closet with no food.
"I won't get caught this
time."
Sara grabbed her by the
shoulders.
"Tiffany, don't be stupid. Where will
you go? Who will take care of you?"
"I don't know. But I don't
want to stay here."
Tiffany shoved her few belongings in a
backpack and slid open the window next to Carrie's bed. Their
bedroom was on the first floor, not a far drop at all.
"We should stop her," Sara
said.
"Let the stupid girl
leave. She'll get caught...again."
Tiffany dropped to the
ground and adjusted her backpack on her shoulders. It was dark,
although she had no idea what time it was. She moved in between the
houses to the alley. The alley had no lights, and would let her
make it to the next street without Miss Simmons knowing.
She simply walked. She
wasn't familiar with the town. The only reason she remembered her
house address was because Miss Simmons forced everyone to memorize
it before the social workers came. She turned down one street, and
then another, watching the few people around her. Eventually she
made it to the beach, but turned and went in the other direction.
Tiffany loved the beach, although she'd only been a few times. But
she certainly couldn't live on the sand.
She sat on a bench under a
street light. Cars, buses, and late party-goers passed by. She kept
her head low as a group of men and women crossed the intersection
near her. They noticed Tiffany and wondered aloud what a little
girl was doing out so late, but didn't stop to talk to
her.
Tiffany felt tears coming
on, and wiped them away with the bottom of her shirt. Tears were
bad. Miss Simmons lost her temper very quickly when she caught one
of them crying. Tiffany pulled out her camera and took a picture of
a couple walking across the street. She loved taking pictures. Her
photo album was full of pictures she'd taken, along with a few from
her old home. Photos of people smiling and having fun made her
happy. They took her away from her life with Miss Simmons, if only
for a moment.
She had nowhere to go, nowhere to hide
for the night. She had nothing to eat, and no one to care for her.
Her own father didn't want her.
She had nothing.
Tiffany stood up and
walked once again. She nearly headed for the beach, but changed her
mind and continued walking the streets. There was no way she could
find her way back to Miss Simmons now.
What would the discipline be this
time?
All of the alleys looked
the same, but Tiffany took a chance turning down one. With luck,
perhaps she'd recognize Miss Simmons' backyard, and could sneak
back through the window.
She was halfway down the
alley when she realized there weren't any houses. There were only
the backs of businesses on both sides. She turned on her heels and
took a step, but froze when she heard a voice.
"You made a mistake, Paul.
I'm not trying to be a dick here. But mistakes cost me time and
money. Do you understand?"
Tiffany knew she should
have kept on her way, but curiosity got the better of her. Dropping
low to the ground, she made her way along the brick wall and
crouched behind a large trash bin. Her camera still dangled by the
strap from her wrist. She peered around the side and saw three men
talking near a single light pole.
"Hey, this is all on you.
You said she'd be gone all night. She came back home, and caught me
stealing her shit. I had no choice. I had to kill her."
One man was dressed like a
policeman. Blue uniform, blue hat, gun on his belt. The other two
looked like normal men to Tiffany, although the man standing next
to the policeman was taller than the rest of them. The tall man
didn't say a word.
"You're supposed to be a
professional," the policeman said. "I've given you three jobs.
You've screwed up two of them."
"This is bullshit. I've done
everything you've asked. I can't help it if-"
The policeman nodded at
the tall man. The tall man stepped forward and grabbed Paul by the
face. From Tiffany's angle, it looked like the tall man leaned in
and kissed Paul on the neck. She
"I won't get caught this
time."
Sara grabbed her by the
shoulders.
"Tiffany, don't be stupid. Where will
you go? Who will take care of you?"
"I don't know. But I don't
want to stay here."
Tiffany shoved her few belongings in a
backpack and slid open the window next to Carrie's bed. Their
bedroom was on the first floor, not a far drop at all.
"We should stop her," Sara
said.
"Let the stupid girl
leave. She'll get caught...again."
Tiffany dropped to the
ground and adjusted her backpack on her shoulders. It was dark,
although she had no idea what time it was. She moved in between the
houses to the alley. The alley had no lights, and would let her
make it to the next street without Miss Simmons knowing.
She simply walked. She
wasn't familiar with the town. The only reason she remembered her
house address was because Miss Simmons forced everyone to memorize
it before the social workers came. She turned down one street, and
then another, watching the few people around her. Eventually she
made it to the beach, but turned and went in the other direction.
Tiffany loved the beach, although she'd only been a few times. But
she certainly couldn't live on the sand.
She sat on a bench under a
street light. Cars, buses, and late party-goers passed by. She kept
her head low as a group of men and women crossed the intersection
near her. They noticed Tiffany and wondered aloud what a little
girl was doing out so late, but didn't stop to talk to
her.
Tiffany felt tears coming
on, and wiped them away with the bottom of her shirt. Tears were
bad. Miss Simmons lost her temper very quickly when she caught one
of them crying. Tiffany pulled out her camera and took a picture of
a couple walking across the street. She loved taking pictures. Her
photo album was full of pictures she'd taken, along with a few from
her old home. Photos of people smiling and having fun made her
happy. They took her away from her life with Miss Simmons, if only
for a moment.
She had nowhere to go, nowhere to hide
for the night. She had nothing to eat, and no one to care for her.
Her own father didn't want her.
She had nothing.
Tiffany stood up and
walked once again. She nearly headed for the beach, but changed her
mind and continued walking the streets. There was no way she could
find her way back to Miss Simmons now.
What would the discipline be this
time?
All of the alleys looked
the same, but Tiffany took a chance turning down one. With luck,
perhaps she'd recognize Miss Simmons' backyard, and could sneak
back through the window.
She was halfway down the
alley when she realized there weren't any houses. There were only
the backs of businesses on both sides. She turned on her heels and
took a step, but froze when she heard a voice.
"You made a mistake, Paul.
I'm not trying to be a dick here. But mistakes cost me time and
money. Do you understand?"
Tiffany knew she should
have kept on her way, but curiosity got the better of her. Dropping
low to the ground, she made her way along the brick wall and
crouched behind a large trash bin. Her camera still dangled by the
strap from her wrist. She peered around the side and saw three men
talking near a single light pole.
"Hey, this is all on you.
You said she'd be gone all night. She came back home, and caught me
stealing her shit. I had no choice. I had to kill her."
One man was dressed like a
policeman. Blue uniform, blue hat, gun on his belt. The other two
looked like normal men to Tiffany, although the man standing next
to the policeman was taller than the rest of them. The tall man
didn't say a word.
"You're supposed to be a
professional," the policeman said. "I've given you three jobs.
You've screwed up two of them."
"This is bullshit. I've done
everything you've asked. I can't help it if-"
The policeman nodded at
the tall man. The tall man stepped forward and grabbed Paul by the
face. From Tiffany's angle, it looked like the tall man leaned in
and kissed Paul on the neck. She
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