Born To Die.

It was dark. The air thick, with heavy smoke and sickening heat, wrapped around my body making it hard to breathe. The lights- if you even knew they were there- were down low casting a faint glow just enough to see the person in front of you. Older teenage and younger collage bodies were grinding against each other in dance. Couples made out where ever they fancied- walls, tables, chairs, couches. A group in a corner were getting high off any drug they could possess. Beer bottles- broke and not- littered the ground and covered all surfaces, along with dead cigarette butts. Entrancing music floated all around whispering enticingly in your ear.

Stubling around dancing figures, drunken sluts falling on the floor, and the all to often 'admirers', I slowly made my way towards a quick freedom. I slid open the glass door and slipped into the cold night.

I filled my lungs with a much crisper, cool and clean air. Only a hint of cigarette smoke could be detected but was there none the less.

A quick look around confirmed that two or three others where hanging about. One was completely passed out on the concrete. Head down, I carefully made my way farther from the house. Trying to get far away from the sickening life of drugs, drinking, and sex but deep inside knowing it would follow me. Follow right behind as if it was a shadow. My souls very deformed shadow.

Dogs barked savagely as I walked down the ugly black street. The moon my only light. Yelling, crying, and cursing filled my ears as I passed the old run down houses of the poor, troubled, and filthy.

This was a town you didn't want to be in. A gun shot fired. A blood curtailing scream cut through the night. Another shot. Silence. I kept my head to the ground; not walking any faster or slower than before. Yes, this was not a town you wanted to be in but sadly it is my home.

I turned a corner that led down a dirt road that was filled with shards of glass, bullets, medicine pills, and God knows what else. This street was worse than the other. It is my street.

The houses were- if not already - to the brink of falling down. If the house was down whoever lived in it would make do with living in the rubble.

It smelled. Not just the normal stale dirty smell, no. This, this was utterly and profoundly putrid. I felt vomit reach the back of my throat. My hand automatically covering my mouth as I hunched over prepared to be sick; and sick I was.

After emptying my stomach, I continued making my way towards my home but the closer I got the stronger it became. I eventually had to cover my nose and breathe from my mouth but even using my mouth I felt as if I could taste the vile stench.

I was by the house right beside mine when I discovered my neighbor's trashcan was knocked over, hanging halfway over the ditch. Black bags had fallen out of it reveling a larger black bag. I felt my stomach lurch again as my eyes met the shocking truth of what I was smelling. The larger bag had a slight rip in it reviling what looked to be an arm or leg. Maggots had already begun to cling to their new feast.

That's when I ran. I ran as fast as I could to and inside my house, slamming the door closed once I had entered. Witnessing a dead body in this town was signing your very own death wish and I did not wish to die. Not quite yet.

I crept carefully around the house reaching the back without a problem. I wasn't sure if I was alone or not and if I wasn't I did not, under any circumstance what to bump into the others.

I was just begining to open the door to my room- the only 'safe' haven I have- when someone burst through it.

Bright green bloodshot Bambi eyes looked in shock and frightfulness at me before dissolving into a happy calm.

"Severyn!" She cried flinging her arms around me. Her grip on my neck was tight enough it could have possibly broken something. I gave her a quick almost unnoticeable squeeze before peeling her off.

"You should be quieter, Nyomi." I spoke softly pushing her dark chocolate waves out of her face. She half heartedly swatted my hand away lightly.

"I know. I'm sorry."

I shook my head telling her not to be while peaking around my shoulder. I glanced back at her.

"Where is she?"

I visibly saw Nyomi cringed with disgust at the mention her. She turned her head towards the ground frowning.

"Nyomi," I murmured softly, "Where is she?"

Her eyes met mine then flashed angrily at the floor below.

"That... that woman is out getting high and knocked up again." She spat with distaste.

I nodded and glanced around one more time. Positive nobody else would be here for awhile, I slipped my hand around her wrist and pulled Nyomi into my room. Letting her wrist go, I knelt down on the floor and carefully removed a few of the wooden boards. I could feel her curious eyes on me.

"What are you doing?"

I ignored her sticking my hand down into the fairly big hole that I had just opened up. I felt something start crawling on my hand.

"Sevy?"

Triumphantly, I found what I was looking for a pulled it up. I stood back up; Nyomi eyeing me.

"Where did you get that?"

I shrugged, throwing the bag over my shoulder.

"Not important." Then gesturing with my eyes towards the outside of my room, I asked. "Do you have anything you would wish to keep?"

Her eyes clouded with confusion before it dawned on her what I was secretly proposing. She violently shook her head; her eyes wide and terrified.

"No! Just no, Severyn. What if they catch us? What if-?"

Clearing my face of any emotion, I went past her and out into the hallway.

"Severyn, wait!"

I kept walking towards the door but slower this time. Nyomi looked up at me pain and worry clearly set across her face.

"You wouldn't really leave me, would you Sevy?" She asked barely audible. I felt myself show a little emotion but didn't cover it up. There was no need.

"No," I sighed my eyes not leaving hers. "No, I wouldn't if I could help it Ny but I can't stay here any longer. Living like this for eighteen years wears heavily on ones soul. I can't take it anymore. I need to be free. I need to live life the way it was meant to be lived- full of energy and love- not in some disastrous town that will eventually kill you off and throw you aside without a seconds hesitation."

She looked at me then, silent tears making a trail down her face. Her rosy pale lips set in a saddened frown.

"Please?" Her voice cracked.

"Are you coming with me or not?"

She looked at me then the door behind her.

"Let me grab something real quick."

I nod. She runs behind me; a minute later she's back.

"Ready?"

She grins for the first time in weeks.

"No but I won't ever be will I?"

I metal grinned but physically gave her a small smirk; then crept silently back out into the night.