? she huffed. ?Let me do it.?

   Dusty had to concede that he was not in top form, but wasn't happy about allowing a child to take care of him when it was supposed to be the other way around. He thought about it for a moment, and decided that ultimately he had no choice but to accept that he was Kit's partner and not her caretaker ? at least for now.

   ?Alright.? He reluctantly took out his wallet and started counting out a few bills, until he realized he had no idea what she could buy for both of them with six dollars, and just handed her the whole thing. ?Okay, kid. I didn't check food prices on the way in. Make it count.?

   She nodded sharply and took it.

   ?Remember, it's gotta last at least two days.?

   ?I know.? Kit put the wallet inside her poncho ? god knows how many pockets she had in that thing ? and went to the door. She turned back to Dusty. ?How hot is the water??

   ?Eh? Why??

   ?Is it hot enough to make soup??

   ?Oh.? He walked over to the sink and turned the handle on. After a few moments of holding his hand under the faucet, he withdrew it quickly. ?Ow. Yeah, pretty hot, I guess.?

   Kit nodded, opened the door, and disappeared into the pitch black rain.

   Dusty sat down on the floor and slumped against the corner. All he could do now is wait.

   ?Man, my leg hurts.?

   ---

   Lazing around idly, trying to ignore the pain in his leg, Dusty's mind wandered. There was no clock in the room, so he had no idea how long Kit had been gone. The rain hadn't let up at all.

   Dusty normally made it a point to keep moving forward and not get worried about things, but with being stuck in a featureless room, with mounting obligations in a very short timeframe and with everything he owned in the hands of a tiny thief, worrying was about all that he could do.

   He worried if Kit was going to mug somebody to improve their odds of survival. ?I should've made her promise not to do that before she left,? he thought.

   He worried if Kit was even going to come back. She could very well decide to take her chances on her own.

   He worried if he was going to be able to find a job tomorrow. He had thought it would be easy to get one in Blackroot City too, but that didn't pan out either.

   He worried if he would even be in any shape to work. No telling how bad his leg would be in the morning.

   He worried if he should try to make the best of things here or try moving to another town as soon as he had the money. He was feeling quite disillusioned with his plans to leave Fairview and move out west, and wondered if any city out here was better than any other.

   He worried if Kit would ever be able to live like a normal person. Why did he care so much about her, anyway? That was an easy question, though; because she reminded him so much of his brother.

   He worried about his brother, knowing he would probably never find out what happened to him. Dusty hoped that he had started over and was living somewhere peacefully, however unlikely that was.

   Dusty worried if any choice he'd made had been the right one.

   But, there was no other conclusion he could reach; if he hadn't come out west, he never would've met Kit, and she would've been on her own. He remembered the green-haired lady saying Kit would've been tried as an adult. That was something he couldn't live with, so it was for the best that all these things had transpired. And really, he couldn't have stayed home even if he wanted to; there was no future for Dusty in Fairview, and there was no future for Kit in Blackroot City. If they were going to build new lives, it had to be here...even if it wasn't together.

   Just then, the door opened, and in stepped Kit, completely soaked from head to toe, her mood looking even more foul than usual.

   ?Jesus Christ, Kit.?

   She walked right past him, her waterlogged boots leaving a trail of mud on the floor, hustled into the bathroom, and shut the door.

   ?What happened??

   ?I got it,? she snapped from within. A moment later, after hearing the shuffling of clothes and plastic bags, he heard the brief sound of water being poured into the bathtub, and realized she was wringing out her clothes. Dusty waited patiently after that, as it took Kit quite a while to dry out.

   Eventually, she surfaced from the bathroom, looking like she had emerged from a washing machine rather than a waterfall. In her hands were many small bags of groceries, each from different stores. She had been quite thorough.

   ?Oh, looks like you did good.?

   ?I know how to buy food,? she growled.

   ?Right, right. How'd you make out??

   Kit dropped the bags in front of him. Dusty attempted to sit up cross-legged, quickly decided that this was a poor idea, and knelt instead.

   Inside were a few carrots, potatoes, bananas, two packs of ramen, an eight-pack of hot dogs, and...a tiny package of pain medication. Dusty picked it up; there were maybe three doses in it.

   ?Hey, you didn't have to get this. I can tough it out.?

   Kit looked away, mildly upset. Dusty immediately regretted saying that; in truth, he was somewhat moved by the fact that Kit was concerned enough to buy him medicine.

