Mother had just left the rat hole of a shack and told me not to unlock the door for anyone. As if the door would hold up. There was only one window that I could look out upon the dirty streets. It was getting dark and the single bare bulb of the room cast an eerie glow on my world. We didn't have much. It was a one room shack blocked on all sides by other buildings. The landlord let my mother pay with her body. I didn't want to end up that way. I sat in the middle of the bare floor and pulled my knees up to my chest. We had a sofa held together by duct tape. So much so, that the color had become more silver than the light blue of the original design. A card table served as our dinning table, with two barrels as chairs. At least my mother had tried to put cushions on them to make them more comfortable. The one room was sectioned off by two curtains. One where our toilet and tub were, and the other were the bed was. I slept on the sofa if mother had company. The kitchen was in the middle. Though most of the time, I would sleep in the closet if it was someone that didn't know I was around. Mother told me it was because I was turning out to be a beauty and she didn't want them to get no ideas. A beat up textbook lay on the floor beside me. It was an English book from college. Hollywood, the old man with the shopping cart, had gotten for me out of some dumpster. It was worn and tattered from my over reading. Sometime Hollywood come and watch me if my mother was gone for too long. He said it gave him a place to stay. In the winter, my mother even let him sleep on the floor. Said it was the least she could do for him.
Standing up, I walked to the window as the darkness grew and the dim lamps from the street lit themselves. I looked out to see my reflection staring back at me. The soft brown hair, the soft doe like eyes. Tattered and worn, clothing, much like my book. I was the daughter of hooker. My father unknown. My mother had carried me instead of getting an abortion. I always wondered why. Sometimes she told me, it was just to spite my father, others times it would be so that something of hers would be good. Sighing, I looked past myself and out into a world, I could only watch but never touch. Hollywood, stood not to far from the corner, where a red light swayed back and forth. He stood around the trashcan with a fire ablaze. Mother must have told him to keep an eye on the place. Hollywood was an elderly black man, that seemed to be full of stories. I asked him one night about how is was so smart. He said that he always kept two eyes open. One always on the lookout of gremlins.
Gremlins were Hollywood's term for those pasty white forms I would sometimes see floating about. There were a bunch down here. Every night they would cause problems, accidents, and pain. I called them ghosts. Mother called us crazy. Not all ghosts were bad. Most were though. Hollywood said I was special. I could see them. But I had to be careful so they wouldn't know that or they would try to kill me. That scared me so I learned to look slightly off to the side and pretend I didn't see anything. My gaze continued to watch the people on the porches, I would always imagine what their lives were like. If they had children trapped inside all the time. If they hugged their children like some of the foster parents I had in the past.
I have been into seven different foster homes, but my mother has cleaned up enough every time to get me back. but right after the visits stop from the case workers, my mother would start drinking that night. She was good at it. She would drink until she passed out, not wanting to remember who or what she was She just wanted to forget everything. Sometimes including me. good thing Hollywood had found that cookbook years ago. I would get money from mother's purse for groceries, give him a list of things I needed, and he would bring them back in his shopping cart. Even had change. Which I always let him have. He needed the money too. I would cook up a meal with what I had and invite him to eat. Mother got fed by her clients, usually.
Hollywood was my only friend. I glanced back to him, to find him looking my way. I waved to him and he nodded. Yes I was special. He made me feel that way. At least someone cared about me. A spirit passed between us and I kept my eyes from following it. It was just better that way. Hollywood said that one day I was destined to do something great. Someone had to make it out of this shit hole and claw their way into the world of fame in fortune. I just laughed and agreed.
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Hollywood began to walk my way and I ran to the door. I wasn't suppose to unlock the door for anyone, but I knew him. I opened the door a crack and he slipped through. We shut the door and relocked it. "Your mother would have your head missy, if she knew you were unlocking the door" "Yeah. But I know you. You want something to eat?" I moved to the kitchen to get the leftovers I had been saving for him. I returned with the plate and he sat on the sofa eating them with his hands. "Its cold tonight, missy. Something is in the wind. You stay away from the window." He told me through the bites he was taking. "what do you mean? "The spirits are out in abundance. Did I ever tell you about the gates of time?" "Yes, sir. You did." "Well think on that sweetie" "Hollywood, why dont you get a good job with that brain of yours" "I'm too old, missy. And the spirits couldn't be watched from up in a lofty apartment." His old eyes took a on a flame of righteousness and I just about giggled. "I'm serious little miss. Here is where the spirits need to be watched the most. Which is why I'm here. " He handed me back the empty plate and I took it into the kitchen. A knock sounded on the door. I jumped and dropped the plate. It shattered when it impacted the floor. the knock was forceful. I didn't want to answer it, until a low voice almost like a growl answered. Hollywood nodded to me, and I hid behind one of the curtains. I heard the door open and a low conversation. "Well then, I guess we'll be off then." And the door shut, leaving silence. I crept out of my hiding spot and ran to the window. Hollywood was back to the barrel with two other black men. I settled back to the floor and cracked open my book, reading it again. A shadow moved in the room and I looked up. A spirit had somehow made it into the house. I looked back down quickly, trying to pretend like I had just heard a noise. The shadow fell over me and still I remained reading my book. I heard a whisper in my mind and the chill ran down my back. I heard it loud and clear.
"They will find you human." it reminded me of a snake speaking. This is what Eve must have felt like before biting into the apple. It was sinister sounding. I could not help but shake when it spoke again. "They will kill your friend and then come for you. I have told them where you are." I jumped up and ran to the window looking about for Hollywood. He was still talking with those two men. A ghostly hand stoked my neck and the hairs back there stood up in response. "Just watch little one." Hollywood turned to look back to the house and one of the men pulled out gun. Two shots could be heard and a look of surprise formed on his face as he crumpled to the ground. I made to run to the door, but the spiritual hand held my neck as the two men walked towards me. The street was strangely void of life as they opened the door. I had forgotten to lock it after they had left. I was too busy trying to see. "Is this the one, cur?" one of the men asked the spirit. It cackled and disappeared into darkness. I looked at the men terrified. they were clothed in black suits and sunglasses. "It must be. She has his features." "She is so human" The first one grabbed my arm and shook me hard. "Where is you mother, girl?" I stuttered a bit and shook my head. "Who is your father?" Again I shook my head. "There is one way to find out. See if she has one." The one who held me shook me again. I was so scared that I almost wet myself. A strange glow began to come from my chest. A light gold in color. The second one smiled. "Yes, she is the one. He said she would glow gold if pushed too far." "Apparently her father gifted her before disappearing. Bring her. The boss will want to meet her." They were about to drag me out of the house when sirens could be heard and lights coming down the street. In a flash of light they were gone and I stood there looking at the bleeding body of Hollywood. Running over to him, I hit my knees and shook him. He opened his eyes and tried to smile. His hand came up to cup my cheek. "I tried to keep you safe. They told me to watch over you and your mother. I'm sorry" he began to cough as I stuttered, "Who told you" "Your father" "Who is my father?" "can't tell you. Couldn't tell your mother. But you're a Hito. Remember that." The cops pulled me off of him and there was chaos after that. I watched from the back of the police car as they took him to the hospital. My mother was drunk when she got there and the cops took me away again. I would be in foster care again. I cried all the way to the station. I wouldn't talk to the social worker. They put me into the group home. From there I spent two years with the next foster family before my mother took me away in the middle of the night. She said that we had to go someplace nothing could hurt us again. At least she cleaned up for real this time.
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aѕceпxion Ascended Tonberry
Number of posts : 6937 Age : 34 Location : California Points : 148 Rep! : 110Registration date : 2009-01-02