Chapter 1: Clockworks Like The City Works
Clockworks Like The City Works
Bits can make anything happen if you have enough, that is something you learn early on in Manehatten if you want to survive, everypony who knew this kept an extra sum of bits aside for the crime syndicates and the 'protection' that they so generously gave, but anypony that didn't know that ended up, well let's just say they wouldn't be in need of any of their bits anymore.
I sighed as I meandered over to the entrance to my shop to close the door the last pony had so thoughtfully forgotten to close on his way out. As the latch on the door clicked shut I felt my muscles start to unwind and my worries dissipate. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy my work as a repairman it was just the days were long and arduous and mentally exhausting, though really I shouldn't complain.
Having a job is a blessing in Manehatten, if you had no work the syndicates took you in, at first it would seem like a miracle, they would feed you and house you and care to your every whim all for free. The only problem was when you decided that you would leave and go off to try find work and get your own place. You couldn't. You see addiction is something very rarely noticed when it's fed, but as soon as that supply that had been sedating its hunger stops it becomes very noticeable indeed, everypony tries to simply ignore it and fight it. But they never win. The addiction slowly eats away at who they are until the pony you once knew is dead and only a shell seeking to sate its ever present craving remains. Eventually they end up back where they began, with the crime syndicates so they can get there fix in exchange for making the crime lords money in any way they are told.
I glanced up at the clock that hung on the wall "7:35pm huh, I guess it's well past time that I shut up shop," I thought to myself before staring down at the floor towards a small sign that read "Closed" and bent down and picked it up in my teeth and hung it up on the window. That done I ventured over to my coat stand and grabbed a jacket before pausing and looking back to my workbench at an old antique clock that I had recently fixed, "I guess if I'm going for a walk I could drop it off." I wandered over to my desk and pulled various notes with the contact details of my customers until I found the owner of the clock, I then proceeded to fetch my saddlebags and the antique clock and departed outside.
Upon stepping out the door I was glad I had the forethought to take a jacket with me, the winds gentle as they were, had a bitter icy touch that sent shivers down my back. The sun's glow had all but disappeared leaving the moon to dominate the sky, its pale light dazzling against the black canvas that lay behind it.
I sauntered down the street, enjoying the simplicity of walking and the glow of the many lights that dotted Manehatten. I had found walking to be one of life's simple pleasures that often went unnoticed by many a pony, just getting away from the house into the fresh air seemed to help me unwind.
I stopped and pulled out the contact details that I had scribbled down on an old note 66 Coltchester St, I frowned at the address, it was one of the more sinister, run down areas of Manehatten, hidden down a network of alleys and passageways. Away from the eyes of any visitors to Manehatten.
I continued my walk, now venturing out of the golden glow of the main city and into the dim, forgotten cesspool of the city. I tried to keep my head up and my step unfaltering for the duration of the walk, it was best not to look like a walking doormat in these parts, displaying any sign of weakness was like putting a neon sign above your head inviting somepony to mug you.
A violent screech pierced my ears as a young mare bolted around the corner, her foal perched on her back, her face buried in her mother's mane. "HELP ME, PLEASE!" She shrieked. "THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE MY GIRL, MY BABY!" She darted up to me, her mane in disarray, tears pooling out her eyes and her face a mask of pure horror "P-please help me, they c-can't take my baby" she whispered as she began trembling. I looked into her eyes as she spoke, they begged me to save her and her daughter, as I gazed into her eyes I seen her foal look up at me, her innocent magenta eyes locked on my own, she was crying, tears streaming down her face and into her mother's mane, her breaths coming in shuddering bouts and her face mirroring her mothers. Pure terror.
There's almost a sense of serenity dwelling within the mothers' fear, within the eye of the storm but I'm nothing more than a leave to the wind; I can't help her. I'm taken aback, the fear that pours from them sinks into me like a snake biting into its prey. Trying to push them away, the mother becomes more persistent almost throwing her child at me in desperation but I quell any such instance happening, so she then makes an attempt to drop the foal and make a run for it when a sudden and overwhelming thought causes her to succumb. Dropping the bags I abandon the mares with little hesitation, leave them to their fate.