   ?It'll help, though. I'll take it tomorrow. Thanks.?

   ?Here.? Kit took out his wallet and returned it. Dusty opened it, not expecting much, and his expectations were met. His twelve dollars were now twelve cents. Still, it looked like Kit had done quite well for herself; he wouldn't have even thought to pick up some produce.

   ?Never met a kid who liked carrots before.?

   ?I don't. They're just filling.?

   ?How are we gonna eat the ramen, though? There weren't any of the cup kind??

   ?That kind's more expensive,? she groaned. ?You can take the hot dogs out of the package, put the noodles in, fill it with hot water, and reseal it. Once they get soggy you put in new hot water and mix the stuff in.? Dusty thought that might have been the longest string of words he'd ever heard her speak.

   ?Sure thing, MacGyver.? Kit didn't understand the reference and didn't care. ?Alright, what should we have tonight??

   Kit shrugged.

   ?I guess we'll start with these hot dogs.?

   Dusty brought himself to his feet, opened the package, filled it with water once it had gotten sufficiently scalding, and left their dinner to warm up. Kit started munching on a carrot.

   ?So, uh...what are we gonna do about your clothes??

   She shrugged again.

   ?You can't leave 'em on like that, you'll get sick.?

   ?There's nothing else to wear.?

   Dusty pondered for a moment. He'd offer to let her wear his shirt, but he knew they weren't anywhere near that level of comfort with each other. Looking around the apartment, he noticed the heating vent and had another idea.

   ?Alright, I got it. I'll turn up the heat and we can dry out your stuff in front of the vent, and you can take a hot bath in the meantime.?

   She paused as if to refuse, but then decided this was a reasonable course of action. ?Okay.?

   She picked up a potato to take with her carrot, and then went into the bathroom. A moment later, the bath was running.

   Dusty waited a few minutes. ?Hey, Kit, are you undressed yet? Hand me your clothes through the door.?

   ?There's a vent in here.?

   ?Oh. It'll dry faster if we use both, though.?

   ?No.?

   Dusty decided that his request was creepy enough to not pursue the matter, and went back to check on his dinner. He opened up the package and took a bite. It was okay.

   ---

   By the time Dusty and Kit were ready to settle in for the night, the apartment had heated up considerably. Now it was just a matter of deciding how they were going to sleep on a solid wood floor. For the first time in his life, Dusty had to seriously ponder if a tiny sack of potatoes would be a suitable pillow.

   His first concern, though, was Kit, since he had dragged her into this miserable situation. He took his coat off.

   ?Kit, here. You can use it as a pillow or blanket or something.?

   Kit was curled up on the floor, looking quite uncomfortable trying to rest with her head on her arm. ?No thanks.?

   ?Are you gonna be okay like that?? Her clothes were still a little damp, but tolerably so.

   ?Yes.?

   Dusty sighed, and folded up his coat to rest under his head as he laid down near the vent.

   ?Alright, whatever. Good night, then.?

   ?Good night.?

   They laid quietly in the dark for a while, listening to the sound of the rain.

   ?Hey, Kit.?

   No response.

   ?Thanks for going out tonight in that fucking hurricane, or whatever it is. I really appreciate it.?

   ?...Mm.?

   Dusty's weariness eventually led him to fall asleep on his back in spite of how uncomfortable his ass was, but Kit tossed and turned for hours, trying to find a position she could rest in. She thought about using her poncho as a pillow the way Dusty had, but didn't want to be seen not wearing it if he woke up before she did.

   Eventually, she became frustrated enough that she went over to Dusty and used his stomach as a pillow. Thankfully, he didn't wake up, because she wasn't interested in offering an explanation. Eventually, the rhythm of Dusty's tar-filled lungs lulled her to sleep, and for the first time since she had fled Blackroot City, she rested soundly.

[Stuffman]

   Dusty awoke sharply to the sound of someone banging harshly on his door. Fortunately for Kit, this catapulted her awake so quickly that Dusty didn't have a chance to notice she was sleeping on top of him.

   Dusty groaned as he struggled to gain consciousness, while the landlady let herself in.

   ?Rise and shine, ya freeloader!?

   ?Shit. What time is it?? Dusty rubbed his face as he sat up.

   ?Seven thirty. Businesses open at eight. Get movin', or I'll have your daughter handed over to social services.? She handed Kit a blueberry muffin. ?Here kid, eat something. You're all skin and bones.? Kit hesitated, but did not decline.

