Page 42 of Of Sins and Sacrifice

Disease. What a thought.

Frustration boils inside of me and I stomp my feet onto the floor. But even the freaking floor strikes back. Now my foot hurts.

I’m hungry, tired, and still cold.

More tears threaten to spill down my cheeks, but I swallow a sob and force myself to think.

One step at a time.

I’ll find a solution… I think.

For now, I just need some food so I can go to sleep with a full stomach.

Grabbing a couple of pence, I go out in search of some filling food. Even if it’s just bread—that might be the only thing I can afford—that’s fine. I just need to fill my stomach withsomething.

The streets are bustling with people—a stark contrast to the silence of the night. Cars crowd the roads, with people sliding between them to get to their destination—sometimes narrowly escaping an accident.

My hair is wet and clinging to my face, making me look quite a fright. Despite the sun shining in the sky, it’s only early September, so the temperatures are…temperate. That means my wet hair makes me even colder than before.

The dress I’m wearing is a blend of wool and cotton, but it doesn’t seem to help when a chilly breeze makes me shiver from head to toe.

I can’t believe I’m even thinking this but… That rat might have been better off than me. At leastheate cookies—mycookies.

I reach a store and feel for the pence in my pocket. The smell of freshly baked bread is intoxicating and I am close to salivating. But there is a huge line in front of me that moves slowly.

Happy I will at least get some food, I join the line and wait.

Minutes pass by. The queue slowly dissolves until I’m next in line.

“One loaf of bread, please,” I say, presenting my coins.

The seller gives me an odd look.

“Your ration book?”

“What?”

“No ration book, no bread,” he adds curtly.

“But I don’t have?—”

“Next,” he calls out, moving his attention from me.

I blink.

Someone from behind shoves me out of the way. I stumble back and barely regain my balance so I don’t fall—again.

It takes me a few moments to realize that without my powers, I will need to follow the same rules as humans, and that means getting a ration book in order to buy food.

But how does one even get a ration book?

Where do I go to get one?

Will they even give me one? I don’t have any papers, no identification card or anything of the sort. From their perspective, I don’t exist in this world.

Then what about food? How will I get something to eat?

A little faint and more than ravenous, I walk around as I think about the best ways to deal with this.

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