"You monster!" Are the words I hear, ringing through the still and bitter air.
I don't care whether or not my stuff is stolen, looted or whatever, whether they die or something terrible happens to them but I don't intend on dying today, especially not to them. Running is a victory, not a weakness... If I live, then I win because death hasn't come to my door just yet.
The off load was a relief, but a heavy and bearing feeling of regret fills me; not the girls but my belongings and not because of their value but because of what they'll lead to when found. Shit! I clearly didn't think that one through, regardless I still have to move, can't stop yet. I keep running and my heart beats- no, pounds as the adrenaline pumps causing an almost pulsating feel like the blood inside is churning, but after a short while it begins to fade; focus returns to me. I've only made it a few streets away but it feels like such a short time passed between when I had fled from the scene to now.
I look around and the empty streets haunt me, their shadows cast from the buildings above loom over me enveloping all within it in an almost complete darkness. There's another thing though that tickles my worries, causes a flutter. The eyes, they're everywhere; even in the emptiness they watch me much like that ever present craving, there's no escape... Not yet.
Noticing that my back is without the saddlebag, I discern any thought of going to Coltchester; knowing that without any business there, I've no reason to be there at all. Actually, I don't know what I'm going to do anymore, at first a walk seemed fine but then that mare came out of nowhere begging me to help. If it weren't for her I'd have been fine, probably continuing down the main roads. No, I could produce a little lie about the clock, say it was stolen or something but that might throw me into a predicament- no I'm already in one, I've always been in one since the moment I stepped foot in this Celestia forsaken city.
It's getting cold, the winters air starts to set in right to the point where I can see my own breath like little clouds of cigarette smoke they waft through the air, sink slowly and fade.
"I wonder," musing over the thought I shake it away without any hesitation. Too late to turn back. You'd understand if you were in this situation, but if it weren't for her I'd have been fine. Fuck sakes, why are mares such trouble?!
I continue down the street I'm on, coming to a compromise with myself. Head back home and hope that nothing happened, doesn't sound too bad honestly; though the antique clock is gone now and there's going to be a hell of a mess with the client because of that. There's nothing I can do about that right now, or probably ever; should just drop it and see what happens. There's a bitter chill that rushes through me, hurts me. I slow down a little, the cold air causing my adrenaline to quickly deter and with time I come to a steady pace.
When I come to think, allow sane thoughts to run through my mind, the first thing I that crosses me is: Where the hell am I?! This isn't a very remarkable place to me, like this part of town is new but I realize just by the profound architecture and the modernized feeling almost technologically developed style of the buildings that I'm in one of the richer parts of the city. This place, it's really borderline developed and there's a distinct difference between here and the other parts of Manehattan, almost as if someone drew a line and said: "This is where all the poor peoples buildings will go and all the richer ones go here. No transitions between the two regions, we could put a run down homeless shelter right next to a corporate building if we wanted to!" That's how different it was, how strange it feels right now for me to be here.
This feeling of being foreign almost wards me, repulses me and in turn it drives ridiculous almost absolutely ludicrous thoughts through my head. The thought of leaving this place never would have consciously run across my mind, it'd be far too dangerous to think those things but now... Now I feel I'm in no position to choose. Weighing out my options would be pointless, on one hand I die, on the other hand I run away and then die. Either I give up or I run away from the one God that actually exists. Running is my only real option here, I can't stay; I have to leave immediately. Damn it! Both my money and my possessions are in two different places.
Money takes it away without any second thought, the idea of starting again would require cash, not food. Of course it'd mean I'd have to backtrack to the store but it shouldn't be that bad; not anymore at least. The commotion might've died down by now, fully forgotten by the morning surely. I make my mind up. Home, Sleep, Go to Work the next day and Run.
Author's Note
Thoughts and criticism: Accepted!
Death threats not so much...
Am I being punctual, grammatically correct and/or showing rather than telling? Etc.
Also, more characters will be added once introduced.
