Liberation: Oscar's Story

Chapter 12: Pt. 1

 Ananya lived in the far end of Bourdier, where the misfits and isolationists tended to commune. The area wasn't unlivable, but it also wasn't the most ideal of places to stay. However, due to its cheap prices and relative seclusion, Ananya found that to escape her old home, the tenth district was the perfect place to live.

The tenth district, home to poor families, drug addicts, and the occasional thief, was characterized by a long, narrow street laden with garbage and sewage. Broken, old cars from the early 2000s bordered the sidewalks and living situations were composed of crooked townhouses, each with a different unappealing quality to it. Ananya's townhouse had two missing shingles on the side like gap teeth and the number on her mailbox was hanging sideways. Her door - a brown, rotting piece of wood - creaked at the slightest bit of movement and the windows had remnants of tape on their sills. Inside the two-story building was a small living area, a kitchenette, and a bathroom adjacent to the stove. Upon entering the townhouse, one was met with a staircase leading to the upstairs area, but that part of the house was reserved for another tenant (even though it was unapproved by the city). Ananya shared the townhouse with Kathie, who stayed upstairs.

There was no bedroom, so Ananya made do by sleeping on the couch or occasionally blowing up an air mattress that she had bought while in college. The furniture in her home were all taken from the street, including (to her astonishment) the TV, which was still in working condition. Pots and pans were shared between her and Kathie, and they ate from whatever paper bowls they could find. They had a few plastic plates and bowls, but those were usually reserved for guests or special occasions.

Normally, Ananya was never ashamed of her house. While she would admit to herself that she'd have preferred a better place (preferably those she'd see during glimpses of the reality TV show House Hospital), she found a sense of acceptance in the tenth sector, where everyone in the area could relate to her on some level. She welcomed anyone who needed her assistance and very rarely did she spend her paycheck frivolously. It was to Kathie's annoyance, at times, how altruistic Ananya could be.

Hundreds of people had been inside Ananya's home, and not once had she thought about how shameful it was that she had no hot water or surplus of food to share. Not once had she thought about getting a ladder to wipe the cobwebs sticking to the walls away or changing the spring in the couch. She'd gotten used to her lifestyle and didn't choose to hide anything.

That is, until the day came.

Ananya would never tell Kathie the reason why she came to Bourdier. She never told the blue-haired, pale-faced girl why she'd kept herself a recluse and stowed her paychecks like a rat trying to hide their food. Kathie, who'd grown up in the tenth sector, didn't find anything out of the ordinary with Ananya's careful behavior, but on that certain day, when the gray clouds parted to allow drips of the sun to caress the small city, Kathie found a tick appear in her jaw as she watched her roommate rush around her part of the townhouse. From the moment she'd woken up, Kathie had been bombarded with wet rags and cans of air freshener. She'd been forced to mop the kitchen and vacuum the small woven rug in the living room and wash the dishes and air out the laundry. Kathie had done more chores that day than she'd ever done in her life, and when she was finally able to catch a moment for herself, she wanted answers.

"Did you eat breakfast?" She asked cautiously. She followed Ananya's wobbly movements, ready to catch the petite girl if she tripped or slipped.

"Kind of," Ananya replied. "I had an apple."

"That's not breakfast. That's a snack." Kathie dragged her hand along the coarse fabric of the couch. "What's got your panties in a bunch, Ana? What's so special about today?"

"Nothing. There's nothing special," Ananya said, laughing a bit too happily for Kathie's liking. The dark-haired girl was always happy, but a high-pitched edge in Ananya's voice made her concerned.

"Sure. Then why are you cleaning on a Thursday? Cleaning days for you are on Saturday."

"Yeah, but I figured I'd clean early this week so that I can have Saturday off."

"For the past four years, you've been cleaning on Saturday no matter what," Kathie pointed out. "Something had to have changed for you to clean today. Is someone coming over?"

Ananya stopped moving, the rag she was holding halfway up the cracked mirror. She sighed, a small, distant smile rounding her cheeks. "Oscar," she replied. "He's coming to pick me up for work."

"Is that so?" Kathie grinned. "The Alpha guy? That's new. Here I thought the President would be visiting." She chuckled. "So, why the haste then? He's just coming to pick you up."

"Yeah, but what if he needs to use the bathroom or wants something to drink or eat?" Ananya rubbed the mirror vigorously. "I have to be prepared just in case."

"I doubt he will. Although I don't mind having to hear the vacuum at 10 pm instead of 7 am on a Saturday," Kathie muttered. "Is that what you're going to wear?"

"Yep!" Ananya smiled. "I found this dress in my closet last night and you know these are my favorite leggings."

"How could I not? You wear them nearly every day." Kathie rolled her eyes. "You seem excited to see him, though."

"He's a nice guy, Kathie," Ananya said. "I know Officer Bayor and everyone else warned me to be careful with him, but it's hard not to trust someone who treats me like...like a person." She shrugged. "Of course, I still keep my distance, but I think he's not a bad person. So far, none of the werewolves seem to be."

Kathie shrugged. "For now. Maybe he's using you for the long con?" She pulled a thread from the couch. "But you know what you're doing, so I'll trust your judgment. Just call me if you need me to bail you on your date."

"Date?" Ananya laughed. "What date?"

"Your date with the Alpha," Kathie drawled. "That's why you got so dressed up, isn't it? You're going on a date."

"No." Ananya shook her head in amusement. "This isn't being dressed up. I'm wearing regular clothes. And I told you, we're meeting for work. I..." she paused for a moment. "We're meeting my aunt and uncle today."

"Ooh, what for? Is he already asking for your family's approval?" Kathie smirked. "This is sudden, isn't it? Then again, I've heard that werewolves move quickly in relationships because of their mate bonds, right?"

A blush crept on Ananya's cheeks. "Oh, Kathie!" She shook Kathie's arm with a mixture of a squeal and laugh. "None of that sort is happening! I told you that my distant cousin was one of the victims and we have to tell my aunt and uncle." Her laughter vanished, and Kathie noticed a dull shade sweep over Ananya's eyes.

"Your aunt and uncle, eh?" Kathie had known and kept in the back of her mind that Ananya was raised by her estranged family, but she'd never dwelled on the thought. "You mentioned them before, I think. Will they be coming here?"

"No, at least, I hope not." Ananya chewed her lip. "They...they don't know that I live here."

"Oh, they don't?" Kathie arched a brow. "Where do they think you live then?"

"Newton," Ananya replied, mentioning the neighboring, prosperous city of Bourdier. "They just think I work here."

"I see." Kathie was interrupted by the doorbell, and immediately, the darkness lifted from Ananya's expression.

"I'll get it!" She bounced up and scrambled for the door, grinning from ear to ear. Kathie watched her go, unsure how to feel. She realized then that she didn't know as much as she thought she did about Ananya, and she partially blamed herself for never asking. She wondered, now, if there was anything deeper to the relationship between Ananya and her family.