After running away I swore to never go back even if it was the only home I had. A foster home was not the best place the reason why I ran away. Of course I had nowhere else to go. No meals to look forward to. No warm bed to jump into every night. I was used to it by the age of seventeen. Being out in the open world with nothing since you were nine well you start to see how easy a normal life would be. My mother died after giving birth to me and my father is always in and out of prison. I’ve never seen him. He’s never cared about me. I bet he doesn’t even know he has a son. Breaks your heart doesn’t it? Mine has been broken too many times to care. Like I said I manage to run away from a foster home that wasn’t so very kind. They didn’t care about the kids. They cared even less about me. So when I ran off they didn’t notice. The only people that noticed was the other kids but I was long gone by then. I stopped running at a small very dull town. The streets were almost vacant except for maybe a few cars a day. Hobos roaming the sidewalks occasionally. Stores with busted windows but good service. Drug users here and there. Illegal drug stores. Gangs running around shooting people. This is the small town I decided to live in. Also a mile or two away is this small city with everything you can think of. Yes the only working fast food restaurant we have here is McDonald’s but it’s better than nothing. They have malls, really snazzy stores, the best restaurants, houses, no gangs, no hobos, no drug addicts, and maybe a better place for me. Sadly they don’t like homeless people there. I went there once but they all turned me away every rich person there. I know not all rich people are mean and rude but I just happened to ask the selfish ones if they can spare a room or a buck. So I end up coming back to an abandoned broken down two story building that I call home. So life goes back to the way it’s always been. Lonely, dark, and black and white.

I might as well tell you who’s telling you this sad depressing story. I’m Derek, seventeen if you don’t already know that, black very shaggy hair, bright sad and lifeless blue eyes, always stuck in black jeans that are ripped, a black t-shirt that’s one or two sizes too small, and a baggy black jacket with a hood that’s always up. I’m pale since normally this place I’m in get’s no sun. Forks, so sad so dark, so cloudy. This is only fall. Winter you have hail storms, winds up to who knows how many miles per hour, frozen streets and lakes, and for me nowhere to go. I’m surprised I’ve been able to live in that run down building for five winters and still be alive. Maybe I’m just lucky as some people would say. If I was lucky I’d have a home and family by now. If I was lucky I would still have my birth parents around. Not like I care about my dad but to have my mother back would be heaven on earth. Anyways, I’m also skin and bones. Never get a chance to eat. I work for a man named George who owns an illegal drug store, I would tell the cops but it’s the only way I get money and I would still be sent to a foster home or orphanage. He’s nice in a mean gambling sort of way. Every day he gives me ten bucks which is enough to buy me a nice burger and soda from McDonald’s. All though there are these three older boys all about nineteen who decided to steal my money and use it for themselves. That’s why I’m still starving as we speak. I guess they don’t seem to understand that every single human being needs to eat. I wonder what goes on in their heads that make them steal from a helpless homeless seventeen year old like me. Yes, I am helpless. Can’t fight for my life, can’t punch just shows you how much of a weakling I am. Sad ain’t it?

Well it’s a cold frostbit Thursday in this small dull, run down town. I wake up at about seven in the morning and start my day the same way. Go to the nice drug store and help out the people that I apparently call my friends. Then after helping them for about three hours I walk out of the store with a hand full of cash hoping the three musketeers don’t come along and try to take it. They always do. So again I’m left with bruises, bumps, and lumps, sitting on the cold sidewalk starving for another day. All though as I walk through the small door to the drug store I hope that maybe the day will have a difference to it and I’ll get my feast. Least see how that turns out.

“Hey George, how’s everything going?” I ask as I walk up to the desk he calls a money maker. He faces me aiming his dark brown eyes at mine. He fixes his very short brown hair and sighs.

“Thought you’d be late today,” He smirks. “Get going two boxes are sittin’ there ready for you to shelf the merchandise.” I roll my eyes as I grab the two overflowing boxes. I throw them to the floor after walking into an ale. I sigh and begin pulling out cigar boxes and placing them on the shelves. It takes me only half an hour to empty the box. I toss it aside and look into the other. I make a disgusted face. Alcohol, bottles and bottles of alcohol. I moan as I lift the box then walk over to the small see through refrigerator they have and start filling it. That takes me another half an hour. I walk over to the right far corner of the building where there are four tables. This is where George gets most of his money. He has this really buff guy named Cooper. He has no hair but I’m guessing it would be brown or black; he also has these small beady green eyes. He gives me the creeps. He’s a really good gambler, which makes me wonder. I’m not sure what exactly but something is actually going through his brain that I’m not too sure is such a good thing. George apparently found him in some wrestling place. No he’s not the wrestler. Cooper just so happens to be the best gambler George has ever seen and George is pretty good himself. Yes I have watched a couple games but never bothered to join. George is always trying to get me to join. He says Cooper could teach me and I’d get a third of the lout. Yes that would be nice to have more than ten bucks after leaving this place each day but I don’t think I want to be a part of the gambling business or the illegal drug store thing. George walks over while I watch a man put down the wrong choice. He slams his hand into my back. I let out a painful groan. “You know we could use another man to gamble.” I look up at him.

