From: al019@chebucto.ns.ca (Brad Filippone)
Subject: Re: A story we can all create..
Date: Wed, 5 Dec 2001 04:09:43 +0000 (UTC)

Xel was twelve years old.  She had lived most of her short life on the
streets doing whatever she could to eke out a means of survival.

She was willing to do almost everything to live, no matter what the risk.  If
she got killed in her efforts...well it was worth it.  To survive was always
best, but to die trying was almost as good at least to her mind.

She had never known her parents; had no idea even who they were.  She lived
her first six years in the company of a young woman who was gone now, who had
taken care of her and had given Xel her first valuable lessons in survival.
The woman had died at the young age of sixteen, beaten to death while trying
to avoid being gang raped by a bunch of boys also living in the streets of
the Servii city.

There were a number of human street urchins living there.  They were generaly
ignored.  Xel had managed to sirvive without her benefactor, but it had not
been easy.  If only she could find some way to avoid having to do the things
one normally would have to do to live, like eating or having to relieve
oneselg.  But that was impossible.

Or so she thought, until one day when she found herself where she had no
business being.

She, and a lot of the other kids, knew which of the old Servii buildings had
secret passageways in them.  Old Serviian archetecture dictated that there
should be ample space between the outer wall of a building, and the walls of
the rooms.  The reason for this antique style was never quite clear in modern
times, but Xel and the kids took advantage of it, for these spaces provided
wonderful shelter and a place to sleep.  Possible trouble though, if one were
caught.

----

My apologies, I'm going to have to interrupt my narritive.  It will continue
in the next post.  Sorry about that.