Go, read away my little druggies! =P

~Alex

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The steps creaked as Andrew, Gunner, and I descended them. I could hear the faint shuffling of the old, worn mattresses as Davo got up to see who was visiting him in this dismal place. His face lit up as he saw me, but then fell again in confusion. Gunner unlocked the door and let me go inside, locking it again behind me. Andrew came over to the bars.

"Are you sure about this Maggie?" he eyes kept flashing from me to Davo, who was standing close behind me.

"Yes, I'm sure. Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"Alright...Just call up if you need anything ok?"

"Ok. Night Andrew."

"Night Maggs..." He hesitated, not wanting to leave, but forced himself away from the bars and quickly walked up the rickety stairs before he could change his mind. Gunner shook his head before following after him, closing the door with a click that reverberated about the concrete walls.

"Uh...Pix?" I turned around to see Davo staring at me. One of his eyebrows was scrunched down over one eye while the other one was lifted up, making the forehead above it crinkle. His steel-gray eyes flickered from me to the staircase and back again, a quizzical look flooding his them. "What just happened? Why are you down here again?"

I walked over to the mattresses and sat on one, crossing my legs and leaning back on my hands. "Andrew and I made a deal."

"What kind of deal?" He was skeptical, that was easy to see. He stayed where he was showing no signs he was going to move any time soon, as he stared at me.

"Well, since he won't vouch for you too, we came to a comprise. I'll stay up there in the land of the living during the day and down here with you at night."

"But...what? Why would you want to be down here?"

"You don't think I would leave you in a dungeon all alone did you? What kind of friend do you think I am?" I placed a hand to my heart, feigning hurt.

"Look, I'm fine. You don't have to be down here." He sat beside me on the mattress, making the dent I had made in the scratchy, stained material deeper.

"Well, you need company at some point don't you? I'd come down to visit anyway, so what's the difference?" I laid back and stretched my arms under my head, uncrossing my legs so I was more comfortable.

"Pix, just...just stay upstairs. I'll be fine." He lay down too, rolling on his side so he could face me. "Plus, I don't think your boyfriend," he spat the word like a curse and grimaced at the sound of it. "Likes the idea of you spending the night down here anyway."

I propped myself up on my elbows so I could look down at Davo. "He's not my boyfriend." The words came out weaker than I had intended. Almost a whisper, so unlike the strong and sure words I had thought.

"Oh, really? The way he looks at you says otherwise." He seemed so sure in his assessment that I almost believed him. "Come on, you can't be that blind to not see it. That guy's in love with you and you know it."

That day in the woods came flashing back to me at full force. 'I love you Maggs. I always have...' I shook my head to be rid of the memory, but couldn't stop the feeling of pure ecstasy that had filled me when we had kissed that day. I shook my head again, knowing that remembering it was pointless and would only end up hurting me. "He'll get over it." I looked down at the mattress, tracing the multi-colored stains absent mindedly.

"Get over it? It sounds like you talking about some kind of disease."

"Love is a disease." The words came out low and under my breath but Davo heard them anyway.

"What?" He asked, wide-eyed.

"It never lasts and all it does is hurt you." It was a fact. I knew from experience.

"That's not true. Love can be great, it makes you happy." He sat up so he was looking my straight in the face. His eyes held such seriousness, that, again, I almost believed him. But I knew the truth.

"It makes you weak!" I hissed. "All it ever causes it pain. Trust me, I know."

"Love can cause joy too. It does great things for people."

"Great things?" Cynical sarcasm soaked my words as I laughed without humor. "My mom loved my dad. Lot of good that did her!" I was now standing, my fists clenched at my side as I faced Davo in anger. "She loved him so much. She always forgave him, no matter what he did. And what did that get her? It got her killed that's what!"

"What do you mean?"

I laughed again in bitter cynicism. "We went to a friend's party and he got drunk, as usual..." The memory attacked my mind coming back in vivid clarity.

"It was a wonderful party Janice," Said my mom as we walked out the door. "Thank you for inviting us."

"Of course!" said Mrs. Kent, clasping her perfectly manicured hands together. "Thank you for bringing Maggie with you, it's nice to give Andrew someone to play with while the adults talk. It's just too bad you had to leave early. " Her smile was wide over her bleached-white teeth and I rolled my eyes.

"Clara!" My father's slurred voice sounded from down the walk as he headed to our car.

"Coming dear! Well, it was nice to see you again Janice." She placed he hand on my shoulder and we turned away. When we were far enough away from the house she leaned down and whispered in my ear, "If I had to spend one more hour with that woman I was going to rip my hair out." We tried and failed to stifle our laughter as we walked to the car where my father was waiting.

"Wasso funny?" He asked as he leaned against the car.

"Nothing dear," my mom replied as she went to open the driver side door.

"Wha'd'ya think your doin'?" My father grabbed her wrist in his meaty hand, ripping it away from the door handle.

"David," My mom whispered. "Your drunk, you can't drive."

