Young Writers Society

1

Needle was sitting with his back against the wall, puncturing holes in a plastic bottle with one of the many needles he kept hidden on his person.

He was sitting on one end of a room, commonly referred to by rafter children as a stock maze. It was called this because, the Pipes and stocks that supplied air to all of the station met in that room, and three others like it, criss crossing, and leaving just enough room to walk between. The engineers that were supposed to maintain the pipes and stocks came in only so often.

The stock maze made perfect headquarters.

Fain, Needles second in command slipped under a pipe. Came and sat down beside him.

“You look sad boss.” She said putting one hand around his shoulder.

“I always look sad Fain, its part of the rafter bastard disguise.” He pricked one last time through the bottle, let the needle fall down his sleeve. Then turned and kissed her.

Five seconds or so in to the kiss she pulled away, “I wish you wouldn’t do that.” She said, letting a short laugh escape her lips.

“It’s time,” she said finally. Needle sighed at that, “Well I guess we better get going then.” He stuck the bottle in to a pocket and started toward a path leading to the mess hall.

2

Fain was standing with Needle in the middle of the mess under a projected message. It read, “YOU THINK YOURSELF A GENIUES, WELL THEN TRY YOUR SMARTS AGAINST A KID, AND IF FOURTINE IS WITH YOU, YOUR POCKETS MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT HEAVYER AFTER WARDS”

Needle had placed the bottle on a table in front of them, and was sticking needles in to each of the holes.

“You think anyone will be able to get this?” Fain said, scanning the crowd of people around them.

When Needle finished making the bottle in to a pin cushion, he gave Fain a nod and she started shouting. “Step right up, the master of Needles has concaughted a challenge.”

It took only a few minutes for the first contender to come up.

“Hello again Lt Hilton, you look as fine as ever” Fain said before launching into another round of shouts.

“So, what’s the game this time?” Hilton asked eyeing the bottle.

“How many pins do you have to take out of the equation for the whole thing to fall apart?” Needle said and tapped the cap of the bottle.

“Am I supposed to pull them out” Hilton asked.

“You can if you want, but be advised the can Is full of fuel concentrate” Needle said.

“Where in god’s name does a rafter bastard come up with something like that?” Hilton said.

“It took all of my children three months, to find enough, by searching the derailed pipes”

“I am going to say fifty.”

A kid wearing tatters not to different from Needles bumped in to Lt Hilton. There goes an entire day’s work, “Correct!” he called. Surprise flushed on Hiltons face, so much so that he didn’t notice the kid.

Needle flicked his eyes at the kid, Fain saw, withdrew from the table and went after him.

After giving Hilton his prize Needle followed.

3

“Stench, my name is Stench.” The kid all but shrieked.

“Well Stench, let me give you one piece of advice.” Needle padded him down until he found it. “Stealing one of these,” he held up Lt Hiltons wallet “doesn’t get you put in the brig.” Needle threw the wallet at Stench. “IT GETS YOU KILLED.” Fain picked the wallet up, “I am going to get this back to its owner.” And then she was off.