I’m Still Fighting For You Dedicated to: All those siblings and my own little Ollie. Don’t fight, use each other for support and kindness. It sounds cheesy but it’s true! By: Noah S. Tables flipping, desk lamps flying by my head, what have I gotten myself into?! Whoops! Almost tripped on a lamp wire! Gaaahh, those lamps! Desk, slide! Phew. Ok, out the window, roll, tadaa! Running running, turn conner, run a little more, slide under the bar, there! Safe, in my crappy hidey hole! I’m Theodore, but my friends call me Theo. Don’t know my last name because my mom forgot. They don’t matter much. I’m a street urchin and a thief. It’s the way I live or, more so, survive. I can tell you the year because luckily I’m able to read. Not everyone is able to read in 2050. It’s not much different from 2000. Just more tech and now there are maglev roads. Maglev is magnetic levitation so all the monorails run that way. But society has decreased too. There are more gangs and unsafe communities ever since Trumpy became Prez in 2020. He didn’t run the country well. And because of Trumps horrible leadership, Dr. Delirious blew up all of the middle east. All of it. Trump’s thick head didn’t realize the threat! Anyway, I’ve swiped a gold chalice, letter opener, silver candlestick, and two loaves of bread. “OK, put these in the records please Ray? And those in the storage, no not in the wall! Stop drilling! Jeez! When I thought I made a good choice bringing my brother! Ray! Stop joking with m- Ah! What was that for!?” I shout with pain tinged in my voice while rubbing the back of my head. He hit me with a softish book. Ish. Ugh. “C’mon Theo! You know I’m messing with you! It’s too cramped and dark in this ditch! We can have an impenetrable fort!” “I know you want to expand the fort! We just don’t have the space!” I exclaim. Ya see, I’ve loved my brother all my life. We found tools, blankets and pillows in an alley. Then we cleaned them and made a big fort with several rooms. One room has pipes so we have water. We found it right after the incident. I won’t say what it is yet for two reasons: One is to keep you on the edge of your seats, and the second is because I don’t feel ready. But anyway, he’s my last thing from home so I gotta keep him even if he’s really annoying. But he’s family and I love him! Time to hop into bed and turn in for the night! Get my clothes on and hop out the door. Wait! Forgot to say bye to Ray! “Bye Ray!” Let’s go! Gotta hustle! I’ve been walking for forever and my sack feels much heavier. The market is six minutes away but it feels like eternity. Thankfully, Ray is back at the fort. He gets nervous and I don’t want him associated with me. It’s been too close since my last run The market gives us urchins necessities by trading. And I need to get the good stuff which means getting there early. Time is always of the essence. “News! News! New York is spreading civilization back upstate! They’ll help us build back towns, trees, homes and more!” A vender is yelling. This is huge! 55% of the world is in waste and the other 45% is in complete prosperity. I’m now pumped because this gives opportunity to help everyone and to help myself. Us urchins get clean in lakes and stuff, we just don’t have food or anything of value to trade with. I have my weapons, but not much else. That’s why I steal. There’s also upper class and lower class. Those with any money and those without. These markets let those without any money buy food and clothes. I have the things I stole stuffed in my sack to trade with. They’re a little banged up but good enough to get some nice clothes, fresh food and lots of bottled water. “Hey! You!” Some guy screams. Me? Why me? I’ve never killed anybody! I’m trying to live an honest life! Not lying, just stealing! I don’t lie about what I steal! Crap! IT’S A COP! Running running, slide over table, throw stack of crates! Pushing people! NO!! NOT THE MARKET! Hard left, running alongside the river, stop short and turn around, lean down and point my shoulder out and push with my legs! Connected right to the solar plexus! Thank god he’s skinny! He’s stumbled back, sat down with a bump and is heaving, trying to catch his breath. “Mr. I’m sorry but I’m gonna have to knock you out. Goodnight!” I say cheerfully. I give him a strong hook to the jaw. That oughta do it. I’ve gotta move quick. That run in tells me that wasn’t a coincidence. “Ray I’m home! Ray? Raaayyy! Ray?” Where is he? Wait, tracks. Stuff is knocked over? Why would that be? I never wanted to get Ray involved! He most definitely was kidnapped. Or arrested! I better turn myself in. Or, break in. Gotta go with the latter. Now I like the sound of that! “Whaa- Why’s it so black? Can’t breath, ooohh can’t breath! Losing consciousness, losing consciousness! Oh crap…” Where am I? The blackness is fading… Aha! I’m in a cell! Actually, this is bad. But there’s a guard! Good. Now I’ll tell you why I’m in this cage in the first place. Flashback! It was 2040, I was only 4 years old at the time. My mother was a teacher so she home schooled me. She never spoke about my father or our last name. She said she forgot. She always look so beautiful with her long blond hair and tall skinny frame. The most regal part were those striking grey eyes, eyes of someone who just knew that everyone can be better, that almost literally shone with happiness.Those eyes were my island of peace, of safety, of where I could do anything. She would tell me in a voice that really sounded like she was singing, “Oh Theo, you’re so smart. How you know how to read so well and write so fast is a miracle. Such a miracle. And with your brother almost ready to see you, you’ll teach him. You’ll teach him so well. ” And I would swell with pride, with love. My mother, the one who knew there was something special in everyone, all my friends, all our family that would visit, all her friends. I didn’t speak yet so I ran to her and jumped. She would catch me and give me kisses all over my cheeks. Then we heard guns. Guns that are so rare. The kind that everyone fears. My brother started to cry in his room and she ran, picked him up handed him to me, grabbed a knife and yelled “Run, Theo! Run!” The first time I spoke was when I shrieked, “NO!” She gave me a look I never saw before. Fear. I then ran, and ran and ran, through the window, down the fire escape and on the street, all the while holding my swaddled brother in his soft blanket. My knuckles were white from gripping the blanket. But I then looked through the window and there she was. She threw a knife and it killed a man. But then another walked through the door and shot her. Just like that. While smiling. I burned with the indignity of it. The pain, sorrow, anger, fear. From that day forward, I made a promise. I will avenge my mother and protect my brother. And I vowed I would only kill those men. And since then I have been stealing to live, and tracking them down to fulfill my promise. I acquired skills I never would have before. Now, time to use those skills. I hear that guard snoring in the corner. He has a wire sticking out of his belt. Typical. Ok, there’s a rope, and a weight! I’m lucky! Ok, tie the rope onto the weight swing, and throw between the bars! Made it! “Oi! I’m comin’ in there ya little weasel! Why didja do that?!” That cranky guard! “Cuz I felt like it,” I replied with zero enthusiasm. Then the guard growled. He growled. Like an animal. Jeez, this guy! He opened the door and barreled in hurling weight in. This guy is big. Real big. His stomach is a mountain flipped on it’s side. I mean, it’s half his body! Think about it! But he’s slow, and his fat is his protection. I let him slide by me, then I crack my elbow out and stick my leg out at the same time. He falls with a bloody lip. I then punch him straight in the nose, making him see red. Now I’m running, flipping in the air and bring my heel right on his temple. He staggers but is still up. Now I take my weight and slam it again into his temple. This time he sits down with a thud and I take his key.