   ?Eh? Come on, I don't look old enough to be her father, do I??

   ?Well what are ya, then??

   ?I'm, uh...? it was too early in the morning for Dusty to be considering what exactly his place was in his relationship with Kit. ?...The guy that feeds her, I guess??

   The landlady frowned at this. She turned to Kit, leaned down, and put her hands on her shoulders. ?Young lady, has this man or anyone else been touching you in ways you don't like??

   ?No?? Kit was confused.

   Dusty stumbled to his feet, aggravated. ?Hey, what the hell are you implying??

   ?Just makin' sure.? The landlady fluffed the collar of her coat. ?Well, I'm sure you remember our deal. I'll be here all day, Mr. Smith.?

   She clomped out the door, slamming it shut behind her.

   Dusty yawned and stretched until he reached the ceiling. ?Man, my ass hurts. You sleep okay, Kit??

   ?Fine,? she muttered, looking away.

   ?If you say so.? Dusty walked over to the sink and took a drink of water directly from the faucet.

   ?Here.? Kit offered him the rest of her muffin, of which she had eaten exactly half.

   ?Nah, keep it. She gave it to you,? Dusty said, leaning down to grab a banana from the bag. ?And she's probably watching me like a hawk,? he said, glancing out the window. She was.

   ---

   Half an hour later, after the two had picked at their rations and Dusty had taken a bath (and dried himself as best he could with no towel), Dusty was ready to go. He looked out the window; it was another grey, dismal day, but at least it didn't look like it was going to rain again.

   ?Alright, I feel good. Time to go job hunting. Should be a piece of cake in a busy town like this.? Dusty wasn't sure if he was reassuring himself or Kit.

   Kit watched Dusty's feet as he walked towards the door.

   ?Leg's not as bad as I thought,? said Dusty as he put on his coat. ?I'll be alright. You wanna come with me or hang out here??

   Kit considered for a moment. ?Here.?

   ?You sure? You might not have anything to do.?

   ?I'm going to look for stuff.?

   ?What kind of stuff??

   ?Stuff we need.? This was an exceptionally broad category and Dusty could see that getting any elaboration would probably require a lot more words than Kit was willing to divulge.

   Dusty sighed. ?Yeah, fine, I guess you have experience with this. Just don't steal anything.? She nodded. ?And stay close to the road, so you don't run into that asshole from yesterday.?

   ?I can take him,? she said pointedly.

   ?You probably can, but don't anyway.?

   In response, Kit made some kind of vocalization that was far too low to identify, but Dusty was willing to accept it as a confirmation.

   Dusty checked his pockets to make sure he had the pain medication, just in case, along with two room temperature hotdogs wrapped in a plastic bag for lunch. ?Alright, I'm off. I'll see you tonight.?

   ?Here.? Dusty turned around to see Kit offering him a small candy bar.

   ?Eh? Where'd you get that??

   ?The store.?

   Dusty had checked the receipts from earlier and hadn't seen any candy bars on them. ?Kit, come on. Even if it's just little things like that, you can't be stealing stuff anymore.?

   ?No,? she said, exasperated. ?He gave it to me.?

   ?Ohh.? Dusty realized it must have been the clerk. He couldn't blame him; if Dusty had seen a miserable little girl braving the elements trying to pick up groceries for her family with a fistful of dollar bills, he'd probably have wanted to give her some candy too. ?It's alright, keep it.?

   She groaned in annoyance, and insisted with a wag of her arm, keeping the candy outstretched. Having her ear to his stomach all night, she knew he wasn't eating enough.

   Dusty sighed, and accepted, putting it in his pocket. ?Alright, alright. Thanks.? He adjusted his coat, and stepped out the door, lighting a cigarette. ?I'm goin'. Later.?

   Kit watched him leave, and then turned her attention to the apartment. She was going to need a lot of rags, she thought.

   ---

   Six hours later, Dusty was getting very nervous. Although he had gone back to the wall with the job postings, it turned out he had not looked at them closely enough yesterday. Most of them were for quick one or two-day jobs or postings looking for contractors, and thanks to not having access to a phone, Dusty hadn't been fast enough to get to any of the ones he looked in on. None of the local retailers needed another employee at the moment, and the factories seemed to be slowing down for the season ? leading to layoffs, rather than hiring. Competition is the last thing Dusty needed.

   Dusty leaned against a brick wall and smoked a cigarette, trying to think of something. Could he run his own business somehow? He didn't have any real skills, nor did he have anything to sell.

