- Here you go, dear. - My mother smiled weakly as she handed a pair of brand new red sneakers to my brother. - Happy birthday.

They were replacement foot wear for the worn out shoes he had been using for the past two years. He'd grown a whole lot and he had to keep his toes curled up in those old kicks. The only alternative to those shoes were slippers, which he wasn't fond of at all. He never complained, though.

It was only a few weeks ago that my mother noticed he'd been limping. After further scrutinization, we found his toes to be slightly fractured.

I couldn't believe Vinnie was entering his teen years. My little brother was growing up. He was the purest, most honest person. He deserved more than sneakers on his birthday but that was all we could afford to give him.

I felt awful that we couldn't even wrap it with proper wrapping paper. We had been struggling to save up money to pay for our apartment room rent every month. Our apartment room was small and damaged in some areas but we were lucky to even have a roof over our heads.

Ever since my father died five years ago, my mother, brother and I have been through many stages of hell. The first stage was sorrow and grief, the second was getting kicked out of our house, the third was having no more than a few hundreds in our savings account and doing anything in our power to find shelter and the fourth was finding a place, but having to work our hats off to keep it.

My mother had to work as a clerk at a veterinary clinic. The apartment owner, Richard, owned many properties in Oregon including the vet clinic and he gave my mom a job there. But he was as cruel and cunning as he was wealthy. Even as a clerk, my mother would have to clean toilets and animal faeces to receive her full allowance.

The environment was so dishonest and twisted that my mother refused to let me work, so I helped around in the apartment. She kept Vinnie and I in school until a year ago. We had to quit because the fees of our school rose up massively and the other schools were even more costly. It was a major sacrifice but it had to be done.

I lagged in my studies because I kept quitting and entering school. The time period my brother and I had to stay out of school would be a mere few weeks or sometimes it would stretch up to about a year or so. It varied with the different situations we were in.

I couldn't get past the eighth grade even though I was already seventeen. It was awfully embarrassing.

We couldn't pay for the rent of our apartment for the last three months so this month, the price we had to pay was tripled. My mother had been suffering from migraine attacks for the past few days just thinking about how she was going to come up with that kind of money. I begged her to let me get a job so I could help but like always, she refused to even listen. I just wished she would trust me to take care of myself.

Vinnie carefully held the sneakers, studying them before throwing his arms around my mother.

- These must've cost a lot. You didn't have to. - He said.

- Well, it was necessary. And we only spend money on things that are necessary. - She pressed a kiss to his forehead. - Mads, why don't we sing happy birthday for your brother?

I nodded and brought out the cake I'd spent all morning baking for him. I stuck thirteen candles into the chocolate flavoured treat and lit them all up with a match before we began to harmonise.

My mother and I spent the rest of the evening in the cramped kitchen washing dishes and fixing the plumbing. The water kept shooting out of the basin pipes and our clothes constantly got wet because of it. We had reported the problem to the management months ago but they still hadn't done anything about it. We had no choice but to fix it ourselves or just deal with it.

- Mom... I'm tired of this. Could you please just let me get a job in the grocery store down the street? It's quite safe there. - I requested, even though I knew exactly what her next words would be.

- We've been through this a thousand times. You aren't leaving this apartment. - She wiped the sweat across her forehead with the back of her hand and resumed drying the dishes with a torn piece of cloth.

-I'm seventeen, Mom. You can trust me to take care of myself. I want to help you.

She placed the dish on the counter before walking over to me.

- It's not you I don't trust. It's the people out there. - Tears brimmed her foggy blue eyes as she spoke. My mother had become very emotional since my father's passing. She would just bawl her eyes out over the smallest things.

I sighed.

- Alright, Mom. Fine. - I offered comfort as I reached over and hugged her.

-Alright. - She pulled away with a sniff. - I'll be alright. Go on and sleep now. It's late.

I nodded and made my way out of the kitchen. I walked past Vinnie's room and stressful grumbles could be heard. Nightmares were a normal night-time occurrence for him ever since he was a toddler.

My room was slightly smaller than the kitchen but it was spacious enough to fit a small, single-person bed and a dressing table. The windows were cracked on the surface and the large mouse hole by my bed was stuffed with newspapers because I had an unhealthy fear of mice.

I shut the door and it creaked louder than I thought it would. I strolled over to my vintage dressing table and stared at the dusty reflection in the mirror. Sorrow was always protuberant in my eyes no matter how hard I tried to hide it. My lips were dry and cracks had formed on the surface.

My dark hair had lost its bouncy curls at the bottom. It had become uncontrollably frizzy. I had overlooked my appearance and simply didn't care what people thought of me anymore.. not that I even saw people. I rarely left the apartment room.

