No Mercy | Eli Moskowitz

Prologue

The trees blurred into buildings with each passing mile. The radio played a soft melody of eighties tunes. The windows of the old car were rolled down, but not too much considering the impossible task of getting them back up.

Sasha rested her head on her arm against the passenger door. Although her earbuds lacked volume with her dead phone, one still remained in her ear.

"Doing alright Sasha?" Wesley asked. "Do you wanna stop for anything?"

"No, I'm okay," she replied.

The two had been on the road for seven hours and Sasha's only concern was whether or not her bed would be at the apartment by the time they would arrive.

"Alright." Wesley sighed. "We're almost there anyway. The GPS says that we're fifteen minutes away."

"Thank god." Sasha mumbled as she turned her attention back to the passing scenery.

Moments later, Wesley pulled the car into the parking lot of the complex. Sasha watched as he stepped out of his car and shut the door. He looked up at the second level of apartments. The door was white, just like every other door in the complex but what made this door different was that it marked a new start for the siblings.

"This is it, Sasha," he sighed with little enthusiasm in his voice.

Sasha could only assume that he was exhausted from the long drive. She stepped out of the passenger's side. She pulled her backpack from the floor and swung it over her shoulder. As she extended her walking stick to its full length she glanced up at the plain white door.

"They didn't have any lower levels available." Her brother explained. He opened the truck to pull out a suitcase. "So, you're gonna have to make do with the stairs unless a lower level tenant gets kicked or something."

"That's alright." She waved her hand. "I'll make do."

Sasha followed Wesley up the stairs and her knee ached from the long car ride.. Once she reached the door she waited patiently for her brother to unlock it. After struggling with the doorknob for several seconds, the door finally creaked open. When Sasha stepped into the apartment, she tried to ignore the heavy feeling of dread that washed over her. This was it, there was no going back because there was nothing to go back to.

"The school bus route goes through here," Wesley explained as he set a suitcase by the wall and turning on a lamp. "But I can take you in the mornings before work."

The girl nodded and continued to inspect the place as Wesley ran back out to bring in the rest of their things. He would have to make several trips but didn't seem to mind.

Sasha analyzed the small space, toured around the kitchen and living room before making her way down the narrow hall. When she glanced into the room meant to be hers she wasn't surprised that all that stood was an old dresser (curtesy of the landlord,) and her twin-sized bed on the floor. She stepped into the room and stared at the empty walls. They were painted a plan white and the floor was wood. She envisioned how she would fill the walls.

This was home now, it had to be and she would make this room feel as at home as possible.