1 Money [Edited]

I've been a street rat all my life. Then again, I've never had much of a life.

I've forgotten how old I was, but I do know that I am young. Or at least, I look young. Young enough to participate in this odd test that I have never seen before. And believe me, I've seen many things for one as young as I am. Many things, if I haven't emphasized that enough. Though there are things that I can't seem to remember, memories too blurry to grasp.....

The odd test that I am telling you about isn't just any odd test. For one, they accept street rats like me, and there aren't many tests that do that. Mainly because we're street rats, filthy and poor and uneducated. There's not much a street rat is good at, other than knowing the most efficient way to steal from that frantic, rich looking middle aged lady that had just passed me or that stupid lost looking rich boy who just glows of money.....and ransom. I wonder, how much money could I earn from kidnapping that stupid looking boy for ransom?

I suppose it would be hard to do that, he is rather fat and I haven't had a decent meal since never.

"My baby! Someone took my poor baby!" the lady kept shouting while a few kind souls tried to calm her down.

Come to think of it, that frantic looking lady was most likely looking for this little boy. She'll probably pay a lot if she's that frantic looking..... or maybe not considering that she doesn't feel very desperate, why she feels rather nervous and guilty now that I think of it. Like those newbies that had just stolen their first bread and was caught by the chef.

In that case, these piggy banks [1] have nothing to do with me.

But the paper in my hand does. Though I can barely understand what it says, I do understand one thing. If I participate, I earn money, beautiful sweet money.

"Do you even know what it says?" a high pitched voice sounded in my ear.

"Mn," I responded, not looking at whoever was talking to me. If I did then I'd have to remember him, and if I did that then I'd have to admit that I know someone with such an annoying voice.

"Then what does it say?" he asked me, or was it a she? Whatever their gender is, it has nothing to do with me. Why, I can even say that I've never seen him or her in my life if anyone asks. Why, I can say it honestly! I haven't been honest in a rather long time... Then again, there are many levels of honesty.

"It says that you have to pass a series of really hard tests," the child prattled on. Why their talking to me, only they would know. Nevertheless, if money is at the end of the test then there is no doubt that I'll pass it with flying colors.

"I don't think someone of your standing could ever pass it," it continued to talk. Someone who talks like this couldn't be considered a person, right? I mean, they never considered me a person. And what does it mean my standing? Is it how I stand? Why, do I need to stand like those piggy banks with their bellies shoved outward just to show how much food they kept from starving children like me?

I liked how I stood, thank you very much, it seems like this thing can't understand the importance of standing and what it says about you. Why, my standing says a lot about me. If you stood straight and tall, it means that you are well disciplined, and lazy if you're a hunchback. It's like my clothes, it says I'm a street rat, and a rather good one at that.

'Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to leave' I told it in my head. I'm sure they'll get the message, don't people pride themselves in saying that they can read minds?

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[1] she means the rich people.