I brushed my hair and pulled vigorously to get rid of the horrid tangles. It once used to be straight and silky at the top and curly at the ends. The damage was due to the body soap I used to wash it with. The shampoo bottles available at outlets were too costly for us. We needed to save as much as we could.

I dropped the brush and threw myself on the bed. As I'd done every other night, I gazed up at the empty ceiling until my eyes grew heavy. Many thoughts filled my head. A part of me lit up when one of them was of Ace.

He was my best friend. He was the only one who had stuck with me through thick and thin. He never once judged me. Whenever I needed support, he'd be there. I developed a small crush on him when I was fourteen, but it quickly faded. He was more like a brother.

Ace left Oregon a few months ago to look for better job opportunities and possibly get into a college as he wasn't very fond of this town. Any rational person would feel the same way. My family and I would get out of Oregon too if we could but with the circumstances we were under, the vision seemed impossible.

________________

- Where the hell is my money? - A blatant, full toned voice hauled me out of my sleep. Still tired, I stumbled over to my door and pressed my ear against it.

- I'll get it somehow, I promise. Please give me one more week! - I heard my mother plead.

This wasn't one of those dreams.

- Just like you, I have to make a living. - The man's voice lowered but the vulgarity hadn't lessened an ounce. I instantly knew it was Richard. He was here for his rent.

The next thing I heard was a loud bang. My heart pounded as I pushed the door open and sprinted outside to my mother.

- Please leave us alone! - I cried as I stood infront of my mother, a hopeless attempt to shield her. Richard's dark eyes darted down to me.

They held no sympathy. His tall, plump physique was clad in an expensive-looking leather suit. His lips were hidden beneath a thick, unhygienic moustache which was definitely cringe-worthy.

His beefy cheeks puffed up.

- How could I have forgotten that you had a daughter, Georgia. What's your name again, dear?

- Mads, go back to your room now. - My mother commanded.

- Ah, right... Mads! Madelyn, am I correct? Your name is almost as beautiful as you are. You've grown quite a lot. - Richard grinned and my throat felt tight.

- Mads, go! I can handle this! - My mother raised her voice.

- Why don't we make a deal, Georgia? - Richard shrugged his shoulders. - Since you can't pay for your rent or other debts, why not put your daughter to good use and make her pay for it?

- Other debts? - I whispered to my mother.

- Have you ever heard of Baby Dolls? - Even though they weren't visible, I could sense his lips twisting into a smile underneath the thick mustache. - They're big with the men here.

My mother let out a gasp, tugging me close to her.

- Don't you dare. - Her voice weakened drastically and I began to lose the courage I had a few moments ago.

- W-what are they? - I asked, unable to understand what exactly Richard had meant.

- A pretty face like that could actually pay off your debts. - A low chuckle reverberated from Richard. I pieced it together and concluded what he was talking about. Chills shot up my spine. - You give us Mads, you get to stay here and enjoy a few extra hundreds even after paying your rent and debt.

- Never! - My mother protested. - We'll leave then. We'll leave tonight!

- I'm sorry to tell you that it isn't that easy. You can't just... run away. - He thumped his fist against the door and two largely built men walked in. Tattoos covered the length of their sinewy arms and neck.

- Come, Madelyn. Do your mother a favour. - Richard extended a hand. - No need to be afraid. I don't bite.

- Mom... - I mumbled quietly, cowering behind my mother.

- I'll give you anything else. Anything. I beg of you. Please don't do this. - She pleaded, her words quickly dissolving in tears. - Take everything in this apartment. Take me even.

- But almost everything in this apartment already belongs to me. And I don't think any customer would want an old lady.

I wasn't sure if it was just me or if he actually did pout his lip under that moustache. The two thugs joined in on the laughter, obviously having the time of their lives. What kind of person gets a high off of other people's misery? I was repulsed.

- Georgia, please stop wasting my time. Your daughter looks more than willing, I think you're the problem. - He poked fun at the cowardly state I was in. Then he tilted his head to the side, signaling the two men to grab me.

- Please... don't! - I protested as I clung to the fabric of my mother's dress.

She struggled to shield me, clawing at the thugs who were trying to get hold of me. I shrieked at the speed the thugs had gotten her to the floor.

- Madelyn! - Her tone was wavering, unclear.

I broke out into tears when two strong hands harshly grasped my arms.  Fighting back was useless - they couldn't have made it any clearer. I was led out of the apartment room with damp cheeks, bringing with me nothing but desolation.

Misfortune ran in our blood. Just when you think things couldn't get worse, they do.