A thousand bad times - Post Malone

Twelve

Holi jolts awake. Her body is stiff and painful from sleeping on the hard ground, but it's already dark so she has no time to worry about herself. She needs to get Mac and Bell and get out of here. She watches the house for a bit then sneaks across the road and starts wiggling the windows to find one that is unlatched.

After a while, she finds one and slides it up as quietly as she can then climbs in. She creeps around the kitchen then through the dining room. It's a nice home, nice and neat... a great place for any kid to grow up. The foster parents are still awake and sitting in the TV room watching a show. They look pretty captivated which is a good thing so she creeps past them in the hallway.

She tiptoes up the stairs and just as she is about to get to the top the pictures stuck on the wall catch her eye. They are messy crayon drawings made by kids. In the corner of each picture is a child's name so she searches to see if she can find Mac and Bell's names. She finds one with Mac's name on it. It is of a house with four people and a dog standing outside - Bell, Mac, Mom, Austin are scribed under each person and under that he has written 'My Family'. Holi takes it off the wall carefully and then folds it and puts it in her back pocket...she is going to keep this.

She continues up the stairs and sees four closed doors on the landing. She does not know which door Bell and Mac are behind so she just guesses and puts her hand on the handle of the second door, turning it slowly. Just as she is about to open it she hears shouting from behind her and when she turns around she sees the foster father running up the stairs towards her. Her mind goes blank and then she runs, she pushes past the foster father, runs down the stairs, and continues to run down the street.

It's ok, she will find a place tonight, hide tomorrow and try again tomorrow night. She will continue to do so until she gets it right. She will continue until she gets Mac and Bell and they are on a bus to a better life. But then suddenly the dark night is broken by red and blue lights and a cop car screeching to a halt in front of her.

Shit!

She is fucked now!

The policemen arrest her and take her off to their cells, ignoring her protests. That foster father has a big mouth and unfortunately, everyone knows everyone down here so he knew Holi and told the police. So now she is sitting in a tiny cell with a collection of prostitutes and druggies. She is so fucked. The Police have taken all her personal property and she knows from experience that the $1500 she had left from Austin's watch will never be seen again.

She wants to cry. Her plan is derailing with every passing second. She just wants Mac and Bell. She just wants a good life, a safe life. Why does it have to be so fucking hard?

"Holi?"

Holi looks up to see Hank, thank fuck! "Hank. Can you help get me out?" she asks him but he is shaking his head before she even gets her words out, "I can't do that Holi. You are in here for housebreaking and attempted kidnapping," he says looking at her with a disappointed face. Holi grabs the bars and pushes herself against them, "don't look at me like that Hank! If the fucking cops just did their fucking jobs none of this would be happening," she shouts at him. He frowns at her and a few more cops gather behind Hank. They all look mad.

"How do you figure that, Holi?" Hank asks, "because if you guys did your fucking jobs then Chuck would not be running around on these streets right now! You are all fucking bastards!" she shouts at Hank and all his buddies. One of the other policemen steps forward and kicks the bars, "don't blame us for the shit life you live Holi. It's not our fault your father is a druggie and your mother is a whore...seems you will be no better," he smirks as he talks. Holi bangs on the bars, "fuck you! You piece of shit! Fuck you!" she screams at him, she can feel her throat turn raw as she shouts. One of the prostitutes takes off her jacket and puts it on Holi's shoulders.