Chapter 1

      MABEL.

      

      

      

              I find my mind racing each time my cell phone rings and the name flashing across the screen is the EMERGENCY HOSPITAL line. 

              Each time I'm scared that the doctor is going to inform me that my mother has passed away due to my inability to come up with the money for her surgery.

              

              "Your mother's cancer is getting out of hand and we need to get her surgery done within this month else I can't guarantee she'll see the light of day next month." I recall Doctor Oliver's voice the last time I'd sat with him one week ago.

              

              It's why I took on a third job here, working as a waitress. 

              

              With my heart hammering in my chest, I can hardly hear the sound of my phone ringing. I pick it with a long gasp.

              

              "Mabel," the doctor's voice is stoic "I'm sorry. Your mother.... She got worse and I'm sorry..... I think you should get here."

              

              "Hey watch it!" 

              I don't realize that I was spilling the full glass of cappuccino a customer had ordered over the table until the not so pleased looking woman/customer's angry voice hit me like a wave. 

              

              My egomaniac manager, Davis, comes running. The bane of my existence, always looking for faults wherever I'm involved.

              

              "Is there a problem?" He asks frantically.

              

              "Tell your dumb employee to learn to do her job better!" She screams irritatedly as she wiped her very well ironed shirt sleeve which had been on the table at the time of the spill.

              

              "I am very sorry ma'am. Marb, what is wrong with you?" Davis glares at me.

              

              I was currently still lost. Before he could say any other thing, I remove my apron.

              

              All I'm still hearing is that sound in my ear, and the sound of my heart beating.

              

              "I'm sorry, but I really need to go.." I beg him "my mom.... I need to be at the hospital."

              

              "Leave? You can't leave Mabel. I don't pay you to come and leave willy nilly." Davis retorts irritatedly, much to my dismay. 

              

              "My mom is dying at the hospital!" I yell now, silence breaking through the room right after.

              

              Without waiting for his reply, I dump the apron on the nearest counter and picked up my bag, heading for the door.

              

              "If you walk out of that door, don't think of coming back, Mabel!" Davis calls after me. 

              I stop just before I can walk out the door, tears welling up in my eyes. I turn back to find eyes watching me, Davis's face filled with anger and hate.

              

              Then I turned around and hurried out, wiping the tears that started falling down my eyes.

              

              I don't have bank accounts, so I mostly save my money in my draw at the apartment I shared with my boyfriend, Dicken. 

              

              I take a taxi home with urgency, and sprung out while asking the driver to wait for me. I'll only take a minute.

              

              At the door, I try to fit the key into the lock, but surprisingly the door pushed open. That's when I started hearing Dicken's loud band music coming from our bedroom.

              

              I hurry inside, ignoring the chaos before me, only to be shocked by the scene before me. 

              

              Right on top of our bed is a naked Betty, my co worker from my current work place, her ass turned up as my boyfriend who is also naked fucked her from behind.

              

              My heart is pounding painfully and I'm torn between going over to the draw to get my money and leaving the room without them noticing and going over to give Betty a taste of what I was feeling right now. 

              

              But it's too late now. Because Betty turns her face around with a loud moan, only to find me at the door.

              

              "Oh shit! Babe!" She squeals.

              

              Babe? Dicken has only known Betty one time after coming to see me at this job which I started just two weeks ago and she's calling him babe?

              

              Dicken quickly pulls out of her and turns to see me. I thought I'd have seen remorse in his eyes but no. Instead he said "you're home so early."

              

              Now I'm crying uncontrollably. I can't help it. 

              My mom is at the hospital fighting for her life and this is what I get?.

              My mom... I need to go see my mom. 

              I hurry over to the draw and pulled it open, but to my biggest dread, I find an empty space looking back at me. I'm sure I left two envelopes here containing my three months worth of salary.

              

              I turn around, my voice shaking, my body trembling as I ask him "where is my money, Dicken?"

