For the daily prompt, Downtrodden
The rain lashes down at Brennek's coat as he walks down the darkened streets, arms held close to guard against the cold. It was hard to see more than a short distance, putting him on edge as he walked along the city street and to worsen the tension he never felt good being out after curfew either. Not for any personal reason, but because the Enforcers were always just looking for an excuse to beat a lesson into someone.
He turned his head, a torrent of water spilling from the slightly upturned rim of his hat, and gave a sigh as he saw no one following him. When he approached the alleyway he made sure to check in both directions before heading down it, dim lamps lighting the narrow corridor. A lone man sat leaning against a wall, sheltered from the rain by a haphazardly strung up section of canvas high above him, making a small section of the alley pleasantly dry.
Brennek fished around in his pocket as he approached, the man turning to him and smiling as he reached out a hand for a handshake. Brennek awkwardly took his hand back out and shook the man's hand, "Good to see you, man. You got it?"
The man nodded nonchalantly, "Glad to see you're still around too, Bren. Yeah, I got it, you got the payment?"
Brennek fished back around in his pocket for a moment before withdrawing a small electronic breadboard, holding it out to the man, "Yeah."
Wordlessly the man took it, stuffing the square hunk of plastic and metal in a deep pocket as he withdrew a square shrink wrapped package from his pocket, offering it to Brennek who grabbed it without second thought. "Thanks!" Brennek declared as he hastily made an exit from the alleyway, trying to head back home as quickly as he could, dodging into dark corners whenever he saw the lights of patrolling Enforcers.
As he makes his way through the cold and rain he feels the contents of the package calling to him. Making him want to stop, open it up and gorge himself. But he wouldn't, it would be too much of a risk. If he was caught not only out after curfew but with contraband then he would face far worse than just a beating.
The walk was long, arduous and filled with paranoia, Brennek constantly looking over his shoulder making sure he was not follower and looking for the searching lights of patrols. But after what seemed like an eternity he finally found his way back home. A small, dark building with windows covered in thick mesh grating, its entrance lit only by a single dim yellow light next to the door. His hands were shaking as he fished the keys from his pocket and put them in the lock of the door, each movement seeming like an eternity as he let himself into his own home.
When the latch was open he practically threw the door open and retreated inside, shutting and locking it behind him as quickly as he could before dragging the package out of his pocket. He momentarily cursed himself that he didn't have a knife but resigned himself to tearing it open with his teeth. As he did so a heady aroma filled the room, one of spices, herbs and meat. He let out a contented sigh as he withdrew a thick stick of jerky and tore off a hunk with a satisfying fleshy rip.
It had been days since he had a decent sized meal and he had been starving and the food gave him a rush of satisfaction, yet at the same time the circumstance made him feel no less downtrodden. After his first groaning bite and the intense burst of flavor he slowed down, savoring the rest of his food in silence. He even saved some of it for later, an act of extreme willpower as his stomach continued to claw at him for more, but he knew he should. It might be a while before he could get more.
