Requiem for a Mouse

by Jamie Wang

  Lissandra stayed silent. Her eyes kept to the stars. Except for the rise and fall of her breaths, she was completely still.

  “Do you remember what dad told me whenever he and mom left the house?” Gunther asked.

  “No.” Lissandra said as if scared to speak too loudly.

  “Gunther, no matter what, keep your little sister and brother safe. You’re the man of the house now, anything that happens to them, is on you,” Gunther recited in a deep voice, mimicking the baritone command of their father. “Back then, I remember complaining about it. I thought it was unfair that I was responsible just because I was born first. But honestly Liss, if anything were to happen to you, I think I’d lose it. That’s why I’ve been arguing with you so much.”

  “I know.” Lissandra said as light as a breeze. She sniffed back tears.

  In a quiet voice he said, “I love you, Liss.”

  “I love you too.”

  “We don’t talk anymore. We just fight all the time.” Gunther let his head fall right next to Lissandra’s. “Look, you don’t need to tell me everything, but at least tell me the important stuff. You know?”

  Gunther counted stars as he waited for Lissandra to respond. The silence around them was lightened only by the sound of chirping crickets. By the time he had counted fifty, he figured his sister was either asleep, or refusing to talk.

  “That’s alright,” Gunther told himself in a hushed voice. He got up and looked over at his sister’s emerald eyes, still open and fixed on the stars. Perhaps she too was counting.

  “Mouse.” She whispered.

  “What was that?”

  “I was a Mouse.”

  Gunther cast his eyes to the ground. “I figured it was something like that.”

  “It paid well and was easy to get into.”

  “I know it’s unfair of me to ask” –Gunther looked back up at Lissandra— “especially since you only got into it because I’m too pitiful to get a job, but promise me you won’t do that anymore. Please, Liss.”

  Lissandra gave him a slight nod.

  “Thanks,” said Gunther, jumping to his feet. “Let’s get back home, I have to be up early tomorrow to look for—”

  “I was raped.”

  “What?”

  Gunther wished he had misheard her, but by the way she bit into her lips so hard she drew blood, he knew he hadn’t. Her eyes clenched shut, a stream of tears rolling off the side of her face.

  Gunther couldn’t peel his eyes away from her. Never before had he seen her so frail. His own words caught in his throat and disappeared into a painful groan.

  “What did you say?” Gunther insisted.

  Lissandra continued to silently cry, coughing and gagging just to remain quiet. The last time she cried this hard was at their dad’s funeral. Gunther looked away. He wanted to hug her and comfort her, but he felt that a single step might shatter him.

  No. Not her.

  Gunther grit his teeth. If he could, he would’ve ground them to dust. His right fist was clenched so tight, his entire body shook. Drops of blood dripped from the trenches his nails had dug into his palm.

  “No,” he muttered to himself. He fell to the ground on all fours. His fingers stabbed the cracked earth. Tears rained down from his face. He clutched his chest and laid his forehead on the ground.

  “It was a drop. There were two Hawks. And I couldn’t…” Lissandra’s voice cracked then faded.

  “No.” Gunther tapped his head against the ground. “No, no, no, no!” Each word came louder than the last. Each tap hit harder than the previous until he was slamming his head against the ground and screaming. It felt like his head might split in two. But even if it did, it would not be nearly enough punishment. He was to blame.

  Lissandra’s shaking arms wrapped around his head and held him back. She pressed her nose into his hair and brought him into her chest.

  Even now, I’m the one being comforted.

  “It’s not your fault,” she whispered.

  They stayed like that until their tears dried. By then, orange edges cracked the horizon. Gunther led his little sister back into their room to sleep. He didn’t follow her inside. There was no way he could sleep tonight.

  For once, his mother was in her bedroom, giving him the couch to sit on. Gunther sat there with his hands clasped onto his head and fingers digging into his skull.

  It’s my fault. It’s because I’m too pathetic to find work.

