Foxed [1st/2nd Draft]

Chapter 5: Prison

"Sirens scream in vain. I have already died, a million times inside," Time Bomb by Jessy Greene

Harper rolled her eyes. "I want you to really hear this when I say it, Kender... I'm not poor anymore," she paused and her eyes widened. She backed up and sat down, fanning her face. "Did you hear me? Poor. Me. No more! I can go into Uptown shops without worrying about surcharges. I can get you guys whatever you want from the stores! Vegetables, fruits, even chocolate! I can even get your ungodly hair dye. Look!"

Harper reached for a leather bag and whipped it into her lap to shuffle through the contents. She pulled out a rectangular piece of colored paper and handed it to me.

"What is that? That is not what I think it is, is it?" I asked, lifting the piece to my face. I sniffed it warily. "Smells like paper and ink and..."

Harper nodded furiously. "That is exactly what you think it is. One-hundred Yuan! It's real."

I frowned and gave her a skeptical look. "Are you messing with me?"

Harper shook her head and pulled out more of the colored paper. "I'm very serious."

"Bìzuǐ!" I'd never seen any Yuan above twenty. No other poor person had either to my knowledge. "That's unbelievable. You should buy me something," I whispered, clutching the bill in my hand and then bringing it to my nose for another whiff.

Damn. Money smelled good!

"I already have, but you can't have it until you're finished with whatever it is Hayden is making you do. I'm sorry I couldn't talk him out of just letting it go. I did try."

"You know he's blackmailing me with it?" I cried out.

Harper sighed. "I told you, I tried to talk him out of it. He wouldn't budge."

"Ladies, I'm sorry to rush this. Kender, we must get going."

I closed my gaping mouth and turned at the interruption. There he was, the man who'd caused all this, standing at the entrance of the library like he'd never left. He was leaning against the door, his intense gaze focused on Harper, like a hawk watching prey. I shifted my feet and looked at the floor. The obsession he had with Harper twinkled in his eyes as his gaze seemed to devour her. It was very unsettling to watch.