   ?God damn it,? he said audibly, shaking his head in frustration. Never mind the landlady, how was he going to face Kit if he hadn't found a source of income by the end of the day? He wanted her to believe she could depend on him, but at the moment he couldn't even take care of himself.

   ?Hey buddy, how's it goin'?? Dusty heard a voice directed at him.

   ?Not so good,? he said dejectedly, and looked up.

   It was Joey.

   ?Ah, shit!? Dusty just about leaped out of his shoes.

   Joey was grinning as widely as ever. ?Why'd you run off, pal? We didn't get to finish our conversation yesterday.?

   ?For fuck's sake,? Dusty cursed, reaching for his wallet. He shoved it into Joey's chest. ?Just fucking take it!?

   ?Thanks!? he said gratefully. He then opened it up, and laughed derisively. ?Twelve cents. Didn't your mama ever tell you not to spend all your money in one place??

   ?As a matter of fact, I didn't. I spent it all on food, like I fucking said I was going to, so would you fuck off already??

   ?Yeah, I know. One of my boys saw your kid doing her shopping yesterday. Followed her home, too.? Joey's grin and Dusty's eyes widened simultaneously. ?I know where you live,? he said in a harsh whisper.

   ?You bastard! What the fuck do you want!??

   ?I wanna make sure you understand who's in charge around here,? Joey said, lurching forward imposingly.

   Dusty rubbed the sides of his head in anger. ?Fucking...fine. Look. I'll say it. You're better than me. I would've lost the fight if the kid hadn't interfered. Okay? Is that what you want to hear??

   Joey leaned back, surprised, and thought it over for a moment. ?Yeah. Yeah, that'll do nicely, actually.? He seemed genuinely pleased.

   Dusty sighed. ?So will you leave me alone already? And the kid? Please??

   ?You said the magic word!? Joey leaned back and clapped, his metallic palm making an odd noise. ?Sure, sure. You're off my shit list, congratulations.?

   ?Thank fucking god,? Dusty said, as he went back to huffing his cigarette.

   ?But anyway, believe it or not, I did not come out here to mug you today,? Joey continued, handing back Dusty's wallet, minus the twelve cents. ?Since you're pretty good in a scrap, I actually wanted to see if you were interested in joining my crew. I gotta lot of interesting prospects coming up and I could use another pair of hands.?

   Dusty was speechless, but eventually formulated a reply. ?You...okay, thanks, but no thanks. I brought the kid here so we could start over, I don't want to get my hands dirty with whatever shit you're involved in.?

   ?Start over? Sorry, buddy, but I've seen the look in that kid's eyes, and she is too illegit to quit. Kids don't learn to use a knife like that in fucking kindergarten, y'know what I mean? Whatever she's been through, she ain't ever gonna be normal now. Trust me, I speak from experience.?

   ?We'll see about that.?

   ?Yeeeah, we'll see alright.?

   ?So yeah, no thanks.?

   ?Suit yourself. If you insist on bein' a clock-punching monkey, though, I'd go down to the docks.?

   ?Eh??

   ?Dock workers are on strike. Plenty of shit to be done down there if you don't mind bustin' your ass. Won't last long, though.?

   ?Huh.? Dusty hadn't tried the docks yet ? he thought it would take too long to walk to them from his apartment regularly. ?Thanks, I guess.?

   ?No problem. Seeya around, Dusty. Probably real soon!? Joey cackled as Dusty started walking downhill, but then he shouted out one more time. ?Hey! The fuck happened to your leg, anyway??

   ?That asshole with the baseball bat hit it.?

   ?Wait, so Chuck got a hit on you? I'll have to buy him a beer!? Joey continued laughing as he turned and walked the other way.

   Dusty shook his head and muttered. ?I hate that guy.?

   ---

   Another hour and a half later, Dusty had made it to the docks. The smell of gasoline and rotting fish was heavy in the air, and the place looked decidedly lifeless for how many ships were in the harbor.

   Unfortunately, the hike hadn't been kind to his leg, and he had taken the painkillers a short while ago. He almost hoped they weren't helping, because otherwise he was in for a very painful climb when they wore off.

   Dusty spotted a large warehouse with a lit office window, said a quick prayer, and went in, hoping they were still open.

   Inside the main entrance was a small lobby with a large counter, cheap furniture, and a coffee maker sitting idly. Nobody was there. Dusty waited for a few minutes, then called out. ?Hello? Anybody here??

