Fan Fiction ❯ Raven ❯ City Life ( Chapter 6 )

 

The city was loud. This might have just been the bias of having lived the majority of my life sequestered, but it still seemed odd. A jumble of creaks, honks, crashes, and every other sound I could imagine. I was still miles away, yet I felt bombarded by the sounds.

If there was one fact about society that I did know, it was that money was necessary for any interaction. Looking down at myself, I focused on the problem at hand, locking out the noise from the street and buildings I now stood amongst. First things first; I needed shoes and some others clothes. I had tried to keep mine clean, but days in the woods would dirty any clothes. After that, let's see; food, a place to stay, the list continued. And all of it required money. And I had none. Maybe I could get a loan or something.

 

 

I walked through the glass doors and an electronic beetle rang somewhere above me.

“Can I help you?” A lady behind the counter asked.

“Yeah, I need to get a loan.” She didn't blink twice.

“Name please?”

I answered without thinking and instantly regretted it. “Susanna Lass.” The woman showed no reaction and simply typed my name into the computer.

“Well, right now your account has forty-two thousand dollars in it. I believe your parents set this up as a college fund? Yes, lots of parents do that kind of thing early on,” she hadn't stopped for breath, “Are you sure you don't just want to withdraw some money? Your parents didn't a block on it or anything.”

Ha! My parents' neglect finally came in useful.

“Could I withdraw a few hundred dollars please?” I didn't want the change to be overly noticeable if my dad checked the account.

“Sure. Two hundred dollars and zero cents; would you like a receipt for that?”

“No thank you.”

As I walked out I felt considerably more comfortable. With what amounted to an infinite supply, or at least infinite for my purposes, I wouldn't ever have to worry about finances.

The first thing I did was to buy some new clothes. People would notice if I continued to wear the dirty clothes. I bought a backpack and stowed some of my clothes and cape in it. After that I bought a newspaper and began looking for places that had rooms for rent.

 

 

 

“Hi, I'm interested in renting a room.”

“Whadduya want?” The girl's eyes were bloodshot and she seemed to be having trouble focusing on me.

“I'd like to rent your room,” I said, holding up the paper.

She took the paper and held it up to her face at it for an inordinately long time before handing it back.

“The rent's a hundred a month.”

“Ok,” I said; I didn't really care for her but a room's a room.

“Hey,” she called, squinting at me as she continued standing in the doorway. “Are you're parents ok with you here?”

“Course,” I said. “They're fine with me staying here.”

“Sure kid,” she said, smiling condescendingly. “Just be sure to pay the rent at the end of the month. Your room's on the second story, third door to the right.”

 

 

It was a grungy room, the white walls having decayed to the point of being a stagnant shade of yellow. There was a bed with clean sheets on it and a small dresser nearby. The room was slightly bigger than my dorm room back at school. I put my spare clothing and cloak in the dresser and continued down my mental checklist. There were a few other things I needed to do, but no other immediate essentials. I smiled.