Annaliese always craved a family. She desired a warm father, caring brothers, a loving mother and adoring sisters. Maybe even a dog or a cat. But, they were desired for a reason.
She never had a family to call her own, not since she was abandoned o...
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The frigid air clawed at my throat. My small hands shook due to the abnormal temperatures. Painful breaths escaped me while I hobbled to the corner of the alley. The night sky was blocked by winter clouds, snow built up on the streets.
Everything hurt.
I collapse onto the stone, my 7 year old body forming a ball hidden by the shadows. Dots formed in my vision and no matter how much I willed my body to become warmer, the frost overcame it every time.
"Ahh, shit's cold," A masculine voice yells out, laughing shortly after. I didn't remove my head from my snow covered arms. "I need some fucking money."
"Where.. where the hell you gonna get it?" Another manly voice asks back. His voice sounded weird - it made me uneasy. "Your.. your assss?"
The two laughed as if they had just heard the funniest thing. I trembled and pulled closer to myself. The only thing I had were the clothes on my back. I sniffled quietly when my nose began to run.
"Why don't we go ask that cute little girl over there? I'm sure she'd lend us a few dollars.."
I don't have time to process their words before a shaky hand grabs the collar of my shirt and forces me up. I tense my shivering body as the old man in front of me feels down my sides. His friend is holding me up by the collar, the thin material choking me.
"She doesn't have shit!" The old man spits hatefully. Tears spring to my eyes and I try to cower away from his upcoming hand, but I was too weak. The force of the blow brought my face to the side. Warm liquid trickled from my nose and a bright red splotch appeared in the white snow below us. "What a fucking waste of time! What whore had this piece of shit?"
My lips trembled as the words I didn't know the meaning of were spat at me so hatefully. My body was thrown to the ground and I landed with a crackly grunt. The force brought along a coughing fit and more blood flew onto the pure snow. Sharp kicks were sent to my sides and I cried out in pain.
"Man, this is.. is a waste of-of time," His friend slurs, lightly gripping the maddened old man. His voice brought relief and I relaxed pitifully. A grunt of anger followed after and a stab of white pain erupted in my head.
My vision faded in and out as my eyelids were drooping closed. The old man with spiked boots stumbled away while his friend sent one last look at my crumpled body. The corner of my bloodied lips pull up.
At least I wouldn't be cold anymore.
My eyes snap open and I sit up quickly, sweat dripping down my forehead. I held a hand to my quickly beating heart and forced air into my lungs. It had been so long since I'd had nightmares of the bad times.
