Page 1 of Breaker

Chapter One

Juniper

I trudged through the dimly lit alley, my feet dragging with each exhausted step. Frigid air filled my lungs, the biting cold seeping deep. Clouds of breath formed before me, dissipating into the night like my fading strength.

Violent shivers wracked my slender frame as I struggled onward. The thin, tattered coat offered little protection against winter’s onslaught. My head throbbed with a dull, persistent ache, the fever’s unrelenting grip making the world seem distant and hazy.

Vision blurring, I blinked hard, trying to will away the encroaching darkness at the edges of my sight. Each step required immense effort, as if lead weights pulled at my aching legs. I had to keep going. Stopping meant surrendering to the cold, to sickness, to despair.

Flashes of memory cut through the fevered confusion -- Mama’s kind eyes, the warmth of our tiny apartment, the scent of fresh baked bread. Before the accident stole everything. Before Uncle’s leering face and harsh blows became my waking nightmare.

“J-just… a little… f-farther,” I whispered through chattering teeth.

Safety. I needed… somewhere… to rest.

Squinting, I scanned the dank alleyway, willing a spot to manifest. There -- a small alcove tucked between two brick buildings. It wasn’t much, but the worn wooden crate and scattered rubbish offered a modicum of shelter against the biting wind.

Dragging myself the final few steps, I practically fell into the corner, knees buckling. The rough brick scraped my back through my clothes as I slid down the wall. Warring sensations of burning fever and clawing chills besieged me. I drew my knees to my chest, trying to conserve any whisper of body heat.

Snowflakes drifted in the dim lamplight at the alley’s mouth, the first to fall this season. Once, a lifetime ago, I danced between swirling flurries, Papa’s rich laughter ringing out as he twirled Mama. Now the snow felt like a frozen shroud, settling over me with gentle finality. Had I escaped the horror of living with my uncle only to die in this alley?

Exhaustion tugged at my eyelids, the effort of keeping them open suddenly monumental. Thoughts scattered like windblown leaves. Perhaps if I rested, just for a moment, the weariness would lessen. The pounding in my skull might abate.

I huddled against the wall, arms wrapped around myself in a vain attempt at comfort, and let my head drop to my chest.

The cold embrace of brick and stone welcomed me as awareness slipped away, a final dark mercy. In the recesses of my mind, a tiny flame still flickered, stubborn and desperate. A yearning for the warmth of a gentle touch, the safety of a loving hand.

But as I spiraled into oblivion, even that spark guttered out, lost to fever dreams and the remorseless bite of winter’s chill.

* * *

I fought to open my eyes, the weight of exhaustion pressing down like a physical force. The alley swam into focus, all harsh edges and deep shadows. I blinked slowly, trying to orient myself. How long had I been drifting in the liminal space between wakefulness and oblivion?

A violent shiver wracked my body, the movement sending a fresh wave of pain through my aching muscles. I gritted my teeth against the discomfort, my breath escaping in a hiss. The cold had seeped into my very bones, a chill no amount of rubbing could dispel. I had to get up and move. If I didn’t, not only could I potentially freeze to death, but bad things happened when you lingered in one spot for too long. I would be easy prey for those who liked to take advantage of the weaker.

I braced my hand against the rough brick, my fingers scraping the weathered surface as I struggled to push myself upright. The world tilted alarmingly, and I squeezed my eyes shut, willing the dizziness to pass. When I opened them again, the alley had settled, but the edges of my vision remained blurred, the colors muted and indistinct.

“Come on, Juniper,” I whispered, my voice rasping in my dry throat. “You can’t stay here.”

But where could I go? The question haunted me as I staggered forward, my hand skimming the wall for support. Each step was a battle, my legs trembling beneath me like a newborn foal’s. The future stretched out before me, a yawning void of uncertainty and despair.

Hot tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, but I blinked furiously. Crying would solve nothing, and the moisture would only freeze on my cheeks, another layer of discomfort to contend with. I had to keep moving, had to find shelter, had to… had to…

My train of thought derailed, scattering into fragments. The fever was playing tricks on my mind, making it difficult to focus on anything beyond the next step, the next breath. A cough bubbled up from my lungs, tearing at my throat like shards of glass. I pressed my free hand to my mouth, trying to stifle the sound, but it only seemed to echo louder in the stillness of the alley.

Desperation clawed at my chest, a wild thing scrabbling for escape. What if I couldn’t find a safe place to rest? What if the sickness worsened, leaving me helpless and alone? The specter of my uncle loomed in my mind, his malevolent presence a constant shadow at the edges of my consciousness.

I shook my head, trying to dislodge the dark thoughts. I had to stay focused on the present, on survival. One foot in front of the other. One breath at a time. It was a mantra I clung to, a fragile lifeline in a sea of hopelessness.

But even as I repeated the words silently, I could feel the last vestiges of my strength ebbing away. The brick wall was the only thing keeping me upright, and I knew that soon, even that support wouldn’t be enough.

Fear and despair twined around my heart, constricting tighter with each labored step. The future I had once dreamed of, a life of safety and warmth, love and laughter, seemed as distant as the stars, forever out of reach. All that remained was the cold, the pain, and the certainty that I was utterly, inescapably alone.

Hunger gnawed at my stomach, a relentless ache that consumed my every thought. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had a proper meal, the kind that filled you up and chased away the cold. The memory of my last meager rations, scrounged from a dumpster behind a restaurant, only served to intensify the emptiness inside me.

I pressed a hand to my belly, feeling the hollow space beneath my ribs. The hunger was a constant companion, a cruel reminder of how far I’d fallen. It sapped my strength, making each step more difficult than the last. I longed for the days when food was plentiful, when I didn’t have to worry about where my next meal would come from.

Unbidden, memories of my family flooded my mind, bringing with them a fresh wave of pain. I remembered the warmth of our kitchen, the scent of my mother’s cooking filling the air. She always made sure I had enough to eat, pressing second helpings onto my plate with a loving smile.

---