Ruth sat on the very edge of the shade, silently looking out at the descending blue reflective solar panels that stretched out in front of her. Heat shimmered in the air, distorting the more distant panels as the sun shone high above her. The blue surfaces that covered the entire city were designed to keep heat out, but they didn't do anything for people sitting on top of them. She was sweating intensely, her multiple layers of clothes covering her body completely.

  She glanced down at the power meter next to her. It was about ninety-five percent full, meaning she would only have to sit here for another about ten more minutes. Resuming her watch over the roofs below her, she kept an eye out for any other power siphoners. She likely wouldn't spot any, but it never hurt to be careful. Rival siphoners might try to steal their prize for a bit of extra cash. The gang didn't care if you brought back more than one full power bank, as long as you brought back one at all.

  The term siphoner was a bit misleading, but it was what the crime was called. Illegally collecting power was a serious offense, which is why nobody with something to lose ever did it. Ruth only had one thing to lose, and he was coming up behind her.

  Ezra slowly crawled down toward her, being careful not to slip. He stopped a few feet away, not getting too close to the edge of the shade. Ruth looked back at her brother, his own body also completely covered. "Ezra, did you see something?"

  "I just wanted to check on you. Is it almost full?" His voice was muffled and soft. Ruth had always made sure he talked quietly while on the job, and the layers of clothing over his face muffled him even more.

  "Ten minutes. Go get those extra clothes off, you'll get heatstroke." The gentle chiding seemed to mollify him, and he slowly began to crawl back up to his spot. She appreciated him checking in, but it was more important for him to keep watch. Besides, it was genuinely easier for younger kids to suffer from heatstroke while doing this kind of work.

  The minutes ticked by until a tiny light flashed, indicating that the power bank was full. Ruth carefully pulled the solar panels back into the shade, letting them cool off while she prepped the power bank for travel. Disconnecting the wires running to the panels, she stowed them in her pack. Then she flipped the power bank off and put it behind her heavy pack so it wouldn't roll away.

  After the panels cooled a bit, she folded them up. The panels stacked easily into a box shape, which she wrapped with the twine she had with her. Putting that into the pack as well, she shouldered her burden, grabbed the power bank, and began crawling back up toward her brother.

  Ezra had shed much of his excess clothing already, piling it next to himself. Once she got close enough to her brother, he reached down and helped her up the rest of the way. In truth, his help didn't amount to much, but she wanted him to feel like he was contributing. After resting a moment, the two gently dropped off the slanted section of blue, sun-protected roofing, and slipped onto the actual roof of the building below.

  Ruth began shedding her extra layers, and Ezra silently began putting the clothes in his pack. They had done this dozens of times, if not more, and the process was quick and routine now. Once they were both back in their street clothes, simple shirts and pants with tears and stains, she placed the power bank in her pack. They both shouldered their burdens and began the trek back to the delivery point.

  Ruth had found that sticking to the rooftops often meant less trouble. Constable patrols rarely came up this high unless they got a tip, choosing to stay on street level more often than not. It wasn't without risks, but Ruth would rather take her chances with jumps between buildings than with local law enforcement.

  The siblings' bare feet padded gently on the flat roofs as they made their way to the outskirts of the city. The drop-off point was a way out, though Ruth had learned long ago that the power banks would eventually make their way closer to the heart of the city.

  As the elevation of the buildings began to decline, Ruth began looking for a spot to drop or climb down to the street. This far out, the buildings were only a few stories high, and she could start to see the light's edge in the distance. The place where the solar reflectors ended their coverage, and where hot, desolate wasteland began.

  Today's drop-off point was only a few streets away from the edge, near to the train station. She had delivered there a few times, and it was one of her least favorite places to go. It was close enough to city infrastructure to be patrolled, but far away from the areas where she and her brother typically stayed.

  She sighed as she scoped out her options. There was no use complaining, their handlers didn't seem to care about inconveniencing any of the Dhampirs they employed. Annoyed, she mentally chided herself for using the name they gave people like her and her brother. Dhampirs.

  She had looked up the word once, on a rare trip to the library for her brother. They were half vampire, half human. They could apparently walk in the sun and not turn to ash. The irony was not lost on her. The Nosferatu gang prided themselves on staying cloaked in the darkness of the city, ruling from the shadows. Sending orphaned kids to do their dirty work siphoning power meant they didn't have to go near the burning sunlight.

  Not that any of the gang were fictional monsters, of course. But every street gang needed some kind of theme, and the Nosferatu were the most recognizable by far. Leaning into the vampire aesthetic was their way of instilling fear and respect in people, and it worked. Ruth had met kids who would rather starve than approach one of the Ghouls who rounded up children for work.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  Ruth had only met a handful of the Ghouls, but she knew there must be dozens, if not hundreds, in the city. They were the ones who handled Dhampirs like her and her brother. She wasn't a gang member, but she worked for them often enough that they likely considered her one.

  Today's Ghoul, a guy named Richard, was the one she saw most often. Whenever he found her looking for work, he was quick to offer her a siphoning job. She was quick to take it too, siphoning was dangerous; but it meant enough food for a week if they rationed it carefully.

  Ruth and Ezra landed softly on the last roof they would use, and Ruth held up her hand to stop her brother. She went to the edge, peering over cautiously to scout out the wide street below. Powerful lights hummed softly as they illuminated the main street and surrounding buildings. The two-lane street was mostly empty, save for a few cars dotting the spaces in front of homes and businesses. There was a small amount of foot traffic but Ruth didn't spot any constables nearby.