   ?Up here,? a man called from upstairs.

   Dusty shrugged, went past the counter and up the stairwell. He saw a small row of offices on either side, but only one with a door open and the light on. Dusty poked his head in. Inside was a small, middle aged man wearing a white shirt and paisley tie, with a mustache much too big for his face.

   ?Can I help you??

   ?Uh, yeah, sorry for barging in like this. I'm actually looking for a job. Do you have anything available? Like...anything.?

   The man put down his pen and folded his arms in his lap. ?As a matter of fact we do, young man, but I can't say it's a particularly attractive position.?

   ?Don't care. My kid's gonna starve if I don't find work.?

   ?Well, that would just make me feel worse for seeing you get taken advantage of. But pity doesn't pay the bills.? He stood up. ?Come along, I'll show you what you'd be doing. Your name??

   ?Dustin Smith, call me Dusty.?

   ?Nice to meet you. Mitchell Patterson.? Dusty shook his hand.

   The two of them walked down the hall and around a corner, coming out to a catwalk overlooking the warehouse interior. It was mostly empty, except for the area in front of one shipping door. A single, very tall man seemed to unloading from the dock.

   ?You in your off season or something?? Dusty said, confused.

   ?I'm afraid the situation is much more grim than that. You've heard about the strike, I assume??

   ?Yeah, but I figured you guys would have work piling up because of it.?

   ?Well, unfortunately, the owners were having none of that. They put the business up for sale the day after the strike began.?

   ?Seriously? Why'd they do that??

   ?Pure spite, for all I know. Doesn't matter to me; I'm just the pencil pusher looking after what's left of the business until it's gone. Anyway, only one shipping company is still using our docks. Keeps Sven down there plenty busy. If you feel like helping out, maybe we'll hold them for long enough to stay in business a few more months.?

   ?Okay, I get it.?

   ?Obviously, since the union walked out and most of our customers followed suit, compensation's not the best. It's ten twenty five an hour, six hour days, three to nine PM, Monday through Saturday. No benefits whatsoever, and I'll warn you that it's pretty tough work. Most of the union workers are real big guys. You'll have your work cut out for you.? Mitchell shrugged. ?Job's yours if you want it.?

   Dusty cringed a bit internally, but he knew he needed the job and nodded his head. ?Yeah, I'll take it. I'll give it a try, at least.?

   ?No harm in that.?

   ?When can I start??

   ?Tomorrow's just fine. Heck, the paperwork will give me something to do. Just need your number, address, and such.?

   Dusty facepalmed. ?Uh, to tell the truth I just got into town yesterday and I totally forgot to check what my address is.?

   ?Heh! Well, that's no problem, just bring the information tomorrow.?

   ?Okay, great, thanks. Seeya tomorrow, Mr. Patterson.?

   ?Mitchell's fine. Take care.?

   Dusty left the building, feeling relieved. ?I'm gonna build a future for that kid if it kills me.?

   Dusty then looked uphill and realized how far he needed to climb to get back to his apartment. He opened up the candy bar's wrapper, bit into it, and sighed deeply.

   ---

   It was 7:30 at night when Dusty finally dragged himself through the gate to the complex. The sun had finished setting a short while ago. Dusty moaned and groaned in exhaustion as he made his way towards his building. He was desperate to get off his feet, even if it meant sitting on the floor.

   The first thing that Dusty noticed was that the lights weren't on, and it suddenly made him anxious that Kit wasn't home. The second thing Dusty noticed was that the landlady was sitting in a lawnchair facing the building. Dusty found this unnecessarily dramatic.

   Dusty called out. ?Hey. Good news.?

   The landlady looked behind her, and stood up with her can of beer. ?Mr. Smith.?

   Dusty smiled. ?Found a job. Down at the docks. I start tomorrow at 3 PM.?

   ?The docks, huh. What's the company name??

   ?Uh.? Dusty's smile disappeared. ?Shit, I didn't even check. I just went into a place where the lights were on.?

   The landlady kept her eyes fixed on Dusty with a purposefully fake smile, displaying a mixture of skepticism and contempt. ?Uh huh.?

   ?Look, it's the place on the shore, four buildings east from Main Street. I'll bring you a letter or something from them tomorrow, okay??

   She unfolded her arms. ?Alright. If you're telling the truth, that'll settle your first problem.?

   ?First problem? What's...wait, where's Kit??

