My Stalker

All stories have a beginning, a time when things where much peaceful or some will tell the beginning when things where hard. Mine starts in a town not large enough to be known. The place was quiet, peaceful, but happy. The neighbors were kind and we all cared for one another, unfortunately things don't always stay that nice. People started moving, we already had small numbers but with most of the town gone everything near us started closing, couldn't find workers, didn't have enough kids for a school, and more people just kept leaving. We got to the point my mom couldn't afford the gas to drive an hour into town for groceries, or work, or even school. She decided to hunt for a new home. We were a larger family, I was the 3rd out of moms five kids, after dad passed things were already tough, but mom found ways to make ends meet. when everyone left mom was forced to sell the land and house and we had to move far away from all we knew. We never stayed long wherever we went, we would all cram into worn down two bedroom apartments, we lived in horrid places but after a while we would move again. As we got older and could start working we thought everything would be ok, but things just got tougher. My oldest sister moved out, and mom got sick. Soon enough she passed and my remaining sibling were placed into foster care. A couple month in my older brother turned 18 and was kicked out, he didn't survive long on his own in this town. My older sister left the country and never really kept in touch, my younger sibling found foster homes and were later adopted, but me the teen who would be an adult soon, nobody wanted. I knew it was only a matter of time before i reached the same fate as my brother. The cold wet streets filled with druggies and gang members just waiting for me, calling me to my horrible fate.  I saved every bit of money i could, missed many meals, and started searching for a place to go when the day did come. Of course it creeped up faster than I wanted, but i was able to secure a studio apartment that looked like it was haunted by at least 3 angry ghosts. The water was always cold and the amount of mice running around could have been a cats all u can eat buffet. I didn't complain though, this was now home, a place a bit safer than those streets.  I could hear the screams late at night, the horrid screams for help, the screams and cries of people meeting their doom. I always felt guilty for them, but in a world like this where your on your own, you don't help or you will be joining them. I know its cruel but its her own fault for being out this late, we all know this will happen if we are caught out in the dark. By the morning the cops had her body gone, they will probably rule that she "committed" or they will claim she never existed, all depends on who she had in life. The cops only care about keeping themselves alive, they have some unspoken rule with the gangs that the cops will basically clean up the messes, as long as the gangs always come out in the clear.  Today gets to be a busy day, today many people will be trying to find out if that woman was worth anything, if she had a decent job everyone will be trying for it. I have to try and be the best if I wand to be able to earn enough money to get out of the hell hole, the hardest part of it all is just trying to find out where she worked. Unfortunately as the day came to an end I had no luck finding anywhere decent hiring, this lady was just as unlucky as the rest of us, trying to find ways to scrape by in this life. As I got closer to the alleyways the strong smell of cigarette smoke hit my nose, I picked up my pace trying to get to safety as quickly as possible. I keep my head down and walk quietly, if I can go unnoticed the rest of the way home I will be safe, the chances are in my favour due to many other people hustling to make it home before dark, I blend in with the crowd, everyone wears all black to blend in with the dark shadows, any other color and you would stand out  like a sore thumb.  I make it inside just in time, shutting and locking the bolt locks on my door, I have three installed but who knows if that's even enough to keep me safe, I make my cup of tea and sit near the window to watch the sunset. The only thing is life that reminds me of when times were simpler, back before dad got sick, back when we could lay in the grass near the streaming water, eat until out bellies were full, and watch the stars at night. Oh how I miss seeing the stars, In the dreaded down you see nothing but doom, a blackness that feeds into everyone's souls.  I wash my cup and climb into bed, the only place I even have comfort. I am lucky enough to have as nice of bedding as I do, I have a fluffy pillow that at night I imagine to be a bed of flowers, I have a decent comforter, and I have a silk sheet, an old neighbor had given me the sheet before she passed, she had nobody left in life to gift it to. She was a very nice lady, she was of the last people I have talked to, now I try and only talk when necessary, the more sounds you make the more attention you bring to yourself and here that's just not safe.