Never forget your knife

1 - never forget your knife

I was born in the underground. These dirty walls are home to a street rat like me. My Mother is a drunken prostitute who's barely home leaving me to feed my two younger siblings. I don't know who my father is or why he abandoned me, not that I care anyway if he loved me he wouldn't have left me in a place like this. I don't look anything like my siblings, I suppose I have my mother to thank for that as we all have different fathers. The twins my brother Pax and sister Taisa take after my mother with their deep red hair and demure hazel eyes, whereas my sister Elda has glowing green orbs and blonde hair. I myself have very dark brown eyes, almost black eyes that sometimes I notice turn completely black when I'm upset and reddish brown hair.

"I'm hungry" Pax cries as he grabs onto my sleeve tugging at it restlessly. I lean down so I'm eye level with him and ruffle his hair gently.

"I know buddy but don't you worry I'm going to go out today and get us some food" I fake smile as brightly as I can despite the aching pit I feel in my stomach.

He gives me a small smile before returning to playing with an old teddy I stole from some kids down the streets. I may not be able to read or write but I sure am good at one thing and that's stealing, the only thing my deadbeat mother taught me. I see Taisa drawing a picture in the dust with her finger and go and see, it's a drawing of all of us and mother as well all smiling under a tree.

"You're going to be quite the artist one day I can tell" I say encouraging her,

She looks up at me with a small smile, Taisa has never spoken a word, I'm not sure if she can speak no ones ever heard her, not even Pax, I know she can understand me, I just wish she could speak to me.

"If you want something in this world you need to take it. To survive you need to take. Fight, Raizel." Mother says looking down at me, she grabs a bottle from the kitchen table and downs the whole thing before throwing it at the wall, it smashes all over the ground, Taisa and Pax start crying, since they're only babies and Elda wakes up from her nap and she's confused about the noise. Mother stands there her eyes glazed over, she's drunk, which isn't a surprise, I'm only seven I don't want to do this alone. Mother stands up and takes the twins in her arms then pushes them into my arms and looks at me with what I can only describe as disdain.

"Your family, your responsibility, see ya soon kid." She slurs as she stumbles out the door, I want to run after her, call out, ask her not to leave but I know it's no use, she does what she wants and that's that.

I'm ripped from the memory by my sister Elda shaking my shoulders, she's only a year older than me but she's always been sickly, which has stopped her from learning how to steal.

"Teach me how to steal Raizy!" She exclaims with a pleading look in her eyes. I smile at her, it's nice of her to want to help me.

"I'd love to but you can't, you're sickly Elda" she pouts and shuffles away from me. I sigh and shake my head.

"I'll show you one day, just you wait Raizy." She says giving me a wink and slouching down on the ground.

"No doubt! Alright, I'm going out. You know what to do while I'm gone right?" I always ask them before I leave, just incase they forget, not that they would what with the amount of constant drilling I give them in hand to hand combat, most of which I learnt from the retired soldier down the street.

"Lock the door and if someone breaks in then stab them!" Pax says smiling brightly lifting the pocket knife I gave him to show me.

"That's correct. Now be safe." I kiss them all on the forehead before closing the door behind me. For the past few days I've been skimming food from a street gang, they would definitely kill me on sight if they found but they do have really good rations, and I'd rather not have to steal from people who probably need it more than I do, besides, some days I even get away with meat which is an extreme rarity round these parts.

Just as I round the corner I feel two large arms pin me to a wall.

"So your the little shit that's been stealing our food" the big bald man sneers at me, I can see the veins bulging from his forehead.

I say nothing, normally best in these situations.

Unfortunately this just earns me a punch to gut. I feel the wind escape my lungs as tears prickle in the edges of my eyes, I cough as he throws me onto the floor.

"Got nothing to say huh? Well the boss has told me to teach you a lesson" he pulls out a knife from his pocket and starts walking slowly towards me. I too reach for the knife that I keep in my boot only to realise it's not there. Shit.
I am totally screwed. At this moment I'm thinking of every possibly. How the hell do I get out of this one. I never should've stole from them, I got way too cocky.

"Raizy! You forgot your knife!" I heard a familiar voice call out from behind me. No, not right now please.

I turn my head as the tears that threaten my eyes finally fall. Crap. It's Elda. She sees my face and then the hunk of man behind me and that's when it clicks to her, her eyes widening with fear.

"Elda! Run!" I scream just as I get kicked to face I groan as I spit out some blood.

"Look what we have here. Another street rat." He grabs Elda and throws her next to me, I hear a heart breaking whimper from my little sister. I move myself in front of her shielding her from this man as best as I can.

"How pathetic. Now I was going to teach you a lesson but I feel it won't sink in if I only give you a beating." He smiles sadistically.

"Do what you want with me but leave my sister out of this. She's innocent." I plead with tears stinging my eyes.

He laughs at me.

That's when my world falls apart.

It's quite a blur. Elda's screams fill the air around us as he repeatedly beats her. Every time I try to help her I get punched, or kicked. I've never felt more weak, theres nothing I can do, how could I be so stupid. My sisters going to die and there's nothing I can do. I can't move and everything hurts. Damn this body, the one time I need to move I can't. Why Elda? Why? She's innocent. In this moment I can do nothing but pray to anyone who will hear me.

Then it's silent, no more screams. I think that's worse.

He throws her bloody body to the side and walks over to me menacingly.
I don't even bother to move. This is all my fault, I deserve this. I couldn't protect her, my little sister.

Suddenly I see a flash of raven hair and then I look up to see the big man on the ground with his throat slit. What the hell just happened?

"Can you stand?" I hear a boys voice say from above me, I look up and I think I see an angel before everything turns dark.