🍪🏠CRK: A Week in the Republic Slums🏠🍪

Chapter 9

The next morning, they woke to the sound of seagulls squawking outside their window. The room was stuffy and the smell of the fish market had infiltrated their nostrils. Madeleine looked like he had barely slept, his eyes puffy and his dough complexion paler than usual.

"I can't believe I agreed to this," Madeleine groaned, sitting up. "I've had better nights in the Mansion bedrooms."

"You're not in the Mansion anymore," Espresso reminded him, a glint of amusement in his eye despite his own fatigue. He gestured to their surroundings, "Welcome to reality, my friend."

They gathered their disguises and headed out into the early morning light, the lower city already coming to life. The streets were lined with stalls selling everything from freshly baked goods to enchanted trinkets that promised to change a Cookie's fortune.

"Remember, blend in," Espresso hissed as they ventured deeper into the labyrinth of alleyways. "We don't want to draw any more attention than necessary."

Madeleine nodded, adjusting his tattered hat, feeling utterly out of place. His silk pajamas, now hidden under a rough, woolen shirt and patched pants, felt like they were suffocating him. He had never experienced the true hardships of the lower city, not after his rise to fame. The stares from the passing Cookies made his skin crawl, and the thought of living here for a week made his stomach churn.

They stopped at a street corner where a group of children played with a makeshift ball made of rolled-up newspaper. Gingerbrave watched them, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes. He had come from a similar background, but his life had taken a different path, one filled with adventure and friendship. He nudged Madeleine gently. "Look, it's not all bad, is it?"

Madeleine forced a smile, his eyes lingering on the children before they darted to the dilapidated buildings that loomed over them. "I suppose not."

They continued on, the cobblestone streets turning to dirt paths as they ventured further from the bustling market. The buildings grew smaller and closer together, the air thick with the scent of poverty and despair. Madeleine tried to keep his chin up, but the weight of his disguise felt heavier with each step.

As they approached the area where Espresso had lived as a young Cookie, the atmosphere grew more somber. The buildings were stained with age, and the occasional whiff of something foul wafted through the air. Madeleine's stomach lurched as they turned down a particularly narrow alley.

"This is it," Espresso said, pointing to a small, run-down shack with a flickering light in the window. "Home sweet home."

Madeleine looked at the shack, then at Espresso, then back at the shack again. "This...this is where you lived?"

"It's not much to look at," Espresso said with a shrug, "but it kept me safe and out of trouble."

Crunchy Chip poked his head inside, his nose wrinkling at the musty scent. "It smells like someone left their shoes in here for a hundred years."

Wildberry stepped in, his gaze scanning the room, "It's cozy. But we need to be careful not to draw any attention to ourselves."

"We're already sticking out like sore thumbs," Madeleine murmured, looking down at his disguise, "but I suppose we'll manage."

"You'll do fine," Gingerbrave said, slapping Madeleine on the back. "Besides, think of the bragging rights when you tell your mom you survived a week in the lower city."

Madeleine rolled his eyes but couldn't help the tiny smirk that tugged at his lips. The thought of the look on his mother's face was almost worth it.

The day was spent exploring the lower city, getting a taste of the local cuisine, which was vastly different from the gourmet dishes they were accustomed to. The food was simple, but it was filled with flavor, a stark reminder of the richness of life that could be found even in the most modest of places.