The Street Rat 107

“Unghhh.”

Eddie groaned, rubbing his back as he sat up. Their shelter had been torn apart by the sweeps. The cardboard on wooden pallets felt like sleeping on a cloud compared to sleeping on the tarp laid over the unevenly filled potholes covering the asphalt.

The sun set as he pulled the blanket off his head, stretching his neck. Sitting up, he saw Alex and Tomas at the opposite alley wall playing some game they had made up where they would flick a stone into soccer goals they would make with their hands. Maria sat against the same wall as Eddie with their bag open, counting out what they had.

“It’s not enough, Eddie,” she said without looking up from the stack of money in her hand, speaking over distant sirens and the boys’ laughter. “The boys can’t survive out here in the winter. Tomas, maybe, but Alex? Alex definitely can’t. Sarah said she would go as low as fifty dollars a week to rent us a room at the motel, but we barely have half of what we’d need for three months. Even with us saving all the money Sal has been paying us, we can’t afford it. And he told me last night he’d have to let me go for a bit after next week.”

She leaned her head back against the wall, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. She turned to look at Eddie.

“What are we going to do?” she whispered, turning back from Eddie to watch the boys play.

“We’re going to figure it out. We still have three weeks before we need to be in there. Over the next week and change, you’ll get us a bit closer by working at the diner. I’ll keep looking for jobs to pick up. We should have enough for two months from the start, and Sarah won’t charge us all up front. We can figure out the last month once we’re secure in the room for two months.

“You’ll be sixteen and have an address, so hopefully you can find a job during the days while I watch the boys. Then, at nights, I can try and find gigs to pick up while you’re with them. It’ll be okay.” Eddie smiled and put his hand on her shoulder.

Maria took a deep breath and smiled back. “You’re right. Thanks, Eddie.”

She walked over to play with the boys, picking up a handful of trash that had blown into their alley to throw it in the dumpster.

Eddie’s shoulders slumped against the dirty brownstone wall as he closed his eyes again.

We’ll figure it out. We have to.

“I’m going up on the rooftops tonight,” Eddie announced, standing and stretching before walking over to where the three of them were sitting. “I’ll try and talk to some of the local businesses while I’m out and see if I can find some gigs to work or if they’ll need help over the holidays, Maria.”

“Be careful. You know the cops are still out in larger numbers trying to find the Street Rat after he showed them up.”

Eddie laughed, walking out of the alley backwards. “Their problem isn’t the number of cops, but who they’re hiring to be the cops. I’m not too worried about them.”

Stopping at the fire escape, Eddie pulled himself up and climbed. With a wave to the alley below, Eddie started his rounds.

Eddie started with the businesses he already had relationships with, like the corner store, the diner, and Jerry’s, but none were interested in hiring him. So, he went to other local businesses where he at least knew of the people who were running them, but they were another dead-end, as was every other business he tried.

The faces, settings, and smells changed from place to place, but the conversation was always the same.

We just don’t have a need for your services right now, Eddie scoffed, scrunching his nose and rolling his eyes. What do they mean they don’t need my services? It’s Sanders. Those services are always needed.

Crash.

A trash can toppled in the alley below where Eddie was perching. Quickly scrambling to the fire escape, Eddie descended toward the noises and walked up to the two men standing by the dumpster.

“What seems to be the problem in these parts?” Eddie drawled, hooking his thumbs through where belt loops would’ve been on his pants.

“W-we were just wrestling around, m-man,” the first man answered.

He wasn’t much older than Eddie—probably still a teenager, and just a couple of inches taller. About the same height as the other guy.

“Y-Yeah, d-d-dude. Everything is c-cool here,” the second guy squeaked.

“Oh, okay. I just heard the crash and figured I should come check it out. Lots of stuff happens out here. Gotta look out for each other, you know?”

“Y-Yes, sir. We do,” the first guy said as the second nodded.

Sir?

“Well,” Eddie said, cocking his head as he stared at the two shaking teens, “if there’s nothing happening here, I guess I’ll head back on the roof and keep an eye out on things.”

“Th-thank you! Th-thank you for your kindness, s-sir,” the second guy responded, clasping his hands together and almost bowing.

“What are you talking about? I just said I was going to leave. And why are you calling me sir?”

The two men looked at each other. The second vigorously shook his head as his eyes got wider, a stream of sweat visible on his brow.

The first guy took a deep breath and then blurted, “We thought you were going to kill us.”

“WHAT?!” Eddie cocked his eyebrows.

“Y-You’re the Street Rat, right? The one who’s been going around sticking arrows in people’s chest?”

The guy clasped his hands behind his head, shaking it in surrender, grimacing as his friend talked.

“I mean, I am the Street Rat, but I am definitely not killing people!”

Especially not with arrows. Where would I even get arrows? Why would anyone choose to use arrows when there are so many better weapons?

“B-but that’s who they’re saying has been behind the killings,” the second guy stammered, his eyebrows furrowing.

“Who’s been saying that? What killings?”

“Everyone! The news. The police. Different people around the block. But it’s not you?”

“No! I’m trying to help people! I stop muggings and robberies! I don’t want to kill anyone. Why would someone be going around doing that?”

“I’m not sure, but I’m really glad it’s not you. I was getting scared.” The first guy chuckled as Eddie slumped against the wall.

“Then, who are you?” the second guy asked.

“I am the Street Rat,” Eddie explained. “It’s just that I’m not the one killing people.”

“That sucks, man. I mean, for you. It’s pretty great for us now that we know we’re not going to get murdered.”

“Yeah, that would’ve been a real bummer,” the first guy chimed in, nodding as he spoke.

“Yeah, well, I’m happy for you two.” Eddie forced a smile and patted them on the shoulder. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go back up to the roof and think about the fact that I’m being framed for murder and try to figure out my next step. And probably find some time to cry and a void to scream into. It’s been… a time, chatting with you two. Well. Bye.”

With that, Eddie leaned forward and walked over to the fire escape.

“See ya, dude!” and “Good luck with the whole being-framed-for-murders thing!” followed Eddie as he climbed away.

The ringing in his ears drowned out the sirens and the humming a/c units as he walked back to their alley. He called it quits on his rounds early after that conversation left him with a metallic taste in his mouth and a pit in his stomach.

And to think I thought all the job rejections would be what ruined my night.

He stared out at the city skyline from the rooftop above his alley. Well, this just won’t do. It won’t do at all.

The Street Rat continues with The Street Rat 108!

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