Ever since that day, they were constantly on the move. It wasn’t that he had found them every time, but that Niel’s mother always found a flaw or a reason to leave. There is a rat; the dogs are too noisy; the pipes squeal; the rent was too high; the neighborhood was bad. They were all excuses that Niel did not believe.

Because of the constant moving around, Niel did not go to school. He was homeschooled by his mother and the doctor that helped them after the crash. They visited him every month after his mother recovered from the crash. He taught Niel Science and Mathematics while his mother taught him History and Writing. She left Niel to learn to better himself in reading.

Because of the threat always looming over them when it came to Niel’s father, they would always conceal their appearance.  Niel let his hair grow out, and his mother did not mind. She enjoyed playing with it and brushing it out and braiding it to create waves later. It was when his hair reached shoulder length that they decided that he would dress as a girl when they went out.

Niel did not mind. He knew why he had to do it, so he did not complain. He came to a point where he liked wearing dresses and skirts, but after an incident at the train station where a couple of teenage pucks tried to lift his skirt, he decided to always wear shorts underneath. Luckily his mom was there to scare them off.  

It was also because of this incident that they both decided to enroll into different martial arts classes. They didn’t study just one, but three. They took kumdo, tae kwon do, and Hapkido. They were determined to be well rounded, but not hot headed. They wanted to be at peace, so they would also do endurance training to release their anger and stress.

As a way to keep them healthy and from injuring themselves, they visited the doctor often. He became like family to them. Niel found out that his mother had kept in contact with the man he met at the party, and when he asked why, she answered that he was family.

After that question, his mother started telling him stories about how she grew up. She told him about her mother and father, her friends and grandparents, and about her only brother. Niel grew listening to her stories and became attached to the family he never knew, but it also made him even more attached to the doctor. He was like a goofy uncle to him.

It was midafternoon when Niel and his mother left the house. Niel was dressed in a knee length white dress and he wore a medical mask. His mother wore one as well. They have been covering their faces for a few years now as added security. Actually, only one other person has seen his face, but it was dark and the other was drunk. Niel thought about it often, and he would always feel butterflies when he thought back to it, but as they kept moving, he had to force the memory behind, but he made sure to not forget.

As they walked down the street, Niel turned and saw a game store. He stared at it for a moment before he turned forward again. He was about to continue walking when his mother pulled her back.

“I know you want it,” she said. Niel put his hands up and shook his head, causing his wavy hair to shake.

“No, no. It’s fine,” he said. His voice was pitched higher than normal, but only a little. His voice was still breaking, so that helped him a little. “I don’t need it.” She looked at Niel with a pout before heading off in the direction of the store. Niel never liked leaving his mother alone after that innocent, so he quickly rushed over to catch up with her.

“Relax,” she said with a smile. “You need to realize that we aren’t poor,” she says with a twirl. “We’re just smart with our money.” She laughs as she enters the store with Niel right behind, smiling with his eyes curled at the edges.  As soon as he gets in, his eyes immediately land on the one game he wanted.

Diablo

He wasn’t sure what the rest of it was called, whether it was the second, third, or even an undercover box set, he just knew that it was new and that he wanted it. His mother quickly stepped outside with a smile and a twinkle in her eyes. Niel quickly went over to the counter and handed the older gentleman the game and pulled out the money for it. They always carry a large stack of money with them each, but they never brought it out into public view.

They didn’t trust the bank since it was highly traceable. They didn’t trust leaving it home, since anyone can just break in. They didn’t trust leaving it with someone, since not everyone’s intentions were good. So, they kept a small wad in their purses and the rest strapped in Niel’s fake s and his mothers in hers. The man lazily accepted the money and handed him the game, never looking up from the book he read.  

Niel made his way towards the door, his smile so wide that anyone who could see it would stop just to stare at him, if his face wasn’t covered. His mother smiled on as she watched him from outside the window. As he neared the door, a boy ran in. Since Niel was too busy looking at his new game, he didn’t see the boy coming at him. He ran into Niel, causing them both to tumble, but both were fast enough to steady themselves.

“I’m so sorry,” said the boy. Niel looked up to see a boy with dark black hair, his fringe covering one eye, and a red streak accompanied the side. He wore a sleeveless black shirt with a kaki leather jacket. Black cargo shorts over black leggings and shoes completed his outfit. As Niel looked up to meet his eyes, he was met with eyeliner and a kind smile. His face flushed as he stared at the boy who was just a little shorter and darker than himself.

“Are you alright?” The boy asked. Niel merely nodded, his eyes widening just ever so slightly. The boy smiled and continued forward. Niel looked after him, curiosity taking over. He stared on for a moment longer before he tore his eyes away and made his way towards the door once again.

“What do you mean you’re all out?!” Niel stopped and peaked back at the boy at the counter. The man still had not looked up from his book as the boy fumed. “You guys were the only ones left in the area, and you’re all out?!” The man rolled his eyes in annoyance.

“We ran out of Diablo, get over it. The world moves on,” said the man. The boy had quickly grabbed the man by the collar and pulled him forward. Their faces were very close, and the man was caught off guard by the boy. He went to stare at him, but was shocked and scared when he met the boy’s eyes.

“I suggest you fix your attitude or I fix it for you.” The man shrunk back in fear, but the younger boy only brought him closer. He closed his eyes, but soon felt himself being let go. He opened his eyes to see the reason, only to see the girl, Niel, holding the boys shoulder.

“You can have mine,” said Niel. The boy looked at her for a moment before shaking his head. He didn’t like taking things from others. He looked went to turn back towards the man, but Niel’s grip only tightened. “Just let him go and take mine.”

As soon as the grip loosened, the man dashed towards the back and locked the door. The boy looked after him before kicking the display in anger. Niel felt guilty.

