Poisons Of Fear

Prologue

Haley sighed as she walked out of the hot, humid ballet studio and into the cold, crowded hall. She had just finished her two-and-a-half-hour ballet class, on an empty stomach, again.

As Haley bent down to grab her bag she felt a hand attach to her shoulder. She looked up to see one of her classmates, Emma, standing over her. "Good job today," Emma said with a light smile. Haley nodded as she stood back up and headed to the doorway of the studio.

The ballet studio was decent-sized, so everyone usually scattered after ballet class without saying a word to one another.  Even though all the dancers spent at least ten hours a week with each other, they were not really friends.  They were all competing against each other all the time.  They all wanted to get into the best professional dance schools, work on broadway, and do other things.  But Haley didn't mind the cold shoulder she would get from her peers.  She actually preferred it.  No one paid attention to her.  

Haley slid on her grey sweatpants, blue hoodie, and back uggs over her dance clothes, adding the extra layer helped keep her warm.  After all, it would be a long bike ride back to her apartment in the snow.  She let out a sigh as she then hoisted her backpack over her shoulder and went outside.  

It was dark, but that didn't stop the city from pulsing with life.  The wind was cold, going through her clothes almost instantly.  But, Haley knew that once she started home on her bicycle she would warm up.  She wasted no time biking to the Midwest point neighborhood.  It wasn't the nicest, but Haley considered herself lucky considering her family's circumstances.  

After pedaling for an hour and a half she finally made it to the apartment complex. It really didn't take that long to get home, but she took a long way.  She wanted more of an exercise.   Once her bicycle was locked for the night, she walked through the doors and up the five flights of stairs, and all the way to room 565. She was greeted with a small piece of paper taped to the door. In the bright, red letter was the word 'Urgent.'  Haley slowly pulled the note free from the door.  They were getting these more often.  

Haley knew it was because her parents were behind on rent.  She didn't know how far behind, but it wasn't hard to figure out that they were.  With the managers leaving these notes, glaring at the family every time they passed them, and making snarky comments under their breath, it was easy to tell they were waiting for an excuse to kick them out.  

Haley sighed as she opened the door to her apartment.  The lights were off, and it was cold, almost as cold as outside.  "Mom?  Dad?" There was no answer.  It was no surprise to her.  It was Friday night after all.  That meant her mom, dad, brother, and sister were out doing their own things at different bars and clubs.  

She sighed as she went into her room and set down her backpack.  Her stomach growled, loudly.  She hadn't eaten in a few days.  Haley walked back through the dirty apartment.  There were lines of powdered drugs half gone, empty beer and liquor bottles.  That's where most of the money went.  With that and food and utilities, there was barely any money for rent.   Haley didn't partake in it, though she was tempted at times.  

She just didn't like what they had done to her family.  Her older brother dropped out of college after getting hooked on drugs.  Her sister barely graduated high school.  Her mom and dad bounced from job to job because they couldn't manage to keep one for a few months.  When all of them were home, it just ended in a screaming match with Haley trying to cover her ears while hiding in her room.

Haley opened the cupboards of the dirty kitchen.  Nothing.  Just dust.  She sighed, but she was also partially relieved.  Whatever money she got went to dance, so unlike her siblings, she was unable to help out with anything around the apartment.  She made it a priority to take as little food as possible considering she didn't pay for any of it.  It's not like anyone was watching her nutrition anyways.  

With an empty stomach, Haley retreated back to her room.  She had the whole weekend ahead of her, which she would most likely spend in her room, specifically her closet.  

It was her safe space.  Over the years she would always find a space in the apartment they were staying in that the others just seemed to ignore.  She would fill this with stuffed animals, blankets, pillows, books, notepads, art supplies, and basically anything else that brought her joy.

She gathered some pajamas and took a quick shower with cold water.   After that, she went back to her room and locked the door behind her.  She had been shaken awake before because one of her family members stumbled into her room thinking she was sleeping in their bed.  That had been a long night, and she didn't want to ever repeat it.  

After laying down in her bed, trying to get comfortable for an hour, she gave up.  With her window and no heater, the room was freezing.  She sighed as she picked up her blanket and carried it into her closet, closing that door behind her.  It wasn't much better, but at least it didn't have a window letting the cold air seep through it.  She snuggled down, with blankets and stuffed animals all around her.  

Haley finally got warm and comfortable enough to sleep, forgetting about everything for a while.  She forgot about her dance competitions coming up, her family's problem, and the fact that she could possibly be living on the streets if her parents didn't get their acts together.  But, right now, she just slept.  That was all she could do.