“I think you have enough. Cooper is more than just one man don’t you think? About three or four when he gambles.”

He laughs. “But having another would help him out.”

“Really I think he has it under control.” Cooper places a card down and grabs the lout. The rest of the men drop their cards or fiddle with the chips they still have left. George mumbles something to himself and walks away. I smile knowing I out bet George again. Cooper turns to face me. A shiver goes down my spine as his eyes meet mine.

“You sure you don’t wanna try? It’s so much more interesting than it looks. I could always teach you the basics.” I shack my head. “Ya sure?”

“Positive.” I start walking to the ‘money maker’. “So my ten bucks. I mean if you don’t have anything else for me to do. I was hoping to get out early, if you know what I mean.” George glances at me from the corner of his eye then sighs.

“If you want but you’re working five hours tomorrow, got it.” I nod showing how annoyed I was. He opens the cash register and hands me ten bucks. I smile as I count then wave and begin walking out of the store. Now the part I dread. Do they show up and take my money? Or do they suddenly disappear for one day and I get breakfast? Well here’s for hoping. I walk out into the cold foggy morning and glance at my surroundings. No sign of them anywhere. I smile and begin walking toward McDonald’s. I sigh seeing my breath.

“Hey Derek, get your pay early today?” I moan as I turn to face three nineteen year olds. Kurt is the leader of the three. He has black hair and dark green eyes. Always wears loose ripped jeans and a long sleeve gray shirt. I wonder if they’re homeless too. We’ll never figure that out. Then you have Justin. He is the shortest of the three and I can’t even take him. He has blonde hair and dark blue eyes. He always wears gray jeans and a white t-shirt. Last is Levi who is the same height as Kurt. He has brown hair and brown eyes. Always wears jeans and a short sleeve green shirt.

“Hi Kurt,” I utter trying to ignore them as I keep walking to McDonald’s.

“Hey did we tell you to leave pipsqueak?” Justin snaps. One of them grabs my hood and pulls me back. I hit his wrist which makes his grip release.

“Give us the money Derek!” Levi sneers. I back up.

“No way work for your own money,” I cry. They move in. I shake my head. “Just leave me alone for one day.” Kurt laughs then hits my gut. I place my arms over my stomach as I lean forward almost bowing. One of them slams his knee into my face. I fall backward onto the ground. The floor was wet and cold.

“Pin him down,” Kurt orders. The other two grab my arms and legs holding me against the ground. “Now let’s see where you put the money.” He kneels down and searches my pockets.

“Kurt, stop! Don’t take it! Stop! Please I need it!” They laugh as I struggle and cry. Pass biers watch as I cry for help. No one does anything they watch the show popcorn in hand.

“Found it! Let’s go.” Kurt stands waving my ten bucks around. Justin stands. Levi kicks me then follows the other two toward McDonald’s which is where I should be eating to my heart’s content. I lay half on the side walk half on the street staring at the cloudy sky. I moan then stand. Again there’s no change to the way my day works. So I walk back to my little run down two story building where I’ll sit waiting for tomorrow seeing if the day will be different. The difference being me able to eat and the three musketeers watching me scarf down a big cheeseburger. When pigs fly and I get a better life. I walk into the small room which happens to still be standing. The stairs are totally dismantled, the doors gone, and glass in the window….well no clue where that went. All I have is a very poorly knitted blanket on a very hard cold cement floor, and a small picture in a very old brown frame with a picture of my mother and father, before I was born and my father wasn’t being sent to jail every few months. I shake my head trying not to think about not having parents around, not having someone to look up to and of course no one to protect me. I lay on the blanket looking at the gray ceiling. What now? What the h*ll was I supposed to do? I can’t ask George for ten more bucks he wouldn’t give me any for my life. Nothing! Zip! Zilch! I moan as I turn on my side and face the wall. I had to at least try something and if it wasn’t begging money from George then it was begging from people walking on the sidewalk. I stand and walk into the cold air and out onto the sidewalk. A lady was walking my way.

“Excuse me, Miss.” She walked by as if I never existed. I sigh. I look across the street and see a man. I run over to him. “Sir, I’m sorry to bother you.”

“What is it kid?” Yes an answer.
“I was wondering if you could spare a few bucks at least enough for fries.” He lifts an eyebrow. “Please sir I haven’t eaten in forever.” He shakes his head.

“I don’t have time for faking teens with lies to get money for drugs. I know what you kids do here. Shoo get out of here!” He walks away as I stand there wondering where that came from. He must be filthy rich if he isn’t giving me money. I turn around and smack into something and fall to the ground. I pull my hood and glance at the person knowing I’m about to get yelled at for no apparent reason. She was gorgeous. Beautiful long waist length black hair and bright blue eyes.