  Gunther took heavy and laborious breaths. He crunched himself deeper until his knees came up to his head. His hands trembled as they tried to break his skull.

  Fuck!

  With tears still in his eyes, he sprinted through the door and before he knew it, he was standing in front of the Riverside Tavern. It was still too early for it to be open, but he didn’t care. He walked in to see the place vacant except for the bartender cleaning a table.

  “What are you doing here?” The bartender asked him surprised. It was the first time Gunther had ever heard him use a tone that wasn’t a bored indifference.

  “I’ll take it!” Gunther screamed.

  “What?”

  “I’ll do whatever it is, work for whoever it is. I don’t care what happens, as long as it pays.”

  “Sounds good.” The bartender’s calm voice stood in stark contrast with Gunther’s.

  With a nod, the bartender retreated back behind his bar and began polishing glasses with an expression Gunther had never seen on him before, a smile.

  SASHA

  All Sasha wanted was for things to be back to normal, to how they were before. But she found herself blushing every time she made eye contact with Prince, and turning away whenever she did so with Maverick. Though she was able to keep conversation with Flower, she could tell that Flower sensed something was amiss. So when Flower mentioned that she had to go to the Project Persist station to collect money for their last drop, Sasha volunteered to do so instead.

  She walked to the Project Persist station, her head swimming. She stepped inside, taking a second to appreciate the waft of cool air flowing through her hair. In front of her was a line of dirty kids leading to a desk, she took her place in line.

  The tile floor felt foreign to her feet. She gripped its edges, surprised by how smooth they were. But then again, everything about this place was foreign to her. Its desks were a mahogany brown, lined up from one end of the room to another like a giant wall. Unkempt employees sat behind each desk.

  At the very end of the room, opposite to the entrance, was the title Project Persist in shiny plastic letters. The title was underlined by a picture of two hands, spread open as if receiving alms. But besides the desks and the lettering, the rest of the building was just empty space for people to wait in.

  Though the line was short, the employees were slow. Some held their feet on their desks as if to show off their shoes. One employee even slept, snoring with his face on his desk.

  “This isn’t enough!”

  Sasha turned to see a boy with spiky blonde hair arguing with one of the employees. The boy held an envelope in one hand. His other hand was bandaged so tightly it didn’t look like he would be able to make a fist. The bandage went all the way up his arm.

  The employee flicked his head back, flipping his wavy blonde hair. His feet rested on the desk. “Company policy, kid.”

  “Is it company policy also to send kids into fucking warzones?”

  “If you have any complaints, file a formal one online.” He swung his feet off his desk and leaned in toward the boy. “Otherwise, stop wasting my time.”

  “You know I can’t do that.” Tears spilled out of the boy’s eyes. When he spoke, he did so with his teeth clenched. “We just need money to bury Lucas. Please.”

  “Look,” the employee crossed his arms. “I can’t just give out money to every sob story that comes in here. For all I know, you’re lying.”

  When he opened his mouth, his words came deflated. “You think I’m lying?”

 
The employee sighed, clearly annoyed. “If you don’t want the money, I can take it back. Otherwise, deal with your problems yourself. Next!”

  For a while, the Mouse just stood there. With a defeated shake of the head, the Mouse turned and left. Sasha watched him go. A familiar feeling welled inside her chest as she clenched her fists shut. She stepped forward to replace the Mouse.

  The employee’s feet returned to his desk. “I’m Tyler, how may I help you?”

  “I’m here to collect payment for a drop.” Sasha looked in his coffee mug to see a thick syrup.

  “What’s your name?” His breath reeked of alcohol.

  “It’s under the name Flower.”

  “What a strange name.” He fumbled through the file cabinet until he pulled out a large stack of papers. “Oh wow, now this is just unlucky.”

  Sasha frowned.

  “How long did it take you to do so many drops?”

  “Almost three years now.”

  “Holy shit. Three years down the drain.” Tyler held up his coffee mug. “You look like you need a drink.”

