Running behind him, I was surprised at how much energy he retained after the fight. Even more astonishing, there was no longer a gaping hole in his chest; it was healing, fast. I forced myself to disregard it.

"You never told me where we were going."

"My place." he responded, "it's not far now."

I didn't like the area. We were running through various alleys, sticking to the shadows when we ventured out on the streets. Crossing the river, we were now on the bad side of town, where gang activity is most frequently reported.

Finally, we reached an abandoned storefront. The windows were boarded and green paint was peeling off three stories of brick. Long ago it could have been a quaint little business, but not anymore. I was surprised to see the boy pull a key from his pocket.

"This is home.. well, sortof," he opened the door, surveying the street for potential enemies. I stood still, not sure about entering an abandoned building with a boy who wasn't quite human.

"What're you waiting for?" his eyes again pleaded, "You'll be safe here."

His deep brown eyes met my doubtful ones. With no other option, I stepped through the doorway. He closed the door and turned on dull lights. The room was not illuminated well, but there was not much to look at either. All surfaces were covered in dust. A broken countertop stood to the right and ahead, broken shelves lined the wall, and a bar with missing stools sat to the left wall.

"Welcome to Smithman's Pharmacy!" the boy spread out his arms, "This joint was the bee's knees in the 20's, but not for anything sold out here." He vaulted across the counter; I walked around to join him. "See that?" he pointed at the ground.

He pulled out a knife. I flinched, unsure of what he was planning. He stabbed at a crack in the floorboard and used the knife as a lever to pull it up. Unexpectedly, the rise of one board resulted in multiple being lifted away from the floor.

What had appeared to be simply cracks in the wood was a disguised entranceway to an underground staircase. He ushered me in as I cautiously descended into the dark. Climbing down after me, he let the trap door close. Darkness encompassed my surroundings, and I stopped moving.