   The landlady pointed up at Dusty's building. Squinting and looking more closely, Dusty could see it.

   Kit was on the roof.

[Stuffman]

   Dusty called out to her. ?Hey, Kit! What're you doing up there??
   
   Dusty thought he heard Kit say something, but not nearly loud enough for him to hear.

   ?What'd you say??

   She repeated herself, but again, Dusty couldn't make it out.

   ?Never mind, just stay put,? he shouted. He turned to the landlady. ?What happened??

   She took a deep breath before launching into a frustrated, lengthy spiel. ?Well! As soon as you left, she went out of the complex and went god-knows-where, came back with an armload of garbage, carried it into your apartment, then she went out and did it again a while later. So my niece decides we better watch her, and calls her over for lunch. Then, seein' how filthy those rags you got her wearin' are, she tried to get her to take a bath so she could toss 'em in the washer, but the kid was having none of it. So, I did what any reasonable parent does with a misbehavin' child and tried to manhandle her into it. When I did that, the damned child bit me and ran off! She's been up there ever since.?

   ?Uh...?

   ?And then, when one of my tenants tried to climb up there to get her, she pulled a goddamn knife on him!?

   ?Shit.? Dusty rubbed his forehead.

   ?A pack of wolves could do a better job of raising that child than you, boy. If you think I'm gonna let this go with just an apology, you got another thing comin'.?

   ?Alright, alright. Can we go into your office for a bit to talk about this??

   ?Fine, let's go.?

   Dusty turned back to face Kit. ?Kit, I'll be back in a minute.?

   Kit continued sitting huddled with her arms around her knees. Dusty took some solace in the fact that she had decided to wait for him to return and resolve the situation, rather than running off on her own.

   ---

   Dusty walked into the office and closed the door behind him (the landlady hadn't bothered holding the door for him). The office seemed to double as a living room, with warm, earthy colors and reasonably good furnishing. A large number of what Dusty assumed to be family portraits were hung on the far wall.

   The landlady had taken a seat at her desk. Dusty grabbed a chair across from her and sat. Wishing he could light a cigarette, he composed his thoughts for a moment.

   ?Well?? The landlady raised her hands, impatiently waiting for an explanation.

   ?Alright, here's the deal,? said Dusty, straightening his hair. ?I've only known Kit for about three weeks.?

   The landlady's interest was successfully piqued. ?What are you, a kidnapper??

   ?Not exactly. Er, no, it's not like that at all, I mean.? Dusty sighed. ?It all started a little under a month ago. I had moved to Blackroot City looking for work, didn't really go as well as I'd hoped. Anyway, I ended up meeting Kit and her grandmother. They were holed up in a little attic, just barely scraping by. Her grandmother was too weak to leave, so Kit had been looking after her the whole time, getting her food and medicine and stuff.?

   ?A kid her age? How'd she manage that??

   ?Uh...stealing, basically. I don't know how else she could've gotten by. That's why she's so fast, y'know, because she was on the run all the time.? Dusty decided to omit the part about the muggings, and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. ?But, uh, anyway, I ended up staying with them for a while. The idea was that I'd live with them and pay the bills so Kit wouldn't have to go out and do that sort of thing anymore. It didn't last long though, her grandmother passed away a while after I got there.? Dusty paused for moment before continuing. ?So, I dunno if you've ever been to Blackroot City, but lemme tell you, that place is a shithole, and around the time I got there the government was starting to crack down on a lot of shit and it was getting, y'know, really tense on the streets. So with Kit's grandmother gone, I decided to just skip town and bring Kit with me.?

   ?What happened to her parents?? asked a familiar voice behind him. Dusty turned around and saw the landlady's niece, who had come in from the kitchen and had been listening intently. Dusty faced forward again to avoid getting flustered.

   ?Yeah, about that. The old lady said her mom abandoned her as soon as she was born and left her in her care. Didn't even know who the father was.? Dusty shook his head. ?Kid's had a hard life, right from the start.?

   The landlady mulled this over for a bit. ?Alright,? she finally said, leaning forward. ?So what exactly are your plans for this child??

   ?Well, I spent the last of my money on our train tickets, so, uh...we're in kind of a rough spot right now. Once I get that sorted out I guess I can start thinking about something longer term.?

   ?So, what, you're not even gonna try to straighten that kid out? You can't let a little girl carry around a deadly weapon, Mr. Smith.?