  “You look like you need to stop.”

  “Hey, show some courtesy.” Tyler snapped. “I’m giving you money even though you failed, I’m doing you a favor.”

  Sasha shook her head. “No, you’re doing your job. A favor would be giving the last Mouse some burial money.”

  “Tons of people die every day. You want me to hand them all money?” Tyler asked.

  The anger she couldn’t summon the previous night returned in full force.

  “No, I want you to stop being an asshole and do your god damn job properly.”

  Tyler leaned toward her and threw his head back, drinking what was left of his coffee mug. When he finished, he slammed the mug back down onto the table. “How’s that for properly? If you were in my shoes, I promise you, you’d do the same as I did. This is just too good of deal to mess up, especially for just a Mouse.”

  “Just a Mouse?” Somehow, Sasha managed to keep her voice donw. “We risk our lives to save people like you.”

  “So what? Do you expect me to save every sob story that comes into this place? That’s ridiculous, I’m only human.”

  Against her better judgment, Sasha opened her mouth. As soon as she did, all semblance of control disappeared. Her hands smacked the table, toppling Tyler over in surprise.

  “Only human?” Sasha screamed. “Next to God Himself, humans are the most powerful beings in this world. So when you tell me you’re only human, please explain to me what the fuck that’s supposed to mean!”

  Silence. Sasha looked around to see startled eyes. Even the employee who was asleep had woken. She turned back to Tyler who was scrambling up from the ground.

  Shit.

  “I’m just here for my pay.” She muttered.

  “Fuck off.”

  “Not without what I’m owed.”

  “Too bad, we’re closed.” Tyler set his seat back upright. With a stern finger pointed at the door, he shouted, “Everyone, get out!”

  Nobody moved. All eyes were on Sasha.

  “Get these people out of here!” Tyler screamed with a wave of his hand. It was as if the rest of the employees came out of a daze. They scurried people out, like dogs herding sheep, but none dared come near Sasha.

  “I want to talk to the manager.” Sasha said.

  “You’re talking to him.” Tyler sat back down on his seat and crossed his arms.

  The room was empty except for Sasha and the employees. “Then I want to talk to your boss.”

  Tyler snorted. “You want to complain to The Dragon?”

  The words hit Sasha like a punch to the face. It took her a few moments just to register what they meant. “What do you mean The Dragon?” she asked softly.

  The blood drained from Tyler’s face and his words came out in a nervous stammer. “No, I mean, he’s everybody’s boss. He runs this city. That was…”

  Sasha reached across the desk and grabbed a clump of his shirt. She pulled him in so that their noses were just a few inches apart. “That was what?” she growled. “A joke? Why did you mention The Dragon?”

  Tyler was as limp as a doll. His eyes were wide. “Please, don’t tell him I said anything.”

  Everything came together. In that instant, Sasha knew why Mice and Hawks still existed. The realization sent shudders down her spine. The history books were right, Project Persist ended years ago. Mice and Hawks was something The Dragon started.

  She let go of Tyler and stepped backwards, almost stumbling.

  “Hey look, I can get you your money now.” Tyler said. He reached under his desk and pulled out a thick yellow envelope of cash. “I can even give you extra, nobody has to know about it.”

  Sasha took a step back. This seemed to trigger something in Tyler because he lunged forward to grab her. His stomach hit the desk and he fell face-first into the floor. Sasha turned and ran out the door.

  “Stop!” Tyler called out after her.

  She sprinted down the street, headed directly toward Hawk’s Lair.

  LAO

  Lao’s body melted into the cushions of his chair. He grabbed the glass of Chilean merlot beside him and sipped. Long ago, he had found that wine and cigarettes were best suited to eliminate the aftertaste of the poison in his flask.

  Today’s burning had been particularly unpleasant. It was a Lion named Lily, just another pawn for The Boss to play with. They had found her delirious in a puddle of blood. When they dragged her away, she had thanked them, as if they were saving her.

