Down the Alley by Ray Bear (most interesting books to read .TXT) 📕

It was probably not because of anything important, just because I was tired, hadn't eaten, was scared, and suprized, but I must have been out for a while, because Tom and the other people with him were asleep when I awoke. So I went up to the sewer top to see if it was night. When I peeked out of the cover, it was night. A little over midnight probably according to the moon. I got scared when Tom came over to me and said, "Hello Eladore. Your awake." I jumped.

"Oh, it's you Tom. What's going on?"

"I'll explain later, oh, and sorry about you falling asleep. We had to give you a sleeping shot."

"What?!? What are you talking-" Tom cut me off

"Let's talk about this somewhere else."

"Fine, but the deal is, I tell you my side of the story, then you have to tell me your's."

"Alright. Now follow me." I followed him up and away from the sewer, into the the ghost town, and into one of the houses. Then he told me to sit down on on of the beds, and that he would be right back. So I did, and he came back from, probably the kitchen, with some food. "Let's talk." said Tom.

So we ate and talked. I told Tom everything. About the Red Claw's new building, me getting caught, escaping, the tall man, getting here, and everything else. He didn't seem suprized at all. Then, he said,"Good. You passed." After he said that, Rascal came running in, looking totally healthy! "But... how... why... what happened??" 

"Your ready to join the Red Claw..."

"... What are you talking about? You always hated the Red Claw!"

"That was my act. I pretended to dislike it until you were ready. Then once I thought you were ready, I put you through a series of things to make sure. A test. You had to escape, find food, take care of the fake Rascal that I made, and you also had to go through emotional trials."

"Have you been in the Red Claw all your life?" He paused when I said this, thinking about whether or not to tell the truth probably, then said, "Yes. I have." How could he have done that though? Been so perfect, and nice, and everything, and then showing his true self, he was evil. Then I thought of something. "Why did you give me a sleeping shot?" He stayed silent for a long time as if it were forbidden to say, then he said, "It wasn't a sleeping shot. It was a memory earaser."

"What are you talking about? Tell me everything! I am listening."

"Okay. I have been pretending all my life that I haven't been in the Red Claw. I pretended to not like them. Then when I thought you were ready, I told you. I guess you were not ready though."

"No, not that, why did you earase my memory, and what did you earase from it?"

"I have been earasing your memory your whole life." I was completely silent.

 How in the world could he have been doing that his whole life, and I didn't know??? "What did you earase?!" I asked getting mad. He answered, " The truth about your parents, and when ever you find out that I am in the Red Claw, those kind of things. You know, I actually have gone through this conversation alot. I might have to earase your memory again. I mean, you don't seem happy about this. If I earase it, you wouldn't know that all this happened. So maybe I will, and I will wait longer. And then I could-" I cut him off saying, "No! I want to keep my memory! Tell me the truth about my parents! You said they died because of the Red Claw. What really happened?"

"Well, they are still alive. Locked up in a cage, deep in a desert far from here. I have the map. Do you want it?" He handed it to me just like that. I didn't understand how I could be getting so frusturated, but he was so calm telling me about all this, for ,apperently, the 11th time. To tell the truth, I completetly trusted him before, now I didn't at all.

"That is all. Any more questions?" He acted like it was a survey instead of a very serious conversation. Which it was a very serious conversation. "Nope." I said and ran out the door. I wasn't sure where I was going, but not here. I was getting away from him before he earased my memory again. Then I knew where I could go. To my parents! So I stopped at the sewer, got my food, and blanket, and headed off. I was going to find them. 

                                                    my parents....

I had food still. I had a little warmth for the night, I was set. So I set off. I followed the map. I didn't even know if it was a trick or not, but I trusted this map. I hoped it was right. I kept following the map until I got to a forest. I didn't know how long it would go until I got out of it. I did NOT have enough food for this trip. What would I do?

My grandfather used to say, everyday is a new adventure. Yea, he was right! I decided to risk it and keep going. Well, as I found out later, that was not a good idea. I started walking through the forest, it was quite scary. I heard rustling in leaves, owls, and plus, by then it was night time. Which made it ten times scarier! It was kind of embarissing being scared of owls like in the movies. I remember my mom... Or I guess Tom's mom... read me a book about forests. It said that the warmest place in a forest was a cave. I tried to find one, but couldn't. So instead I thought back to the book. What else did it say? Keep low to the ground to be warmer. So I went up to a big, fat, Oak Tree, and I cuddled up by it with my blanket over me and my head on the tree. The book was right, it was warmer! So that is where I slept during the night. 

The forest was quiet the next day. There were no noises, just quiet. It wasn't too strange, because It was always quiet in my home town too. But I wasn't sure if forests were supposed to be this quiet. When I read about it in the few books I had found in the streets, there was always owls hooting, or birds chirping, or crickets singing, or SOMETHING that made noise. I kept walking until I heard rustling noises. This was strange. Because the whole way to this spot, it was quiet. So when I heard the rustling noises, my heart froze. I started to walk faster, the rustling came closer. I started jogging, it became closer, and even louder. I started to sprint, it was becoming even louder. Then finnally, I started to run. As fast as I could. It seemed like what ever I did, the thing would catch up somehow. I was very good at running, Tom was also very good at running... as fast as me..... That was when I realized that it must be Tom chasing me.

I stood very still, trying to catch my breath. Then I said in an angry tone, "Tom! If you are following me, come out NOW! I am serious." But Tom didn't come out.

Someone else did though.

 Someone came out of the bushes. I have no idea who. He is tall, skinny, muscular, and handsome. He has rips on his shirt, like it had been his only shirt for years. Then, he spoke. He was saying, "Hurry, run, must get out of here." I didn't understand. "Why? Why must we leave? And who are-"

"GO! Run! I will catch up! Go!" I did as the man said. I ran. As fast as I could. For as long as I could. Eventually I would get tired, start to slow down, and then rermember the man saying Go! Run! That would remind me to keep going. To run. Finnally I stopped. At the egde of the forest. I had made it to a desert. The one on the map. I sat down. And waited, for the man to come to me. He had said he would catch up. So I waited. For an hour, according to the sun. 

He finnally came to me. With more rips in his shirt and blood gushing down it. I stared. "What in the world