Chapter 34

 Osip paused to gaze at his reflection in the still waters of Lake Mead. Although it was barely visible, it was enough for him to make out that his eyes looked darker than usual and his hair was incredibly unkempt. he hardly recognized himself.

Wrestling a comb out of his back pocket, he tackled his unruly curls and did his best to get them under control. He was in serious need of a haircut, but he was penniless. Plus, he wasn’t sure where to go that would be safe for him. He couldn’t attract undue attention to himself.

He’d lived in the streets for over a month; sleeping behind dumpsters or in a park if he could get away with it. He’d eventually stumbled on a rundown motel that was storing old mattresses behind their building. He’d managed to make it his home for over a week; living on the rats that scurried amongst the garbage that accumulated daily. To his dismay, the city sanitation service came and cleaned it all up and he was ag