   Dusty sat up. ?Look, the one time I got the knife away from her, she didn't stop freaking out until she got it back. I don't want to try to force things with her, and honestly I think if you do she'll just run away, because she thinks she can take care of herself. So...just, don't touch her stuff for now, okay? She's going through a lot and I think she doesn't feel safe without it.?

   The landlady slumped back in her seat, exasperated.

   ?I ain't running an orphanage here. You need to keep that child under control.?

   ?I'll talk to her.?

   ?You better. And make sure she ain't ruinin' that apartment up there with whatever she dragged in. I want that place kept clean, y'hear me??

   ?Yeah, I hear you, sorry.?

   ?Right. Go take care of it.?

   ?Thanks. Sorry again,? he said again as he got out of his seat, eager to get back outside. He turned for the door. However, he was startled by the landlady's niece putting her hand on his shoulder. He jumped as he turned to her and struggled to keep his composure.

   ?Mr. Smith? Can you wait there for a moment?? she asked.

   ?Y-yeah, sure...?

   She smiled, and left to grab something out of the bathroom. She returned with a brush, and handed it to Dusty. ?Here.?

   ?...Shit, my hair's a mess, isn't it?? Dusty ran his hands through it.

   The woman shook her head, grinning. ?No, not for you. I mean, it wouldn't hurt, but...no, I had an idea. When I was Kit's age, my mom used to do my hair for me, and while we were sitting there we'd spend a lot of time talking about...well, everything, I suppose. I had a pretty good relationship with my mother, so I was just thinking, maybe something like that could help you bond with Kit??

   ?Oh. Uh, I mean, I could try, I guess...?

   ?It seems like she doesn't say what she's thinking, so it would be nice if you spent some personal time together and got her to open up.?

   ?Yeah, she's definitely quiet. I'll, uh, I'll try it. Thanks.?

   The woman nodded and smiled.

   Dusty sputtered awkwardly. ?Okay, I'm, uh...g-go, then.?

   ?Good night.?

   ?Thanks. I mean...g'night. Yeah. Bye.?

   Dusty went out the door and caught his breath, looking up towards the sky. ?God damn that woman is perfect,? he thought to himself. He pocketed the brush, and walked back towards his apartment.

   ---

   At the height of the stairs, Dusty was close enough to converse with Kit.

   ?Alright, Kit, we're clear for now. Come on down.?

   Kit hesitated, but stood up. Dusty held up his arms to catch her as she jumped down, but Kit waved him aside, and scaled the wall on her own. Dusty sighed and gestured for her to go inside ahead of him.

   Inside the apartment, he was surprised to see a few black trash bags, each packed full.

   ?Whoa. What's the deal with all this??

   Kit didn't answer, and instead grabbed a bag. She untied it and dumped it out, spilling a pile of dirty rags, clothes, and foam padding onto the floor. A thick musk emanated from the mound of filthy fabric.

   ?Ugh. Kit, what's this for??

   She turned to face him. ?Bed.?

   Dusty was speechless. Kit went for another bag and added to the pile, spreading it around, as if to make it into some kind of nest.

   ?Kit, that stuff's filthy, you can't sleep on that.?

   ?I was gonna wash it,? she grumbled. Dusty realized she probably intended to clean them in the bathtub before she had gotten into the business with the landlady.

   Still, the makeshift bedding didn't look particularly sanitary. Unfortunately, Dusty was in no position to complain, since it would mean demanding that Kit sleep on the floor. As Dusty was trying to decide what to make of this, Kit opened another bag, pulled out a large, relatively clean curtain, and cast it over the pile.
   
   ?There,? she said, satisfied with her work, and sat down on one side of it.

   Dusty realized it was big enough for both of them to rest their backs on, and gave up. ?Can I sit?? She nodded once, and Dusty planted his rear end on the pile. The softness of the bedding was decidedly uneven, but Dusty had been longing to lie down all day, so he leaned back into it and relaxed, kicking his shoes off.

   They both sat in silence for a while.

   ?I got a job,? Dusty eventually said.

   Kit looked at him and nodded in approval, then went back to staring out the window.

   More silence.

   ?Listen, Kit, if you're uncomfortable dealing with someone, I can understand running away, but definitely don't start pointing your knife at people, okay??

   Kit didn't respond.

   Dusty lamented the lack of communication, and remembered the brush. Of course, there was no point in asking; if Kit actually wanted her hair brushed, she'd insist on doing it herself. But then Dusty had an idea, and pulled it out of his pocket.

