“Girly!” Kugun yelled as he turned to see her go. Picking up his pace, he jogged in after her.
Maren’s heart beat like a rabbit’s as she sprinted through the twisting maze of brick and trash, always with the sound of her owner’s heavy gait behind her. Coming to another opening, she saw a handful of men unloading the contents of a wagon into the back door of a shop. As she hastened past them, Kugun yelled out, “Stop dat girl!” and one of the men reached out for her, scooping her up off the ground.
Maren bit down hard on the man’s arm and he cursed as he let go of her. Without a moment’s hesitation, she scurried off into another alley. She could hear the laughter of the man’s companions echoing through the maze and Kugun’s footsteps slowing down. Filled with renewed hope for escaping, she ran ever faster.
As she moved, she noticed that the air in the alley was getting more difficult to breathe. It grew pungent and thick. The buildings seemed older and taller, and the light was growing dimmer. I’m running toward the city center, she thought to herself, and dread began to set in.
The passageways grew narrower and the refuse was piled higher, making speed more difficult to maintain and stealth impossible. Squinting, she could tell that there was a section of decaying building that had spilled into the alley, blocking her path. Maren knew she had to turn around and head back in the direction she came, but now Kugun, and a group of men, were waiting.
She turned around and ran, hoping that her owner was still in the opening, apologizing to the men. Instead of running all the way back, she turned right at the first intersection of alleys that crossed her path. As she rushed through the damp, dim corridor, she noticed the sound of heavy running feet behind her. With lungs burning and knees aching, she ran even faster. Suddenly, she tripped over something that felt like a burlap sack filled with rot. Stumbling to her feet, she noticed something strange. There was a wall directly in front of her, and on each side.
“Dead end,” Maren whispered to herself, and she felt weak all over.
Maren surveyed the dead end. There were trash piles taller than she was, and it reeked of decaying vermin. She could hear Kugun enter the narrow alley and knew that she would not be able to run past him to escape. She went to the corner of the dead end with the highest amount of rubbish and began to bury herself with it as she laid down.
As filthy rainwater began to soak her hair, she smelled something that triggered a gag. Looking around, she saw the rotting corpse of a stray cat, its tail nearly brushing her face. She wanted to move and hide elsewhere, but she knew it was too late. Her owner was nearby, speaking cruelly, “Girly, I know yer in here. Come out, come out, wherever ye are.”
Maren said nothing. She concentrated on breathing silently, but it was difficult since the odor was so horrific and her body was attempting to heave.
“Come out, little one,” he continued. “I have some pie fer ye. I’m gonna cram it down yer throat!”
The girl closed her eyes. There was no point in keeping them open since she was blinded by the garbage piled over her face.
Listening, she could hear the man rummaging through piles of trash, turning over crates and shifting old papers and empty burlap sacks. Then, it unexpectedly grew quiet. She knew that he hadn’t walked away, but he wasn’t making any noise. She curled her hands into fists and let the memories of Dulnear training Son fill her body. Her lip curled and her brow furrowed as she waited.
Suddenly, the trash that she had piled on top of herself was thrown off and Kugun was standing over her. His face was pale and glistened with sweat. “I’m gonna cut yer ears off, brat!” he taunted as he reached for her.
Maren quickly grabbed the tail of the rotting cat and swung it at the man, hitting him squarely in the face, scattering maggots through the air. He stumbled backward, wiped his cheek, and sniffed his hand. Immediately, he began to vomit, but still blocked the girl’s exit. She stood with the carcass still in her hand, wondering if she should initiate another attack before the man regained his composure.
“When I’m done cuttin’ yer ears off, I’m gonna kill ye, girly. The brothel is too good fer ye!” he yelled as he wiped his trembling mouth and stood up straight.
From the corner of her eye, Maren spied a broken mop handle. She knew she couldn’t reach it before Kugun grabbed her, so she flung the cat at him as hard as she could. While the man flailed to keep the putrid remains from touching him again, she ran and grabbed the handle as quickly as she could.
“What, are ye gonna—” he began to say before being interrupted with a smack to the neck.
“Neck, knee, temple, foot, shin!” Maren shouted as she struck each of those places on Kugun with force and precision.
“Youch!!” the man groaned, stumbling backward. Rubbing his temple, he lowered his head, growled, and ran toward Maren, swiping her off the ground by her neck and slamming her against the alley’s back wall, causing her to drop the handle, and she struggled to continue breathing.
In an instant, the girl reached around his arm with both hands and began clawing at his face, leaving bleeding scrapes and gashes under his red, drooping eyes. He dropped her, and she shot between his
