Page 39 of Poison

"Who are you people?"

She tried to smile, but it faltered. "We're scavengers. Traders mostly. We've visit several cities, from the Enclave to New St. Louis. Midgard City, Leviticus City, Michigan Paradise, and the Cleveland Stronghold. Eventually, we end up at Sin City."

I had heard of all the other ten or so cities, of course, but I didn't know much. New St. Louis was supposedly a paradise, at least according to other scavengers. Leviticus City was the opposite of Sin City. I heard they threw people like me off the wall or hung them publicly as a warning to others. It was hard to believe that people could care so much about who someone was attracted to. Sure, there were a few around Sin City who liked to make snide remarks, but they were a minority. As long as a person was at least eighteen, nobody gave a damn who a person slept with. Seeing two men walking hand in hand was completely normal. Same with women, for that matter.

Perhaps the scavengers would let me tag along with them. I'd do just about anything to get away from Sin City, even if I had to sit outside of Leviticus. It would be neat to see the other cities firsthand.

"Mind if I hitch a ride?"

"...We can't."

What was the point in saving me if they wouldn't take me with them? "I can't go back there." Tears welled up in my eyes. "You have no idea what they do to me! I've been raped practically every day for the past ten years. I'm forced to have sex with people for sinders. All day, every day. I can't live like that anymore!"

Virgiline's frown deepened, but her voice was unwavering as she stated, "We can't take you with us. This little forest may seem lush, but beyond it is a barren wasteland that stretches for hundreds of miles. Some of those places require us to wear oxygen masks. We don't have enough oxygen to take on another person." Grabbing my hand, she ran her fingers gently over my palm. "I can see you've never worked hard a day in your life."

I snatched my hand back with a hurt scowl. "What part of 'I'm forced to have sex,' don't you understand? I work plenty."

"We do a lot of manual labor. You're strong. You have the arms and body for hard work, but your hands tell me you haven't done much. You'll slow us down. Aside from the lack of breathable air in so many places, there are many other dangers. Wild animals and hostile trader groups who attack andtry to steal what we have. Not to mention the cannibal tribes."

"The cannibal tribes really exist?!"

"Hell, yes, they exist! They took out six of us only a few months ago." Virgiline sighed, "Besides, we took a vote. We can't afford to bring you with us." She took my hand, and I had to resist the urge to recoil. "What we can do is sneak you back into the city. Sin City is a big place. If you have friends that can help, I'm sure you can stay hidden."

Maybe if I weren't famous. I would much rather take my chances out in the Wastes. I could just wander around the wall until I died of dehydration. But what if Trevor looks for me? It was doubtful, but there was still a chance he would want to see my body for himself.

If I snuck in with the traders, then what? I had a very small group of friends. Cherry couldn't take me in. That would ruin her life, and she would be thrown right back into shackles. Alex would help, but Hell's Gate would be the first place Trevor looked if he thought I survived the fall. And I had no clue where Alex lived, so he was out of the question. The only option left was Vic. As much as I still wanted to hate and resent him, I wanted to hear his side of the story. What was Alex trying to tell me before my bodyguard forced me to leave? Was it really just a moment of weakness?

A sense of defeat was drilling into my soul. "People are going to recognize me," I muttered to Virgiline.

"We can give you a makeover. I owe you that at the very least."

"You don't owe me anything."

"I do. I saved you when you didn't want to be saved." Her lips stretched into a thin line. "I thought we could take you along but wasn't aware how short we were on our oxygen supply." She nodded for me to follow her.

We exited a wagon attached to a large animal with horns. A cow or something. I couldn't remember what it was called. People ate its meat, but it was expensive since it came from one of the other cities. Sin City's main source of meat was chicken or turkey. There were a few delicacy animals, too, but I didn't know what they were, let alone have the chance to try them. Everything else was plant-based.

The traders had several wagons, each adorned with brightly colored flags. Men dressed in black stood guard at intervals along the perimeter; each held a gun. That was another thing I wasn't used to seeing. I only knew what guns looked like from history lessons ,old books, and movies. Everyone else around the makeshift camp was dressed in ragged clothing, mostly jeans and T-shirts. The group was a mix of ages, and I was shocked to see a child with a dog. Dogs and cats were a rare sight in Sin City. Only the super-rich had them. The only pet an average person was able to afford was a bird since several species flocked throughout the city.

Virgiline guided me toward a tall woman a few wagons down and asked, "Think you can make him blend in, Ava?"

"Blend in?"

"We have to send him back into the city, but he's afraid he'll be recognized."

Ava stepped close, giving me a once-over. "The only natural shade I have is black. The rest are all wild colors."

I looked at Virgiline for answers. "She can fix your hair, sweetie."

"Maybe I can give you a few fake face tattoos, too. Make you look like real trouble."

"I don't need to get the cop's attention," I muttered.

She shrugged. "It's what I got. Take it or leave it."

I only needed to keep the disguise long enough to find Vic, and he lived in Lowervill. There were plenty of people there with facial tattoos. Maybe if I looked rough enough, people wouldn't want to look my way. "Let's do it."

She escorted me into the wagon, where she lathered my strands with thick black gunk. The smell was horrid and stung my eyes, unlike the bright color dyes that smelled fruity. When Ava was done, my hair was as dark as an oil slick. Then she provided me with a new outfit to wear. It wasn't fancy, just black pants with a matching sleeveless, hooded shirt.

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