  Ruth carefully and quietly made her way to the fire escape, silently descending to the alley between buildings. As she dropped to the ground, she quickly scouted for anyone nearby. When she didn't spot anyone, she motioned for her brother to drop down.

  He landed in her arms, then set his feet on the ground. He was getting a bit too big for her to keep doing that, and she was saddened by the idea of not being able to catch her brother anymore. Her brother growing up was both relieving and terrifying to her.

  Silently, Ruth crept toward the street, sliding her body against the wall until she could peer out. She had picked this alley because the street lights didn't provide much light to the space between these buildings. Anyone passing by wouldn't see her at a glance.

  It was just after three o'clock, which meant there weren't a lot of people milling about in this part of town. Some local mothers and their kids were playing down the road, but that was about it. Some cars were parked on the sides of the street, and Ruth motioned for her brother to hide between them. Ezra moved forward in a slow crouch, dipping between the parked cars easily.

  He looked around for a moment, then signaled the all-clear. Ruth pushed off the wall and stepped out onto the street, doing her best to look casual.

  Looking casual was something that often eluded Ruth. She had been stopped on the street by constables more times than she could count, simply because she 'looked shifty.' Apparently spending most of your life paranoid and looking over your shoulder gave her some bad habits.

  Ezra was much better at seeming casual. It might have been the fact that he was still a kid, but he always seemed cheery, even playful as he walked down the street. He had tried to explain how to act to Ruth, but she had always felt more awkward and suspicious when she tried to force a smile.

  The two made their way across the street, doing their best to seem totally normal and innocent. Fortunately, they weren't given more than a cursory glance or two by pedestrians before making it to the next alley. This one was more well-lit, especially considering the small light hanging above a door on the side of one of the buildings.

  Ruth approached the door, then knocked on it in a 'da-da, da-da-da, da' rhythm. A sliding peephole opened on the door, and a pair of eyes peered out at them. "Password?" The voice was gruff and deep, and it might have been intimidating if Ruth had never met the man it belonged to.

  "Johnny, it's us. Let us in." Ruth glanced around, still wary even though they were at their destination.

  "I need the password. Boss said I'd get in trouble if I don't make you say it." He sounded nervous, and Ruth sighed. Johnny was one of the biggest cowards she had ever met. She had no idea how he had ended up working for a gang like the Nosferatu.

  Ruth relented, pulling out a small piece of paper she had written the password on. "Bickering blisters boil beautifully." She had no idea if the passwords ever actually meant anything, but all the Ghouls she worked with seemed to have different themes. Richard always used passwords that had a bunch of words all starting with the same letter, and they were always annoying to remember correctly. Ezra had told her what that was called once. Onomono-something?

  The peephole closed, and Ruth heard Johnny unlocking the door. The door opened, and Ruth didn't hesitate to step inside with Ezra, Johnny walking in behind them.

  This drop-off point used to be some kind of bar as far as Ruth could tell. Stools bolted to the floor sat in front of a long, wooden bar with empty shelves behind it. There were no longer tables or anything to fill the empty space, but a reclining chair sat in the middle of the room. Richard lounged in the chair, looking bored. When he saw Ruth and Ezra though, he perked up.

  "Ruth! Ezra!" He stood, walking over to them. Richard was tall and thin, with brown and greasy hair lying flat against his head. He wore a slightly tattered suit, apparently the standard uniform for Nosferatu members. "How're my two best siphoners?"

  Ruth resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She knew from experience that antagonizing the Ghouls often meant a reduction in food. "Doing fine, Richard." Ruth placed the pack on the floor, pulling out the full power bank and handing it over. "One full power bank."

  Richard smiled at the power bank, waving his hand dismissively at Johnny, sending him back to the door. He didn't look up at them as he spoke, still examining the storage device. "You know, if you two ever want a more permanent position..." he trailed off leadingly.

  Ruth had been offered a spot in the Nosferatu gang before, but she wasn't especially interested. "No thanks, Richard. This is good enough for now." Doing this kind of work was bad enough, Ruth couldn't imagine actually being a real gang member.

  Richard shrugged, not seeming to mind. He pulled out a brown envelope. "Here's the payment."

  Ruth handed it to Ezra, who counted it for her. "Thirty. It's all there, sis."

  Ruth pocketed the money, then turned to go. Richard's voice stopped her, "Actually, Ruth. I've got another offer for you."

  She glanced over her shoulder, looking at Richard warily. One of her hands reflexively gripped Ezra tightly, not trusting Richard for a moment. She wanted to be ready to bolt if this was a trick or trap.

  "You're...what? Fifteen now?"

  It was Ezra who nodded. Ruth didn't really keep track of things like that.

  "I've got a new recruit. A girl around your age, and I need someone to show her the ropes." Richard smiled easily, and Ruth thought the expression looked slimy and gross.

  There was no way Ruth was going to accept. A newbie was dangerous, especially if she had to look after someone her size and Ezra at the same time. It just wasn't worth-

  "I'll pay triple your normal rate for every job you take her on."

  "Done."

  Richard's easy smile didn't seem any less slimy, but Ruth didn't really care. They shook hands on it. "I'll have her by next week. Come to the recruitment spot by the church at ten A.M. You know which one I mean?"

  She nodded, it was one of the places she usually checked when looking for work. He smiled again, letting her go and sauntering back to his chair, no doubt to wait for another siphoner. With nothing more to be said, Ruth and Ezra left, heading home.