   ?Hey, Kit, can you brush my hair for me??

   She looked at him incredulously.

   ?I can't see the back of my head and I want to make sure there's no bugs or shit in there.?

   Kit took the brush tentatively, and Dusty turned his back to her. Eventually, she scooted up and started brushing the back of his head. Unfortunately, Dusty's hair was quite tangled and Kit wasn't particularly gentle. He tried to bear it without complaining for a while, but eventually lost his nerve.

   ?Ow! Kit, take it easy. You're brushing too hard.?

   She huffed in annoyance and moved closer, putting her other hand on Dusty's head to steady herself as she moved the brush. She moved slower, but with no less force. Dusty was certain his hair was being pulled out by the roots.

   ?Ow ow ow, Kit, be careful.?

   ?Hold still,? she scolded.

   ?Kit, don't just force it through, take the brush out and do it a little at a time.?

   Kit growled in annoyance and stopped brushing.

   ?Look, give it here. Like this,? Dusty put his hand out, and Kit gave him the brush, but when Dusty reached for one of her side ponytails, she immediately recoiled in shock.

   There was an awkward moment of silence as Kit looked at him, bewildered. Dusty felt stupid. ?Sorry. Forget it,? he said as he leaned back into the mound of rags. Kit looked down and stared at the floor.

   Eventually, Kit lied down in the pile of rags, and Dusty felt like going to sleep himself, but he decided it would be a good idea to eat something first.

   ?Kit, why don't we make those noodles tonight??

   Dusty could see that she was still awake, but she didn't answer. Dusty sat up, and pulled the hot dog package from their diminishing stockpile in the kitchen cabinet. Setting aside the two remaining franks in the sink, he began to attempt the plan for the ramen that Kit had came up with earlier.

   ?Wait,? Kit said sleepily, walking over to one of the bags. She pulled out some dirty metal bowl-shaped objects.

   ?Oh, hey. Good thinking.?

   Dusty replaced the hotdogs and washed the bowls until they were satisfactorily clean. He wished he had a sponge, or anything besides his hands, really, but he managed to get them clean enough that they didn't feel greasy. Dusty filled them with scalding hot water and dumped the bricks of noodles in, but then realized that he had no way to prevent them from floating so that they would soak properly.

   ?I don't suppose you found spoons, did you??

   Kit went back to the bag and produced a few small broken plastic sticks.

   ?Uh...?

   ?Like this.? Kit held two of them in one hand, opening and pinching them at the tips.

   ?Oh, I get it. Where the hell did you learn to use chopsticks??

   She shrugged. Maybe she saw them in an ad and figured it out for herself in absence of proper silverware, he thought.

   Dusty took his own pair and drowned the bricks of dry noodles in the steaming tap water by force. Eventually, they began to soften, and with the seasoning added, dinner was served.

   ?Kit, show me how to use these again?? Dusty struggled to grasp anything with his chopsticks. Kit held her hand up and demonstrated once more, and Dusty fumbled with them until he managed to grab one strand of ramen at a time. Eventually, he just ended up drinking the soup. It was sufficiently satisfying, all the same.

   Dusty watched Kit eat, staring at the bowl, and decided to say something.

   ?Listen, Kit.? Dusty waited until she stopped eating and looked up at him to continue. ?Uh, it's fine if you don't want me to touch you or your stuff or anything. I just want to make sure you feel safe here, so...if you want to tell me what you're uncomfortable with, I'll respect that. I just don't really know what your boundaries are because, y'know, you don't talk much.?

   Kit figured he was asking because of the incident with the brush. Of course, he was off base; that wasn't the reason. She had comfortably slept right on top of him last night, after all. She thought it over, and decided to say something.

   ?Grandma used to pull my hair when I was bad.? She looked back down at her ramen. ?So I got scared.?

   Dusty's heart sank into his stomach. He sat in silence as Kit avoided eye contact. He knew the old woman wasn't nice, but finding out she was abusive was just too much.

   ?That's not right,? Dusty said quietly as he went back to his dinner, thinking things over.

   A while later, Dusty and Kit were lying down in the dark, trying to get comfortable on the pile of refuse as they settled in for the night. Dusty still hadn't thought of anything to say, so he settled for the only thing he could muster.

   ?Kit, things are gonna get better from now on.?

   Silence.

   ?I promise.?

   There was a pause and then she answered softly. ?Okay.?

   ?G'night, Kit.?

   ?Good night.?