  “I’ve seen a true monster,” she had claimed. And when she burned, she didn’t even beg.

  The Dragon’s losing its edge. Now of all times.

  Lao needed the city to believe in his power for just a little longer. Then, he would save the city despite itself.

  Maybe The Boss knew that.

  Who is this man? His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.

  “Come in,” he said.

  Salib opened the door and stepped aside to let Jynx through.

  “The Boss is targeting drops,” Lao said. “Is there any chance that he knows?”

  Jynx shook her head. “There’s no way. Only we know the truth.”

  “So then what’s his angle?”

  “He wants the city,” Salib said. “I think his next move will be another attack on Hawk’s Lair. If he takes Hawk’s Lair, people will realize that we’re only human.”

  Lao squeezed his wine glass. “He can have this city. As soon as I’m done saving it. How many drops left do you need, Salib?”

  Salib pinched his chin in thought. “Just one,” he finally said. “Then we’ll have identified all our patrons.”

  Lao nodded. “I’ve waited five years to bring this world to its knees, I can wait a few more days. Jynx, I want you to—”

  A muffled shriek interrupted Lao.

  “Did you guys hear that?” Lao asked. He put a finger over his lips and waited. Sure enough, the shriek came again, this time, more clear.

  “Dragon!” It was a female voice, one that he hadn’t heard for a long time.

  Lao shot up from his chair.

  “We’re not done yet, father,” Jynx said.

  Lao walked out, down the plush carpet of the hallway. He turned the hall toward the main room to see brown hair flying in all directions. As soon as he was down the stairs, eyes as red as blood honed into him. She screamed as she thrashed within in the guard’s grip.

  “It’s been a while,” Lao said, a smile peeking through his lips. “Why have you never come to visit, Sasha?”

  JYNX

  “That’s enough now,” The Dragon said. “You can let go of her.”

  “But sir,” one of the guards protested.

  The Dragon didn’t let him finish, he silenced them with a single hand. The guards exchanged worried looks. It was comical that such large men could be worried by such a small girl. With a nod, they released her.

  Sasha lunged f
orward, breaking into a full sprint toward The Dragon. She only made it half way before a guard tackled her from behind. He landed on top of her, crushing her with his weight.

  The Dragon stood still, a smile on his face. For whatever reason, he held a soft spot for this girl. Jynx could never understand why her father would admire such a weak girl.

  “Are you here to wager your other eye?” The Dragon asked.

  Sasha was a pathetic sight, groveling as Mice should. Jynx stepped between Sasha and her father, in case she was to try something else. However, a hand on her shoulder stopped her. The Dragon pushed her away just as the guard got off Sasha.

  Jynx began protesting. “But—”

  “No.” The Dragon gave her a look that meant she was not to speak back.

  Jynx stepped aside, hardly able to contain her annoyance. Why is she so special?

  “You piece of shit,” Sasha spat out from the ground. She pushed herself up, glaring at The Dragon as if nobody else existed.

  “I’ve been called much more,” The Dragon responded.

  But people have died for much less.

  “You’ve been playing us from the start.” Sasha staggered up. Her fists clenched at her sides as if she was preparing for a fight.

  “Who is ‘us’?” The Dragon asked.

  “Mice.”

  The one word drained Jynx of breath. She looked at Salib with an awed expression, trying to mentally tell him to do something, but Salib was just as shocked as the rest of them.

  “Let’s continue this conversation in my office.” The Dragon said in a low voice.

  Sasha didn’t budge. “Tell me Lao, did any of it matter?”

  “How did you find out?”

  “Answer me!” Sasha’s voice jumped a few octaves.

  This girl is dangerous.

  Sasha rolled her sleeves up to her shoulder to reveal biceps littered with scars and cuts. “Did any of this matter?”

  “Guards!” Jynx said. The two guards behind her walked up and placed a hand on Sasha’s shoulders, ready to restrain her. Their touch was light. They probably felt pity for this girl, just as her father did.