Tangled in the dirty game

"We tried our best to save her, I'm sorry, she couldn't make it," was The most terrible news I have got. I felt like hitting the doctor in the face. I felt like telling him to take his words back! To say it was just a big prank. But who was I kidding? This is a hospital and not a circus.

Aunt Kas was really gone and I could do nothing about it. Absolutely nothing.

"Kayla, Kayla, where's mom?" My ridiculous cousin came running in.

"Gone" I uttered bitterly.

"What do you mean gone? Did she get transferred to another hospital?" He asked, clearly not getting my hint.

"No, she's gone! To a place where you and that mistake of a father will not bother her! To where she wouldn't have to deal with all your bullshit!" I yelled before running out of the hospital.

I wasn't going to turn back. I can't imagine staring at his utterly disgusting face. I wish he was not her son. And I wish his father wasn't her husband. Aunt Kas deserved better than this. She deserved love and compassion, cuz that was all she had given. But no, all she received was disrespect and spite from those two utterly useless pricks.

It was raining hard outside, but that was the least problem on my mind. At least in the rain, I could let my tears fall freely, at least the rain will wash them away. I just wish it could wash my pain too.

Maybe finding a place to sit and pour my heart out would make me feel a lot better. Just maybe.

.

I wasn't sure when or how I fell asleep, but I knew one thing for sure, I needed the sleep. Owing to the fact that I haven't slept properly since aunt Kas got admitted to the hospital.

I must have slept for long because now the whole place was dark. The streets were empty.

Aunt Kas's place isn't too far from where I was but the thought of going back to those two made my blood boil.

But then again, I have no other choice. I have nowhere to go, and no friends to help. The only friend I've ever had is now in college. Though she's in New York,  I can't imagine bothering her with my worries.

.

Staring at the building in front of me, I gathered enough strength and started walking up the stairs. I have it all planned out now. I'll start applying for a new job, probably out of town while I wait for Aunt Kas's burial, and after that, I will find my way out of here. I'm leaving. I can't stay with them, the only reason I bore all their shit was because of Aunt, now she's gone and that's a sign for me to leave too.

"Who is it?" Uncle's voice echoed when I knocked on the door. Making me regret why I even knocked.

I pushed it open and walked in.

He was sitting there on the floor, lifeless, sad, depressed, gulping down some cheap alcohol.

"Kayla, tell me that Kas is alive. Tell me that the doctors were joking. Tell me anything, but it shouldn't be that Kas is really gone" he sobbed.

This is the first time I'm seeing him like this.  Of course, he wouldn't be happy about his wife's death, but I never thought that he would care or even get affected in the slightest. But here he is, being a total mess.  Who am I kidding, maybe he's just sad because there's no one to feed him.

"Uncle," I started, not knowing how to continue.

"Kayla, just go to your room. I'll handle him" Josh said, walking to his father.

His eyes were red and swollen I was not the only one who has been crying.

He gave me one sad look and at that moment, I felt like running to him and giving him that comforting hug but thought against it.

Instead, I walked upstairs to my tiny and disgusting room.

I picked up one of the pictures on the wall. it was that of me and aunt Kas when I turned eleven. She didn't have the money to throw me a party like the rest of the girls in my class.

I remember crying the whole day. She picked me  after work and took me to a restaurant, and bought some fancy soup and ice cream. Then, we took this picture. It was the best birthday. Just the two of us.

That's my Aunt Kas, she spent her whole life trying to put a smile on my face. It's sad that my mother dumped me without even looking at my face. But I'm glad she had a sister as good as Aunt Kas. Taking all my responsibility. She is and will always be my mother. I have always wished to help change her life, to make things better, to become someone and take her away from all her worries, from her abusive husband and ungrateful son. But it was too good to be true, she was ill and won't tell us. We had no idea, the tumor was getting deeper and she kept it away from us until she collapsed. I wish we started the treatment earlier, I wish she told us, then she would have been with us now.

But why would she? It's not like we could provide the money even if we wanted to. I know her too well, she wouldn't want to put more burden on my shoulder, more than I already have.

.

3 am. Exactly at 3 am, that's what the clock said when I woke up. I lay on the floor, and pictures of me and Aunt Kas were scattered on the floor.

I looked at them before remembering what I was doing here in the first place. I was crying, over my Aunt's death, it isn't a dream, she was really gone.

My thoughts trailed back to the reason I woke up in the first place. NOISES!  There were noises, I think from the living room.  It was as if people were down there fighting, or maybe arguing. Whatever it is that's going on, I'm sure it wasn't just uncle and Josh. They had company and it didn't sound good.

I tiptoed to the door of my room, hoping I would hear what they were talking about. The voices were now low and I had to walk towards the stairs to hear them.

"Please sir, please, we will pay, I promise" Uncle cried lowly.

"Yes, just give us a week, we promise, we would get it. I swear," Josh joined in.

"We have given you enough time sir. It's over now" An unfamiliar voice said. Just the sound of him talking made me shiver in fear.

Uncle and Josh must have gotten themselves into some deep shit. Whatever it was, I don't want in.

I ran back to my room quietly. I took out the only suitcase I have ever owned.

Opening it, I threw every little piece of clothing I have (not that I had much) in and packed the pictures on the floor. These were my memories with aunt Kas and I'll take them with me wherever I can.