"Don' tell me wha' I can and can't do woman!" He yelled. "This's my car! I drive."

"No, David. I'm not letting you drive like this. It's dangerous." I saw my mom's eye twitch as my father tightened his grip around her arm.

"Get out 'a my way!" He hissed.

"No." He slapped her across her face and her head snapped to the side. I flinched at the sight but didn't say anything. I had learned not to interfere.

"Look you little bitch-"

"Dad," I interrupted him and put my hand on his arm. "Come on, you're drunk. Just let Mom drive."

He looked from me to my mother, whose cheek was now reddening, and back.

"Ganin' up in me huh? I put 'a roof ova' your head an' this's how you repay me? Fine." He leaned into my mother so I couldn't hear what he was saying. But, in his drunken state, he spoke louder than he had intended. "Don' think this ges' you out of anythin'. You'll pay later." He dropped her arm and I watched as color flowed back into her pale hand as she opened the door. As my father stumbled over to the passenger side he laid his blood-shot eyes on me. "What're you starin' at? Get'n the car ya twit."

I quickly got into the car and we stared driving. The car was never in silence; my father's constant complaining and cursing took care of that.

"Can't even drive ma own car..." he grumbled. "I can drive jus' fine! See?!" He leaned over and grabbed the steering wheel from my mother turning it sideways and making the car jerk to the side dangerously.

"David, stop!" My mother yelled, while trying to shove his hands away.

"It's ma car! It's ma car an' I wanna drive!" He moved over in the seat and slammed his foot on the accelerator.

"No! David, there's a red light!" My heart began to race as we sped toward the intersection, the green light flashing to a deathly red.

"Dad, stop!" I tried to crawl up to help my mom but my seatbelt wouldn't unlatch.

"Shut up!" We sped into the middle of the intersection, just as a large pick-up was heading our way. The pickup slammed into the driver's side of the car, sending it tumbling towards the other side of the intersection. My mother's screams pierced the air as we rolled and tumbled across the road. I couldn't discern the screams of the shocked passer-by's from the horrible screech of metal against the pavement. It was just one loud roar in my ears as I was jerked against my seatbelt again and again. The only sound that I could really acknowledge was the one that wasn't there.

My mother had stopped screaming.

Our car rolled to a stop against a light post and I could hear sirens coming toward us. Something warm and wet was trickling down my face and neck as I fought the black dots that were beginning to cloud my vision. "Mom...?" I mumbled. "Mom...?" There was no answer.

"Can you hear me?!" someone yelled from outside the car. "Stay put, we'll get you out!" I was barley conscious as I heard the whine of metalbeing ripped apart and someone pulling me out from under crushed metal and broken glass. I opened my eyes to people placing an oxygen mask over my face.

"Hey! She's awake!" called one man. "Can you tell me your name?"

"M...Maggie..." I groaned under the mask.

"Ok, Maggie, can you tell me what day it is?"

"Tuesday..."

"Good, alright, we're going to get you to a hospital, you just need to stay with me and try to stay awake ok?"

"Where...where's my mom?"

"She's being looked at, you'll see her at the hospital."

"No," I insisted, sitting up on the gurney. "I want to see her." He put his hands on my shoulders and tried to push me back down.

"You need to stay put, kid. You'll see her soon enough."

"No!" I pushed him out of the way and jumped off the gurney, ignoring the searing pain running through my body. I spotted my mom laying on a gurney next to an ambulance and ran toward her. "Mom! Mom!"

Her eyes were closed and her face was swollen, purple and red splotches painting her once-tan skin. I put my hands on her chest and shook her. "Wake up! Mom! Please wake up!"

Her one eye fluttered open, the other too swollen, and looked at me. "Maggie..." she whispered.

"Yeah, mom, it's me." Tears were folding down my face as I looked down at her bloody body. "You're going to be ok."

She smiled as much as she could with her injuries. "I love you, sweetie..." Her eye drifted closed again.

"Mom?" I shook her again. "Mom?! Wake up mom! Open your eyes!"

An EMT pressed her fingers to my mother's throat and yelled out to the others. "She's crashing!" More EMT's swarmed around her and one began to pull me away.

"Come on hunny," She said as she led me back to my gurney.

"No! Mom! Mom!" I screamed as I struggled against her grip. The pushed me onto the gurney, but, despite the pain, I resisted. I had to get to my mom. I had to help her. "Mom! Let go of me! Mom!"

"Get me 10cc of diazepam! Stat!" I felt something stick into my neck and slowly my struggles weakened.

"Just relax..." Darkness over took me as the sedatives took effect, and only one thought remained on my mind.

My mom was dead.

I was alone.

The lights flickered out, sending the cold basement into darkness. Without a word I curled up onto a mattress and closed my eyes, wrapping my arms around my body for the warmth and insignificant comfort it gave. Though Davo was lying on a mattress a mere few inches from mine, I was all alone in this dark cell, and I knew I always would be.