            

              "What? The envelope?" He says, his hand going behind to scratch his rough hair "ah.... Sorry, I needed it to gas my car and buy some cigarettes. I was going to tell you yesterday but forgot. I'll pay you back."

              

              Yesterday? My money has been gone since yesterday?

              

              My body wanted to give in, and I'm just about to drop to the ground. I stare at him but I wasn't really looking at him. I was in countless pain.

              

              "Mabel lemme explain...." Betty says as she starts to cover her naked body.

              

              Tears are cascading my cheeks as I turn around slowly and walked out of the house. 

              I enter the cab, unknown to me that my cell phone has slid out of my pocket and onto the pavement as I'm getting into the car.

              

              "Where are we going?" The driver asks.

              

              "Just go." I mutter and he started. 

              I cried the entire ride, not knowing where I was going.

              The taxi comes to a stop abruptly and I stepped out without a word. As I walked off I could hear the driver's voice wailing behind me, probably asking for his money but after a while, seeing that I'm not stopping to pay him, he sped off. After most likely cursing me.

              

              I didn't know where I was but I walked around the street.

              I soon find myself walking into a club house. I've never been to this part of the city before but judging from the tidy streets, it looked like where the rich folks lived. 

              

              At the bartender stool, I order for the most alcoholic drink they had. I didn't have any money to pay but that was the least of my worries. I just wanted to forget about everything in my head.

              

              I started to drink and one glass soon turned into two and five into seven.

              

              My throat burned but I deserved that. I needed to feel every ounce of this pain. 

              

              I turn around and could barely see properly as the alcohol sank in. I saw a figure on top of somewhere high, dancing on a pole. 

              

              Chuckling, I leave the stool behind and push off my denim jacket.

              

              My vision is blurred as I climb up on something, mounting the pole with my hand. 

              

              The music is loud and I start to dance. I'm on the verge of falling off this thing but I keep holding on to the pole. 

              

              I begin to hear scream and cheers from men surrounding me. I try to keep my eyes open but it's hard. My eyes are heavy, my head is heavy, my stomach is churning and my throat is soar. 

              

              I continue to dance and soon I started to feel hands touching my body.

              

              That's when I threw up. My stomach grumbled and voices screamed with disgust.

              

              "Get out of here!" The voices in the background starts, before I felt hands grabbing me.

              

              I find myself getting tossed outside, my body slamming hard against the wall. I try to keep my balance. Everything is suddenly black, so I trace my way with my hands on the walls.

              

              Just as I'm about to exit the pavement, my stomach grumbled again and I threw up. I bent over and continue to throw up over and over again.

    All I can think about was how sick I felt on my head and how desperately I wanted it to stop.    

    

    Seconds later I feel presence behind me but I'm too consumed by this fatigue to think anything of it.    

              "Hey pretty thing." A voice calls from behind me, followed by the sounds of multiple footsteps approaching me. 

              

              "You looking to get laid tonight or what?" The same voice continues. "Tsk tsk tsk, you look pretty knocked up. Bet you can satisfy all of us right here, right now damsel."

              The sound of their laughter ingnites my fatigue and I just wanted to throw up all over again.

               

               I am seconds away from grabbing hold of my head in wailing in pain.

               

              "She's with me," another voice speaks, followed by the sound of gentle footsteps approaching.

              

              The sound of his voice is different. It's calmer and yet intimidating. And I'm tempted to pull my face up to see who it was but leaving this position would only make my head hurt more. So I remain still.

              

              "Now back the fuck off." The strange voice says again, and I almost feel the intensity of his deep voice running down my spine. 

              

              "Come on lad, let's get out of here." I hear one of the men say before their footsteps retracted and disappeared.

              

              

              Before I could think, big hands are grabbing me by the arm and pulling me up aggressively.

              

              And I can't help it anymore, throwing all over him and falling into a strange deep subconsciousness. 

              

              And I thought to myself, finally..... Some peace.