No one saw Melias hand slip into the gollies pocket. At least she thought so.

She watched him from afar, placing his delicate hand into the pocket of his waist coat and drawing out a watch. It was an expensive one too, jewel inlays, gold; he obviously didn't skimp on the details. It glimmered in the sunlight as Mel watched him. He checked the time, and closed the watch, popping it back into his silk pocket. His feet and his wooden cane clicked with a constant, mesmerizing rhythm. Clack click clack. Clack click clack. Mel focused on his step, and snuck out of the alleyway to follow right behind him.. Her tattered clothes were nothing beside this gollie. And he was only middle class. She was just like him only two years ago. Maybe today, she might be closer to home. Any luck, and Mel might have a roof over her head tonight

She followed right behind him, keeping her eyes on both the uncles she saw walking around and the man. She hated stealing, especially from gollies. But Mel would starve otherwise. The uncles weren't looking, and the man seemed unaware, so Mel quickened her pace and came up beside the man, her head lowered, trying to remain inconspicuous.

Her hand swept in and out of the mans pocket, and she felt the lumpy, cold hard, satisfactory metal in her dirty little hands. Suddenly, when the thrill of her success kicked in, Mel landed face up on the ground, dazed. She let go of the watch and she saw it flying through the air as it left her hand. It landed heavily in the hand of the owner. His cane was poised; he had tripped Mel over with his cane.

"Get up!"
The man was not happy, not happy at all. Mel quickly rushed to her feet, and started running, before the man could do anymore harm. Mels face hit the pavement once again with a deafening crack. Mel felt her nose break under the pressure of the fall and blood trickled down her lip. He'd tripped her up again and Mels head began to ache.

"Get up you lowly scum!" the man yelled. It pained her to hear someone who would've have once respected her call her such as thing. She wanted to yell 'I am just like you! I am a galdori! Not some low peasant!", but of course, she couldn't. Her heart throbbed at the insult and she wanted to cry, but she couldn't.

Mel stood up again, but didn't bother to try and run. She would get her just desserts soon enough if this man didn't deal them. His eyebrows creased disapprovingly on Mel. She felt the stare bore into her.Can't you see my field? He probably couldn't. His eyes were full of rage and anger, and Mels field was tiny. Mel did see a tiny flicker of confusion in the mans face, but he was so angry and Mels disinheritance was old news. He probably didn't recognize her.

Then, she heard the steps of an approaching uncle. Oh, clocks. Mel cringed, and her heart raced wildly. I've done it now.

"Sir, what seems to be the problem here?" the uncle asked. Mels head was down, but she could tell an authoritative voice when she heard one. She cringed again, and knew something bad was going to come from all this. Prison might not be so bad. At least it has a roof. And food. But Mel wouldn't be able to bear it.

"Officer, this street urchin tried to steal my watch from me."

"Hmm, so I saw. So, what do you have to say for yourself?" the officer asked, addressing Mel. His face had a tiny flicker of confusion at Mels field, but it wasn't his place to ask. His only job was to deliver justice. Well, a justice of sorts.

Mel hated when people asked her these sort of questions. She'd have to try and explain with sign language. She was never any good at it. She looked up and quickly gestured to her throat, panicked, trying to convey the message as best she could. Please understand!

"Won't talk eh? Maybe this'll loosen your tongue..."

Mel felt a flying punch to her eye. It wasn't often an officer attacked a civilian unprovoked. He must have had a bad morning and Mel was equally unlucky. She staggered backward, clutching her eye in pain. She would have yelped, if she still had her voice. Ow. That's going to bruise.

Mel tried again once the pain subsided. She gestured frantically to her throat. Please, please understand! Suddenly, the officer seemed to understand.

"Oh! You can't speak you say? Well, that changes things." The uncle thought for a moment.
"Sir, I think I can let this one off. She didn't steal your watch in the end and she is obviously in a bad state. I think we can forgive this one."

Mel breathed a sigh of relief. Thank Alioe. She clutched her eye, and her head throbbed. Blood still dripped down her mouth from her nose.

"But you!" The uncle said addressing Mel, pointing at her face. Mel jumped back. "Keep your little hands out of other peoples pockets. Keep them to yourself where they belong. Be gone before I change my mind!" He was threatening, tall and muscular. Mel nodded eagerly, and clasped her hands in the officers and the mans in a thanks. The mans face crunched up in distaste when she touched him, but she couldn't think of any other way to portray her message. She ran off as soon as she thought her thanks was understood.

She finally cried as she ran from the failure of the day. The wind tore her tears from her face.

-------------------------------------------

The rain was really heavy that night. Mels head throbbed, and her eye began to bruise. Her nose had stopped bleeding, but it was horribly disfigured and hurt a lot. Mel was crouched in an alley, trying to get away from the rain with no success. Her hair and face dripped while the cold rain beat down; she was soaked. She could feel rain trickling in her scalp and down her back. She shivered, and her stomach grumbled.

She was hurt, hungry, cold and broken. Her face, head, legs and stomach hurt from the incidents of today. Her stomach was grumbling and aching with hunger pains that were almost too hard to bear. Mel clutched her stomach as tears felt hot in her eyes and she shuddered. Her last food was almost two days ago. Mels skinny body shivered in the cold, and she held her old ripped wet blanket closer to her thin chest. Her teeth chattered as she lost some feeling in her toes and water dripped down her face.

Mels heart ached with the pain of abandonment. Tears littered her scabbed dirty knees as she drew them closer to her tiny frame. She thought of her parents and it was like a stab to the heart. She couldn't control the tears, they flowed endlessly. The combination of cold, pain and hunger made it all too hard to bear. Why don't I just die?

Tonight, she might have had a warm bed, warm clothes and food in her stomach. The closest thing to home.

Not tonight.

Mel lay down, crying, hurt and broken and feel into a broken sleep. She dreaded when she'd have to wake.

Alioe... please help me...