Mushroom

"Someone stop that boy!"

Slipping through the legs of passersby, I nervously ran through the twisting streets and alleyways, hoping to lose my pursuers. The package I was holding tightly to my chest was just what I needed for the month.

'This is my best haul yet!'

As the sound of hurried footsteps behind me started to become muffled, I felt the nervousness and fear get overtaken by excitement.

I went through the familiar back roads and alleys, eventually making it to my home–if you can even call it that.

It was just a makeshift shelter propped up next to a dumpster and hung on the wall behind me. Occasionally the people who lived in this building would throw out used clothes, helping me expand my home.

Passing through the doorway, I was pleased to see my home was un-raided by the rodents and insects that frequented this part of town.

Sitting down, I gingerly placed the package I had stolen from the grumpy old Carsten onto the floor.

'Hmph. Maybe if he hadn't lost a leg in the mines he wouldn't be so mean all the time.'

What I had stolen from him was a large Lavaworm Mushroom, a delicacy for those like me living in the streets of Adonia.

This underground city was home to thousands of humans, but only a handful had the luxury of having a home inside one of the buildings carved straight from the sediment itself.

Life here was simple; we worked for a measly income of crystals under the supervision of our Demon masters, and spent the rest of our time sleeping or eating.

Luckily for me, I had just become old enough to register for a job tending to the livestock over in Tauran Junction.

Someone of my size was rare in Adonia; the population of humans barely increasing by double digits every year due to the lack of resources.

But I wasn't worried about any of that right now.

Right now… I had a Lavaworm Mushroom!

It was as large as my head, spiraling in multiple directions in a grayish-brown color, striped with shades of orange.

Pulling a piece off of one of the spirals, I popped it into my mouth.

As soon as it touched my tongue, a burst of savory flavor exploded in my mouth, the mushroom nearly melting as its tender flesh broke apart from its contact with my saliva.

As the flavor dissipated, I could taste… something.

It wasn't exactly pleasant but at the same time it made me want to eat more.

After what seemed like an instant, the rest of the mushroom was gone, leaving me with the strange aftertaste, a half-satisfied stomach, and a mouth drier than baked limestone.

Fortunately, I had filled my purifier the night before; enough to sate my thirst at least.

Unfortunately, I now had to refill it with my own urine.

'This can wait until morning,' I told myself as I laid down on the floor of my home and drifted off to sleep.

**

BWOOOOOO

The sound of the morning horn signaled the beginning of a new day for all residents living where there is no sun.

After filling the purifier, I raced off to Tauran Junction for my first job.