I closed my suitcase and opened the window. It's a bit too high but I'm sure I would be able to make it without breaking too many bones.

At the moment, I had no plans, I didn't have a job yet. My friend Mia is in school. I'll beg her to stay there for some days till I find a job, I'm sure she wouldn't mind. Even if she does mind, I'd rather sleep in the streets than get tangled in uncle's shit.

"The fuck?" Josh said, and that was when I noticed that my door was open and he was standing inside.

"Jo_ _osh" I stammered, praying to the lord that he wouldn't notice my suitcase laying beside me.

"What is going on here," Uncle said walking in as well.

"It's nothing, I was about to go to bed,"

I said, this time around sounding a bit confident.

"Nothing?" His eyes darted from one corner to the other suspiciously. At that moment, I didn't see the man who was crying over Aunt Kas's death. Neither did I see the man who was begging some random dudes some moments ago. Right now all I can see is the mean old man that I had to grow up with.

"Nothing," I managed to say, barely audible.

"I'm sure we all know what is going on here father!" Josh said, then walked to me and grabbed the suitcase.

"She's trying to run away!" He barked.

"No! That's not it..." I staggered.

"You little brat! You couldn't even wait for her burial before showing your true colors" Uncle chimed.

"It's not like that," Tears were rolling down my cheeks.

"You claimed to love her more than anyone in the world! She loved you even more than her son and this is how you repay her?" He yelled angrily.

"No, no," I cried, falling to my knees.

A pair of cold hands grabbed my arms roughly and before I could get what was going on, I was being dragged out of the room like a piece of shit.

The feeling of my head being hit countless times like I was nothing. I could feel blood all over my face. My nose was bleeding too and I could barely breathe.

"I didn't even do anything. All I did was try to leave" I said to myself.

The pain reduced the moment we stopped in the living room.

"I have gotten a new job for you Kayla"

Uncle said sternly.

"New job?" I asked.  Whatever the job is, I don't want to hear it. I don't want to spend the rest of my life feeding these ingrates.

"Yes, my friend runs a club and they need new strippers." He said with no regret showing on his face.

"Stripper?" I mouthed in utter disbelief.

"Yes, that's the only job that can get us enough money fast. We need this Kayla," He said.

"Aunt just passed away a few hours ago and you? Stripper job? How would she feel?" I stuttered.

"How would she feel? Seriously Kayla? Didn't you think of her feelings before deciding to leave the only family she has ever had?! Before deciding to leave without even attending her burial?!" Josh screamed.

"You'll start your job tomorrow. Now go get those bruises cleaned. Josh, keep an eye on her so she wouldn't try anything funny" uncle said. And just as he said, I knew there was no going back, no running away. This is going to be my life till God knows when.

"Sure, father." He replied.

"here," He said, throwing a tube of ointment to me.

"Thanks," I said. Not because he deserved it. But because I had nothing else to say.

.

A light knock, then a push. The door to the living room was swung open.

Two hefty-looking men walked in with the ugliest frowns on their faces. Dressed in black with black shades, I couldn't tell what they looked like, but if I could describe them in one word, I'd say, DANGEROUS.

"Y_ _ou, a_re back?" Uncle stammered.

"Sir, did you forget something?" Josh said, sounding braver than his father.

"Change of plans old man," the hefty guy by the left said.

"What? But we will get it by the end of the month sir. You agreed sir. You can't go back on your words please sir" Josh cried out.

These guys must have been the ones who came here earlier. What's their deal with uncle and Josh?

"The only ones going back on their words are you and your old man." The other man said.

"But we can't return it now, please, have mercy," Uncle said in the most humble voice. The level of fear in both of them kind of amused me.

"I don't think they ever will" the hunk by the left whispered to his friend loud enough for us to hear though.

"The boss said we can't return empty-handed" His friend added.

"We won't," He said with a sly smile.

"Who's this?" He said pointing towards no one but me.

"My daughter," Uncle said, shocking both me and Josh.  Maybe he thinks they would have mercy on him when they find out that he has a daughter.

The man walked to me and grabbed me by the wrist.

"Hey, let go... Please,"  I begged. I was already in enough pain and his rough hands on me weren't making things any better.

"What are you doing?" Josh asked trying to grab me.

"You can't pay for what you have done. Your daughter can I'm sure." The man said with the evilest smile I have ever seen.

"The fuck?" I mumbled.

Without adding even a word, I was dragged out of the room. I watched as my cousin stared in disbelief, while my uncle had this smile on his face.

He knew this was going to be the outcome. That is the reason he claimed to be my father.

Shit.

My eyes were forced open thanks to the sun radiating through the window.

"I should put a curtain in my room. I really need one" I mumbled before shooting my eyes open.

Where on earth am I?

Then it hit me.

I was trying to leave home.

Uncle and Josh.

They let those thugs take me just to settle their debt, whatever it is they owe them.

I looked around the room. It looked like a basement of a building or something. I was not alone, there was a man, sitting not too far away from me, fast asleep. I assumed he is supposed to be in charge of me.

"I still don't think this was a good idea." A voice said from outside the room.

Then I heard the sound of the door getting unlocked.  And then right in front of me, were the two men who brought me here last night.

"Rise and shine beautiful." The one that was called Oliver said. As if I wasn't already awake.

I didn't say anything. I