[center][color=F9CF59][h3]Alice[/h3][/color][/center]
[center][color=F9CF59][b]Time:[/b][/color] [color=#CFD8DC] Late Afternoon
[color=F9CF59][b]Location:[/b][/color] Streets of Ember Grove
[color=F9CF59][b]Interaction:[/b][/color] [@Pink Khione]
[/color][/center][center][img]https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/466021461174386714/765284725099069490/line_divider_by_loquacioussprite-d7s4ez1.png[/img][/center]
[color=silver]The streets of Ember Grove were unnaturally busy and bustling with people. The small child stood out amongst them and hid in her hoodie. She clutched her care bear to her chest. Next, she moved up against a wall. There were too many people for her to be able to handle. It felt like there was an elephant on her chest. She wasn’t sure if the restaurant nearby her specialized in making onions, but her eyes kept tearing. She had to keep rubbing them with her hands and she was tired of it. Alice stared at the ground as she watched a family walk by, laughing about something. There was hope, even happiness in their eyes and she envied it. It made her blood boil and heat to rise in her face. She lowered her hands and clenched them into fists. 

Her stomach would not stop rumbling. She reached into her pockets as if money might appear. To her disappointment, none had magically materialized. Would she have to steal? What happened to girls  who tried stealing? She bit her lip as she stared at Starbucks. Her mother had loved going there and always let her pick out pastries. Her eyes filled with tears but she was determined not to let anymore fall. She was so [i]hungry[/i].  She gripped the backpack over her shoulder and shuffled her feet. Nervousness filled her. This isn't right. What else could she do though? Go back home and get yelled at? Sent to an orphanage or in jail? She didn’t want that. Alice couldn’t help but crave blood. Her parents couldn’t understand the sudden, weird transformation. She wished she could be normal. 

She began walking toward the store as if in a trance. She bumped into a few people on her way. Mumbling apologies, Alice made her way into the store. She glanced around. She saw a couple sitting together by the window, and an older woman reading and sipping her latte. The store was busy, not overwhelming though. She wished there were more people in it. Alice inhaled the scents of the store. She smelled vanilla, cinnamon, pumpkin spice… Her gaze moved over the pastries. She saw the muffins, cake, and the scones. Right next to them were the cake pops decorated like animals. Her mouth watered even more. She needed the fox pop right now. She wouldn’t mind a croissant either. The cheese danish next to it looked yummy, too. She glanced at the chips, fruit cups, and the granola bars. Though she was ten feet away, she could read all the labels clearly. Why had her eyesight become so sharp?

Her eyes glanced at the cold sandwiches and salad. They were easier to steal. Alice cleared her throat and moved inside the store. As she waited, she began to evaluate her moves. She wanted to grab as much as she could. Her mind wandered. If her heart was beating, it’d jump out of her chest. Alice hesitated and allowed a few older college looking students in front of her and moved to the counter. Slowly, and glancing around, Alice began to grab the items one at a time and stick them in her bag. 

Adrenaline rushing, she stuck her items in her bag and jumped when a clerk snapped, [color=orange]”Hey, kid! What are you doing?”[/color] Alice inhaled and jumped. She turned to find people staring and watching her. Frozen like a deer in headlights, she remained silent. Her mind began cooking up a reply but went blank. She stared, eyes wide and gripped the orange juice bottle in her hand. 

[color=F9CF59]”Just um, looking at your food….”[/color] Alice bit her lip and let out a bashful smile. She batted her eyelashes sweetly. [color=F9CF59]”I.. um, my mom’s outside. She’s going to pay for it.”[/color] She glanced outside as if beckoning someone to join her, but nobody came. No one stood up for her, either. The clerk came over as did the manager to stare at her accusingly. The looks on their faces reminded her of her parent's disdainful horrified expressions when she'd tasted the blood. She tensed up and felt her mouth run dry. What did she do? 

[color=orange]”Young lady, you need to put that food back.”[/color] The woman glared at her and tried to block her path. Alice knew she was caught and needed to escape now. The cops would identify her, then call her parents and she’d be back in that horrible place. She glanced around and then darted for the doorway. She moved quicker than expected and took them off guard. She bolted for the door and kicked a chair into her pathway to help stall them. Once at the door she burst through it and nearly took it off its hinges. People yelled at her to come back and tried stopping her, but the young girl was too fast for them. She raced down the street and down an empty alleyway. The hall was too high to just scale, but the dumpster was nearby enough that she figured she could climb it. Panicking and seeing no other escape, Alice thrust her bag over her shoulders and climbed the dumpster. She began to climb it when the voices came closer. She gasped with fear and tried to make it over the wall. Instead, she twisted her ankle and fell into the dumpster. The lid sealed over her. Plunged into darkness, Alice curled up into a ball and awaited whatever doom would come next. Tears streamed down her face as she held her breath.[/color]