Truancy Origins by Isamu Fukui Page B

and—being the newest in the group—was something of a novelty.
    â€œAll right, James and Walker watch the exits. That other group of pansies has been getting catty lately.”
    â€œChris, do you think that Gil might’ve run into them?”
    â€œDoes it matter? Just watch that exit. If they got the guts to show up, we’ll give ’em a piece of our minds. Who’s leading them these days anyway?”
    â€œLast I heard it was a kid named Glick.”
    â€œBah, they go through a new leader every week, those guys.”
    Slowly but surely the vagrants began to make themselves comfortable in their temporary shelter. Bonfires were lit, scrounged food was—very carefully—traded, and guarded conversations broke out. Some vagrants had blankets, others even had soft drinks. Red, who had neither, rested near a particularly large fire, trying not to think about the pain in his abdomen as the other vagrants around him swapped tales about the legendary Vagrant Ghost.
    â€œI swear it, I saw her!” the vagrant named Niles insisted as the others looked at him skeptically. “It was maybe two months ago, I was just minding my own business, and bam! She appears out of thin air! Completely pale, with glowing red eyes and this living chain that coiled around like a snake!”
    â€œDid you eat anything funny that day?” Red asked.
    â€œNo! I swear, it was real as you are!” Niles insisted. “Her chain struck me between the eyes and knocked me out!”
    â€œIt knocked you out?” A brown-skinned vagrant snorted. “Are you sure she didn’t float around in the air making wailing noises before vanishing through a wall?”
    â€œYou’re not funny, Raphael!” Niles snapped. “A hundred other vagrants have seen her too. I tell you, the abandoned districts are haunted!”
    â€œFairy tales,” Raphael said dismissively. “Some half-starved vagrant sees a stray cat and thinks it’s a monster. Happens all the time.”
    Niles and Raphael continued arguing for a few minutes, though the debate never heated up to the point of violence. Meanwhile, feeling an uncomfortable pang in his stomach, Red slowly forced himself to his feet and reached for a brown paper bag containing half a slice of pizza that he had been saving. As he picked up the bag, however, he knew that something was wrong. He tore it asunder, and a strangled growl escaped his throat. The bag was empty. Someone had stolen his food.
    Suddenly, the other vagrants around the fire quieted, staring at him as they realized what must have happened. Like a contagious disease, the silence slowly spread throughout the entire garage as the other vagrants turned to see what was going on. Red glared around at all of them, and quickly spotted a boy whose shirt had a visible drop of sauce on it. Lookingcloser, Red recognized a large vagrant who went by the name Zack. Zack hastened to wipe his mouth with his sleeve, but it was too late—Red had seen the grease shining on his face.
    Aside from the crackle of flames, the parking garage was now completely silent. Red and Zack stared each other down, unblinking. Everyone knew what was coming; they just didn’t know who would act first.
    And then Red lunged, snarling like a mad dog. Zack leaped forward to meet him, but Red’s greater momentum slammed Zack back onto the ground as Red pounded at his chest. Zack tried to shove Red off, but Red slammed his forehead down onto Zack’s face. For a moment Red saw stars, but when they cleared he found that blood was pouring from Zack’s nose. Letting out a howl of rage, Zack flailed out with thick arms, catching Red in the face and chest. In retaliation, Red seized one of Zack’s arms and sank his teeth into it as hard as he could, eliciting a scream of pain from his victim.
    This was not a clean, honorable fight. This was a battle to the death, and Red intended to use every weapon he