Jasmine  

I    

Running through the brush, I clutch the bejeweled box closer to my chest. One wrong move, and they’ll catch up. Jumping over leaves, broken tree branches, and various small animals, I spot a hole in the ground, not too far away. The perfect hiding spot.  

As the guards begin to catch up to me, I dash into the spot, just as I hear their voices nearing. I feel the ground shake as the leader, Zaro, looks around for me, standing a little too close for comfort to my hiding spot.  

“Where’d she go?”  

“I don’t know, boss,” Zaro’s little minion, Calipso, squeaks. “I think she hid somewhere.”  

 I feel Calipso’s soft footsteps near as well. During my frequent run-ins with the law, I always wondered why Zaro chose Calipso to accompany him. Perhaps the weakest girl in the city to accompany the lead fighter? It was bizarre, but I had more important things to worry about.  

 “Chief! Over there!” Another one of the fighters calls Zaro’s attention away. I hear some muffled, hushed whispers, and feel the ground shake again as the fighters slowly creep away, probably thinking that I’m some wild animal. Phew, close.  

 After waiting for a reasonable amount of time, I slowly creep out of the underbrush. Before I could move any more, I felt large hands grip each of my arms, and the feeling of dread seeps into my bones.  

 “So you thought we forgot about you, or perhaps went on the wrong path, huh?” I look up to see Zaro himself holding my left arm, and Tashe, another one of his minions, on my right. Well, jinx, I guess.  

 Zaro’s human-bone mask stares back at me while I try to figure out what to say.  

 “Well... I-”  

 “Save it, street girl,” Zaro sneers at me, gripping my arm harder, and beginning to drag me, signaling to Tashe to do the same. They both whistle a war song as they drag me through the leaves, and the rest of the ‘fighters,’ follow, singing the same tune, but with words.   

 The violent, loud song bangs through my head, until Zaro bashes me with his spear, and I knock out cold.  

Cairo  

II    

Rough shingles catch on my hole-filled shoes as I dart away from the city fighters. The fires behind me blaze bright as citizens run and scream to escape the wreckage. Dumbasses. In an attempt to lure me out of hiding, the brain-dead city fighters set the city hall on fire. I wasn’t even in the city hall- they just thought I was.  

I mean, I'm not the smartest either...

Anyways.

I realize that I’m on the last roof before the paved road starts, so I slide down a ladder adorned with plants and look around to determine my next move. Where can I go?  

If the city fighters catch me again, that could mean a life sentence.  

Or worse, an execution.  

Motivated by my potential impending doom, I look harder for any opening that’s not the populated road in front of me. If I start running there, some citizens will catch me for sure.  

Then, I see it. An alleyway between two terracotta houses. It’ll have to do. I ready my stance to begin sprinting again, and then...  

I feel a hand wrap around my mouth, a kick to my back, and everything goes black.