FicWad

Isabel glared defiantly at her father.
“You’ve been drinking that stuff from the merchants again!” She growled.
“That’s untrue,” her father hiccupped.
“You need to get us more food! Mommy looks like a skeleton!” She snarled.
“That’s yer job and you know it…”
“No it isn’t!”
“God damn it, Izzy! Stop yellin’ at me, I ain’t no thug!” He barked as he raised a fist.
Not again! Isabel thought desperately. “Okay, okay! I’ll go get more-” she couldn’t finish her sentence. Her father slammed his hand hard into her shoulder.
Isabel fell into a puddle of sewer water. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
“Daddy, stop it!” She begged.
“Yer defying me and you know it, you little shit!” He grunted as he kicked her stomach.
“Damn it, Dad! I told you to stop beating her!” Jordan, her older brother, roared as he barreled into his father. “Get out of here, Izzy.” He hissed as he held down the drunken man. Isabel nodded and scurried off to find more food.
Maybe if I can get Daddy some bird, she thought hopefully, he won’t do this no more. She walked up to a food merchant and remembered what Jordan had taught her. Look pitiful, he had said, work up some fake tears, if they’re not already real. Beg for the food and look at it meaningfully.
“Sir…” She sniffled. “Please, my mommy is sick; I need to get her some food…” The merchant glared down at her.
“Beat it, kid. We don’t have time for beggars.” He grunted. Isabel sighed and sat down on the sidewalk.
A dog scrambled away from a whirring sound getting closer and closer. She looked up, eager to see what was making the noise. Yes! It’s those two again! She thought excitedly. A short young man with black hair and a tall one with blonde hair flew above the streets with smoke streaming out from behind them. The taller one kicked down a tower of boxes as he passed and grinned. Meat, fruits, and vegetables spilled out into the street. Isabel grabbed what she could carry and rushed back to home.
“Get back here, you little brat!” snapped the merchant.
“Thief!” called another.
Isabel slowed to a walk when she came up to her mother’s crate. Enthusiasm made her fingertips tingle as she envisioned what joy her mother would get out of real food.
“Mommy, I brought food!” She squealed as she came up to the battered old crate. “Mommy?”
Her mother wasn’t moving. “Are you sleeping?” she asked. No reply. “Mommy wake up, I brought you some food.” No reply. “Mommy?”
Jordan scrambled up behind her and lifted her onto his shoulders.
“Hey, Izzy, how about a piggy back ride?” he asked apprehensively.
“What’s wrong with Mommy?” Isabel inquired.
“She’s… err… sleeping. Yeah, she’s sleeping. She’s going to go to the surface, so she needs her rest.” Jordan’s voice cracked.
“Can we come with her?” Isabel squeaked.
“Some of us might…” Jordan murmured darkly.

Isabel cowered in the crate that once held her mother and hugged her knees to her chest. Just one year had passed and her father and brother had both starved to death. Hunger gnawed at her belly. She remembered the two young men who could fly without wings. She crawled out into the street. I’m so thirsty… she thought as she glanced at a puddle of sewer water.
Isabel’s tired eyes told her it was time to go to sleep. Maybe tonight I’ll see Mommy like Jordan said he would the last time he was awake… she bit back tears as she curled up, trembling, in a dry portion of the street.

“I’m telling you, Levi. The crates were right there, stocked to the brim with food.” Farlan exclaimed.
“It’s too risky back there; too many merchants.” Levi growled.
“Oh come on, please?”
“Fine, but it’s your fault if we end up in jail.”
Levi and Farlan geared up with knives and the maneuver gear and set off towards the corner. They crept down the empty street silently. Something caught Levi’s attention- quiet sobbing. He signaled for Farlan to keep watch as he slinked down the alley way. I remember her! He recalled the little girl with red hair and grimaced. She’s even skinnier now than she was before… there’s no way she’s alive.
Her arms were the thinnest he’d ever seen, and she was as light as he lifted her from the ground. She weighed no more than an empty crate. She looked up as he lifted her by her skeletal arm and snatched it back, falling back into some sewer water.
“Back off!” She hissed. Levi’s eyes narrowed.
“What’s wrong?”
“Wait a second- are you the one who flies? The one who knocks over the boxes of food?” She squeaked.
So it is her, Levi thought. “The very same, what do you want?” Her eyes glistened.
“I’m just so hungry. All I want is some bread or something, please!”
Farlan appeared from around the corner. “What’s goin’ on, Levi?”
“This girl wants food.”
“Don’t we all?”
Levi was enraged that Farlan could be so heartless. Sure, he could be at times, but a child was starving to death and all Levi could do was watch.
“Levi come on, we see stuff like this all the time. Let’s get the crates and go.”
Levi muttered something under his breath and laid a hand on the girl’s shoulder. She winced.
“How would you like to join us?” He whispered.
“You can’t be serious!” Farlan remarked.
“Farlan, for God’s sake!”
“Who are you, and what have you done with Levi?”
“If you wouldn’t mind… I’d like that,” the girl rasped.
“Farlan, if you’d use that level-headedness I’ve come to know from you, it could be nice to have another person on our team.” Levi grunted.
“Fine, fine,” Farlan growled.
“Can you stand?” Levi asked the girl quietly.
“Yes I think,” she murmured as she stood on shaky legs.
“Liar,” Levi hissed as he lifted the girl onto his back.
“What’s her name anyway?” Farlan asked.
“Isabel,” the girl answered.

Author's Note:
There is somewhat of a sequel to this titled Insomnia. Enjoy!