Hunters-Verse Prequels: Boston 1993 – ‘Street Rats’

Faith (9), James (12) and Ava (10)

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Nine year old Faith Lehane asks from where she is crouched behind the dumpster in the alleyway as ten year old Ava Rivers and twelve year old James Foley look at her to be silent as the three lay in wait for the noisy drunk ambling toward them, the oldest of the three having laid out the plan to catch the drunk unawares and roll him for his money.

“We need money for food, and no one is going to hire us, short of drug dealers, and I’ve seen too many of our friends fall into that game and wind up dead, I won’t risk the two of you to that.” The preteen James says wisely, even though he was a street rat didn’t mean he had to be uneducated. That and all that he’d seen, the monsters that roamed the streets of South Boston, night and day, both the human ones, the murderers and addicts and pedophiles; and then of course the demons that lurked in the shadows of night. The knowledge of the true nature of the world had forced the young Irish immigrant to grow up earlier than normal than the other children, he strived to protect what he considered his, and to him, Ava and Faith might as well have been his blood sisters for how much he wanted to keep them safe. “That’s why we need to do this.” He says finally, glancing over his shoulder to meet Faith’s gaze.

Faith for her part gave a small nod finally, after an urging nudge from the pink haired ten year old next to her, and then remained silent until James gave the signal and the three burst out of their hiding place, ready to pummel the drunk for grocery money.