· Glass Lovers ·

· Introduction ·

The rain fell heavily upon her fair skin, soaking the rose red mop of hair that had once been tied neatly in a ponytail. She lifted her dull brown eyes in search of some sort of shelter. Almost a full 3 months ago she had been kicked out of her home and left to fend for herself among the lonely streets of East Chicago, Illinois. Given her age only being seventeen at the time Mary Jane had more than a difficult time adjusting to the current situation.

Her mother had died when Jane was only a toddler. After the funeral her father's emotional state crashed badly and with that went his sense of reason. He began to drink. When he drank he blew what little money they had left causing them countless financial struggles; they were constantly in major debt. As Jane got older she became more aware of these issues and had to take most of the responsibility herself. Having little to rely on she was forced to grow up fast and juggle multiple tasks at a time no child should be forced to even encounter.

Mary Jane sat on a wooden bench under a pavilion in a park. She had loved this park as a kid but most of her days were spent shut up inside. From it resonated a familiar feeling of joy and childish bliss but at the same time everything felt completely foreign to her. The pavilions once bright blue paint was chipped and peeling, and equipment meant to entertain was cracked, rusted and even missing screws.

This pitiful scene displayed around her saddened her but she knew there was nothing left that could be done to salvage once pleasured memories.

The rain had stopped and within a matter of time so did her day dreams. She stood up, brushed off her already mud stained jeans and walked along the sidewalk. Superstition had always kept her off the cracks and lines that presented themselves before her as she walked. She slowed her pace around a market she used to pass daily on her way to school. Ever since the incident 3 months ago school was a thing in the past and unfortunately so was a regular eating and sleeping schedule.

She peeked her head around the corner of the market and watched as the store manager Joseph Scholz closed up shop for the day. Jane had sat next to him in her Chemistry and English classes 2 years in a row so they were pretty well acquainted. She had never gotten around to asking him but she was sure he was part German and she loved the way his dark hair bounced when he ran and the soft yet dramatic curl that formed naturally on each strand.

She waited for what felt like an hour before approaching the now empty and honestly poorly lit market store. Jane knew where he hid the spare keys to the shop and carefully dug under the lose soil placed neatly around the freshly trimmed bushes. On the inside it needed some work, mostly considering electrical issues were a common problem, but at least they kept the outside appealing and neat.

She took the key and placed it between her fingers for a better grip before inserting it into the lock. A swift turn of the key right then left and she was in. She hated to admit that this wasn't the first time she'd done this but the town had merely assumed it was a petty burglar worth very little amount of their time. Either that or one of the town's stupid teenagers sticking their nose in business they're better of never getting involved with.

Jane walked through rows of tables, helped herself to a leftover slice of pie, and made her way to the back room; this room was mainly used for storage and supplies. She sat down on a little wooden chair she had found in the various rooms weeks earlier and ate her pie. This was the time of the day she pondered and often got lost in her own thoughts, this was the time she could sit in the stillness and just think.

She often wondered why things ended up the way they did and she often blamed herself. She had thought that there must have been something that could have been done but whatever the solution she just didn't find it in time and this was her fault; everything always was after her mother died.