Two years ago
"Get yo' black ass down these stairs lil' girl!" Essence flinched as she hurried into her old dresser drawer, her shaking hands truly trembling as she searched for a pair of underwear. "I'm coming..., "She yelled.
"I'm gonna give you five muthafuckin' seconds! One...Two-"Essence nearly fell over her own feet as she finally found a pair of panties decorated with flowers. She pulled her jeans on and literally threw her shirt on. She grabbed her shoes and her book bag before sprinting down the stairs like a mad woman.
As soon as she made it to the bottom of the stairs she braced herself for what she knew was coming. A heavy hand came across her soft brown cheeks. She didn't even wince, she had grown so used to things like this. Her neck snapped in the other direction, her teeth colliding with her bottom lip, leaving a small bloody gash in its wake.
She kept her head bowed low. Not out of fear...but merely to give her foster parent the illusion that she was afraid.
"What did I tell you? Huh? What the fuck did I tell ya' ass?" Her foster mother spat in her face.
"I'm sorry. I didn't realize that it was past seven...," her words were met with a hard smack against the back of her head. Her head of natural curls bounced forward and faltered, her body moving with the impact. This was a daily practice. Every morning it was the same.
She didn't dare argue or try to fight back. She had learned the consequences of doing that years ago.
"Get yo' ugly ass out my house! You ain't got to go to school, with ya stupid self, but you got to get out of here!"
She didn't think twice before moving swiftly toward the door and walking out. As soon as she closed the door behind her she raised her head high, cupping her cheek gently and licking her lip. She had been living like this for years. And she was sure that she could survive it for another two.
She flung her bag into the bushes tucked sloppily alongside the house and moved down the street, heading for one of the few places she felt important...loved...wanted.
She rounded corner after corner until she came to one of the many neighborhood drug houses. She knocked on the door, running her hands through her mass of curls, before the door was pulled open.
"Aye! King! Yo girl here!" The dude said as he stood back, letting her pass him. His eyes were bloodshot from countless hours of smoking weed.
White smoke permeated the air as she moved past the group of guys playing video games and drinking every assortment of liquor one could think of. A couple of them glanced her way, their eyes admiring her milk chocolate complexion. She ignored them, though she silently enjoyed the attention.
She headed for the basement, the smoke in the air getting darker and more potent as she headed down the stairs. She hopped down the last stair, a feigned smile crossing her face as she caught the attention of the small group of men. They all looked up at her, watching every move she made.
"Get over here girl..., "King said. He was sitting leisurely on a sofa in the corner of the basement, a thickly rolled blunt in his hand. His eyes were filled with lust at the sight of her. She moved straight toward him, moving past the other men in the room.
She sat down beside him and allowed him to wrap his big beefy arms around her waist. She didn't particularly like him. He wasn't the most attractive man she had ever met but he gave her the attention that was denied her at home. He looked at her with eyes that wanted her and that was enough for her sixteen year old heart.
"How you been baby girl?" He asked, his voice laced with calm, the weed he was smoking taking affect.
She smiled up at him, her teeth white. "I've been fine...I'm even better now that I'm with you."
He kissed her cheek and she turned away, giggling slightly. His touch left her feeling dirty and misused but how could she deny him when, in her eyes, he was all that she had? He kissed her cheek again, this time his lips were coated with a thin veil of saliva. She frowned, pushing him away.
"Ew! King stop it!" She snapped at him before wiping her cheek.
"Damn, "He snapped back, "Why you being stingy?"
He leaned further back into the sofa, pushing her away with a ruff hand. She gasped at the assault as she hit the arm of the couch. She turned toward him, looking him up and down. He was one of the most known drug sellers around. The mention of his name could have even the toughest man running. He was hood famous. He was hood rich. And he had no future beyond the cash he made destroying the people who struggled to make it around him.
Though she knew the truth of it all, she still choose to let him treat her anyway he wanted. He bought her new clothes. He bought her new shoes. He even got her hair done.
He showered her with the affection that she so craved. And though he only really called her when he wanted some...she didn't care. "I'm sorry..., "she mumbled loud enough for him to hear.
He raised a brow, blowing a large cloud of smoke into her direction.
"You always treating me some kind of way...like damn, you know I love you girl."
His words were not sincere but she accepted them regardless. She scooted toward him, puckering up despite her dislike for his hard kisses.
He snatched her closer, his large lips engulfing her own. She kept her eyes closed tight, trying her hardest to endure the saliva that passed from his mouth to hers. She pulled away after a while and just as she blinked a loud bang exploded from above. She jumped back, staring at the ceiling above her. Her heart began to pound.
Suddenly footsteps were heavy on the stairs and three masked men appeared with guns firmly in hand. Her eyes widened and before she could stop herself she hopped off of the couch, sprinting for the only door in the basement. Just as she slammed the door shut behind her gunshots exploded. Echoing in the small space of the bathroom.
She covered her ears with her hands, hoping and praying that the masked men would just leave her be. But that was a hope gone unfulfilled. There was mumbling outside the door before a bullet came flying through the wood of the door, forming a hole in its smoothness. She couldn't even scream, she was much to shocked to do much of anything. She backed up, her feet moving on their own. Her back hit the wall with a smack and she slid down to the floor.
Her body was trembling as the door was kicked in and she stared straight ahead, her sixteen years of life flashing before her eyes. A tear fell down her face as she realized that her life had not been a happy one.
A masked man stood before her. His shoulders were broad, his posture straight, his height looked to be around six two. He had a muscular build.
His dark, midnight eyes, stared down at her for a moment. And she stared back, surprising herself. She couldn't quite seem to look away.
He blinked suddenly, as if remembering that he was supposed to be shooting her dead. He raised his gun and she stared down the barrel of the sleek, shinning weapon before her. He pulled the trigger and she closed her eyes, waiting on the impact that never seemed to come. She pried her eyes open and looked up just as the masked man pulled his mask up. Revealing a dark, smooth skinned man with stubble growing on his chin. Her eyes widened as it came to her attention that he was young. He looked to be around eighteen or nineteen.
"Come on man! We got to get out of here!" Snapped a loud deep voice.
The man before her yelled out the door, "Ai'ight I'm coming!"
He looked down at her, running a hand down his handsome face. "What the fuck am I doing right now?" He mumbled to himself before moving toward her and bending down to her eye level.
"What's your name?" He asked softly, contrary to the fact that he had just killed a countless number of men seconds ago.
She swallowed nervously, her voice shaking. "Ess-Essence."
"Essence? It suits you." His eyes were dark and shinned with an ever growing illuminance. He looked her square in the eyes, his voice growing serious. "I could have killed you, you know that right?"
She nodded.
"Stay off these streets ai'ight? If we meet again and trust, we will meet again...Just know that I'm claiming you." After saying his piece he stood, his long legs carrying him with confident, easy strides as he pulled his mask back down and ran through the door and up the stairs. Leaving her to stare after him with a dumb founded expression on her face. Suddenly the blaring of sirens erupted outside and she hopped up on shaky legs, running from the room. She kept her eyes to the exit, refusing to acknowledge the blood squishing beneath her old chucks.
She raced up the stairs and past the dead bodies littered around the floor before sprinting out of the front door and rounding the corner just as the police sirens came to a screeching closeness.
*I know I know...where are these stories coming from...I'm sorry! My imagination always gets the best of me and then I start writing and I can't stop! I'll be updating my other stories soon!*