Chapter 3 - The Hunger Equation
The little girl dropped heavily to her knees.
The polished marble was freezing against her bare, bruised shins.
She reached frantically for a penny that had rolled near the tip of the blue leather shoe.
A tear broke loose, sliding down her dirt-caked cheek.
It left a clean, pale track through the grey grime.
She didn't bother to wipe it away.
She kept her eyes glued to the floor, her small, desperate fingers scrambling over the smooth stone.
Her stomach let out a low, hollow groan that vibrated against her ribs.
The young man in the blue suit sneered, adjusting his silver cufflinks with a sharp snap.
She finally found the silver coin and enclosed it tightly in her fist.
She slowly tilted her head back, looking all the way up past the sharp creases of the man’s trousers.
Her small chin trembled violently.
"I'm hungry."
Her voice cracked, a tiny sound in the cavernous room.
She pointed a dirt-stained finger at the old man hunched in his rags.
"But he needs them more."
The young man let out a short, breathy scoff.
The girl swallowed hard, her narrow chest heaving.
"Pennies are heavy."
She wiped her nose with the back of her sleeve.
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"If his coat has holes, the cold gets in. Money is metal. Maybe it patches the holes so he doesn't freeze."
She pressed the silver coin back onto the old man's knee.
