HE HAD FINALLY GOTTEN A CUSTOMER. Iris sat on the broken stool in the corner of the small room, dumbfounded. Iris Odd Jobs Enterprise was about to make profit! A man in his forties, bald, with a nasty scar across his forehead, walked in. He halted on the nonexistent doormat, and scanned the place. A red chair lay waiting for him; the chair was specifically for "customers", so it was rather untouched, except for the layer of dust so thick the chair appeared khaki in color. He decided to remain standing.
"Where's your boss, kiddo?", The man grunted. Iris took offense.
"Kiddo? Excuse me, I'm the boss here. By the way, I'm 15 years old."
"Ha! Is this a joke? Like some kingd of 'customer service'?
If so, your employer needs a better comedian."
"Look, Rub-for-luck, are you here for a request, or here to water down my enterprise?"
"Enter-whaa…"
The man stopped and cleared his throat. Good, because Iris had already carried a stone.The man furrowed his eyebrows in deep thought, then grinned.
"Hmm. Hey kiddo, I might just have a job for you.Hear me out…"
+ + + + + +
"Belobo Port?! Never in my life! I do not agree!", Iris fumed.
"Listen, kiddo,",the man cooed, which was odd, considering his age, voice and gender, "I am your first customer. You haven't paid your rent. Your landlord's throwing you out next week. Like it or not, you need money, and you-are-desperate."
Iris bit his lip. Everything the man said was true, and he hated that. Belobo Port was a no-go zone, rumored to have fire-breathing demons down the boardwalk like they were not from the pit of Hell. But, he did need the money, and he knew a secret shortcut.
"All right, I'll do it. But give me the money now, nd bug off till I'm done.", Iris finally said.
"No can do kiddo."
"Wha-"
"You said it yourself on your ads. 'Service before payment!' " The man chuckled.
Damn, this man was good. Iris hated him for that, too.
"Okay. Now leave my office.", Iris managed. seething.
"Sure. This place stinks anyway. Don't get hurt, kiddo! Momma would hate that.", Bald-Guy jeered.
"Close the door behind you then."Iris vision was scarlet by now.
The door slammed shut, leaving Iris alone, the setting sun the only illumination for the room through the broken window. Iris sighed.He had to go to Belobo Port at nine o' clock sharp tomorrow to receive the contents of a package he didn't even know the contents of. Entering wasn't the hard part - Sewers made very good transport and escape routes. But the contents of the package… Never mind, He'd just get it done and get his wages. Iris collapsed onto his ondol floor, one of the silent privileges of this dump, and fell asleep.
+ + + + + +
Sewers stink. That's obvious, poop flows there, but it's different if one is inside. The smell is surreal. Even with a gas mask, Iris nearly passed out upon entering. It had been ten minutes of crawling and hanging on to slippery pipework, while lethal sewage floated below, and Iris' lungs were working overtime to get every puff of oxygen. At last though, the man-hole Iris was looking for, marked BP-006, was circumscribed by rays of sunlight. The only unguarded man-hole. He quickly scrambled up the ladder, and punched open the hole. Though bombarded by blinding illumination, he shot out like an arrow an stumbled on the well-paved road, his lungs greedily drinking in the fresh air. Removing his gas mask, Iris scanned his surroundings, and realized he was alone, for now. Bald-Guy said, "Where the wind gets blown"? Iris didn't even understand what the man meant. Wind blows, it doesn't get blown. He sighed and lowered his gaze. Wait, was that BP-005? Iris had just walked through the most guarded man- hole, because it was near the Port warehouse! But then, why wasn't he already being arrested, talkless a single Ember?
"Hey!", a familiar voice called out.
Iris turned to look at his client, arrested and escorted by ten Embers, with an over simplified owl symbol on their masks.
×|×
"How did they get you?", Iris asked, deeply concerned - about his payment, "You're not even supposed to be here!"
"Oh, them? They' re not here for me, no, but you, criminal. Y'see, you've commited a very big crime - murder. That calls for the death penalty. Plus, you're tresspassing.", the man said, pointing to the man-hole cover and sewer hole. Iris, meanwhile, was flabbergasted. He had never even killed anybody. Unless…
"You set me up!" Iris raged with anger and betrayal as three Embers swooped in on him, and held him firm. He struggled, but to no avail.
"Set who up? Your house, room, whatever, has not one, but two bodies! I don't know who you are, but I know what. You're a murderer, and you're the worst kind. Take 'im away."
That was the last thing Iris heard as a sharp pain raced through his neck, and everything went black.