Heavy Heart

It must feel weird, Ellie reasoned, to be raised from the dead. She had crushed a bug beneath her bare feet, and was now peeling it off her skin with a scrunched up nose. She wasn't too hygienic - how could she, belonging to the poorer people of the city - but bugs never failed to freak her out. "Fuck, man. Gross." The head of the bug, which she now recognised as some sort of beetle, was severed from his body, and she had to restrain herself not to look away. However, there was something she wanted to try out. She had first discovered her gift when she was about nine years old. It scared the shit out of her, but now she'd turned fifteen, she wanted to toughen up and actually check out what she could do. She had heard of this thing she could do, and the stories about it were never positive. She still wanted to try it out though, being the rebellious teenager she was. Right, the bug. She picked it up, both head and body, and placed it on the palm of her hand. Before actually doing anything, she quickly glanced around if anyone had wandered in the dark alley she was in. It didn't seem like it, so she proceeded by closing her eyes and feeling. She felt the beetle on her hand, felt its weight, and then made that weight rise. Her eyes fluttered open, and the bug was standing again, even though its head hadn't merged with his body. A pout appeared on her lips. So it was true; she couldn't actually save the ones she brought back to life. They were merely undead, not alive nor dead. A chill went down her back. It gave her the creeps. Her gaze shifted from the bug to the exit of the alley, seeing movement there she hadn't noticed before. There was a man, slowly walking next to the stalls, checking out the wares that were displayed as if they were the greatest prize to be won. Ellie swiftly got on her feet, letting the bug fall in one of her pockets, hoping it wouldn't have a random hole in it. He was a rich man, she could tell. How many days could she eat if she managed to steal from him? Ten? Fifteen? Maybe even more, who fucking knows with those rich shits. Some were stupid enough to bring a whole house in coins with them wherever they went. She followed him, a few feet between them, taking the same pace as he had. After half a minute or so, she moved a bit closer. And closer. Until she would be able to touch him without too much effort. Then she waited until he seemed to be especially interested in whatever was on these stalls, and slid her hand in his pocket, immediately finding some coins and grasping them as fast as she could. She then bumped into him on purpose, and slipped the coins in her own pockets, possibly crushing the bug that must've still been there. "Shit, sorry man," she apologised to him, holding up her hands and flashing him a wide grin. She then turned around and made her way in the busy crowd, hoping to get a good hundred feet away from him before he realised a handful of his coins had gone.

She'd rather not run. It would attract attention and that was something she didn't want right now. As she swiftly slipped through the busy crowds, she could hear some yelling coming from behind her. She guessed it was the rich guy she just stole some coins from, but didn't even think about looking behind her. It would only implicate that she was guilty of something, and there were always some wannabe heroes who tried to stop her from getting away with it. However, his next words interested her. She stopped for a bit, hesitant on what to do; she did like the sound of his words, but also liked the weight of the coins in her pocket (or, as a matter of fact, the feeling of her hand connected to her arm). She looked back at him, and quickly scanned his face. Would he lie to a young girl, just so he could take her hand for stealing some coins? She could name a few arrogant rich shits who would, but he didn't quite seem like them. He wore fancy clothes all right, but his face was different. Rougher, maybe. His body was muscled, implying that he knew how to work. There weren't many men who'd really worked for their money, but this one looked like an exception. "Well, I stopped running. Go ahead and tell me what you had in mind, then," she called back, a taunting sound to her voice, and a grin tracing on the edges of her mouth. However, she knew to be careful; she wouldn't let him get a hold of her, as she could escape quite easily since she knew this town so well. She knew this market, knew this town and knew the back alleys many didn't dare to step foot in.

She couldn't quite tell what he wanted from the look on his face. It was stoic, hard to read; she didn't like that very much. He was unpredictable, which made him dangerous. She shifted her weight so she could run if he'd suddenly lunge at her, while mentally slapping herself for being stupid enough to actually stop when he asked. He told her he maybe could use her, for what he didn't tell. Her nose scrunched up in disgust as she thought about the worst thing he could do with a young girls for money. She knew that these so-called gentlemen would pay a lot for a virgin and she wasn't about to sell her body for some coins. Exceptionally not if she wouldn't even get the earning herself, as she guessed that the man in front of her would gladly take it. She might've been a thief, but she wasn't a whore. "Nah, thank you. I still have some dignity left, even if you can't see it, with your polished shoes and snobby clothes." How could he even make a suggestion like that? God man. Gross. She crossed her arms as he even offered her a drink. No doubt he would try to get her drunk and kidnap her.