He believed that he was the reason that the boy was angry, because he was the one that got the last game. He didn’t like others feeling bad, so he the game into the boy’s chest before turning to run.

“Wait!” The boy called out.

“Keep it!” Niel yelled back. He ran outside and turned the corner into the busy street, making sure he became lost in the crowd. He heard his footsteps behind him, so he turned to an alleyway before jumping onto one of the fire escapes and climbing up. Niel watched as the boy slowed down beneath him and look around. Niel carefully hid behind some hanging blankets and watched from a small opening as the boy looked up and around before leaving with a sigh.

“He was cute.” Niel jumped as he saw his mother walking into the alleyway. She was looking up at him, and with the curve of her eyes, it was obvious she was smiling. “But why did you give him the game? He wasn’t that cute.” Niel laughed at his mother’s comment before climbing down.

“I bought the last game, so it was kind of my fault that he was upset.” Niel’s mother rolled her eyes at how Niel always seems to protect everyone but himself. “And he is that cute.” Both of them laughed as they walked out of the alleyway and into the street to continue of their way. They heard footsteps approaching them quickly, and when the noticed that they were not slowing down, even when the light was red, Niel’s mother reacted.

“ Woah there missy,” she said. She quickly pulled the young girl back just as a car quickly drove past. The girl looked up to her with wide eyes in confusion. “You need to be careful,” she said. Niel looked on as his mother let her go. She watched as the girl straightened her dress before bowing, and couldn’t help but to think that she was one of the prettiest girls she has ever seen.

“You’re really pretty,” said Niel. The girl looked up to him in surprise. “Isn’t she pretty mama?” His mother nodded with a smile, only visible by the way her eyes curled. Niel watched as the girl’s face turned to a light shade of pink before she smiled.

“Thank you,” she said. His mother just waved her off with a crinkle of the eye.

“It’s nothing; just make sure you be careful. You know the traffic here is a mess.” The girl nodded furiously, her head bobbling up and down in a fashion that Niel just found adorable. She soon turned and they continued walking when the light turned green, but the girl did now run this time. “Where were you speeding off to?” The girl looked up and smiled shyly.

“My friend got the new Diablo game and I wanted to play it.” Niel knew what she was talking about, but for some reason, he felt as if he should act dumb.

“What’s Diablo?” The girl looked over to Niel with her eyes impossibly large and hung open in bewilderment. It amused Niel.

“Well, it’s just about the best game to ever grace human existence.” Niel just couldn’t help but to smile even harder at the girl’s energy. She was adorable. “You’re eyes are pretty.” Niel was caught off guard. He had never been complimented before by anyone other than his mother. He was at a loss for words, so he just nodded.

“Well, we should be going. We have a doctor’s appointment.” Niel looked at his mother as did the girl. He felt a twinge of sadness that they had to part, but understood nonetheless. He looked back to see the girl smile and wave as they turned into the familiar building of the doctor. Niel glanced back to see her walking away slowly.

His mother smiled at her son. She felt a pang of sadness, knowing that Niel must be feeling lonely, but she had to focus on their exam first. She knew that, even if she asked, Niel would just play it off and act as if everything was alright. She had a strong young man.  But maybe all that strength was a weakness as well.

They walked into the office, but the receptionist was not there. They wouldn’t see it odd, for that girl was always stepping away from her station, if it were not for the note on the counter. It stated that the doctor is waiting upstairs. They never needed a note. No one ever left a note. They never met him upstairs.

Niel looked up to his mother before she looked back at him. They nodded before they quickly sprinted upstairs. As soon as they reached the second floor, they heard a faint beeping sound.

Beep.

Beep.

They weren’t sure what it was, but it sounded like a heart monitor. They quickly sprinted to the room that they never entered, the one at the end of the hall. They stepped back in horror as they saw their doctor, their good friend, tied down and cut open. His chest was sliced down the middle and his heart and lungs pulsed with the last weak efforts of life they possessed.

They flinched back in fear and disgust. Tears immediately fell from Niel’s eyes as he held his hands up. His mother choked back sobs as she came closer, only for her to gasp and sob at seeing the doctor’s eyes open and looking back at her.

“Run,” he choked out. Although it was barely heard, they understood. “Please, go.” The monitor slowed down even further, but they didn’t want to leave. “Please.” Niel’s mother nodded before grabbing Niel’s shoulders. They couldn’t afford to go out the front door, so they quickly moved to the hallway and went to their usual room. There, they found the receptionist with slit. They gasped out in horror before moved towards the corner and pulling the floor boards up.

They made sure to have it, but never opened it. They hoped to never use it. They could still hear the very faint sound of the beep as it slowed down even further. They crawled down into the space and moved as quickly as they could. Their dresses tore on some roots and their masks fell.

They quickly made it to a more spacious part of the tunnel before running.

An explosion was heard behind them, and they ran faster. They were reaching the end when they felt the heat behind them. This time, Niel pushed his mother forward.

They barely made it out and behind cover before some of the burning wood flew forward. After, the cave collapsed and any remnant of the passage disappeared. Niel and his mother panted in exhaustion. As he made his way to stand, he flinched in pain. His mother came running to him.

She gasped as she saw a large burn across his back. It seems as if that heat burned his dress, but a piece of debris must have hit him.

“It’s okay,” he said. “It will heal.” With help from his mother, he stood. He reached into his chest before pulling out a switch blade. He quickly cut the skirt off of his dress, just leaving the top and his shorts, before proceeding to hack away at his hair.

His mother watched in silence. She bit her lip and looked at his with eyes of sadness.

“We should find another place to stay,” she said. He nodded before following his mother.

‘I’ll have to call my brother again.’