A Forsaken City

Prologue - Tirosa Colón

The banging on my wall continues. I decide to get out of bed and go outside, hoping the fresh air will calm my mind. Even with two more walls in the way, I can still hear my neighbors fighting.

Checking my phone for the time, I notice a notification from a news app, the one I have for updates on the city I'm soon moving to—Las Vegas. I'm sure it will be much better than here, especially with our neighbors always throwing things at each other. That sort of thing happens a lot in my town, and no one has any clue as to why, though.

I haven't been out on our little balcony for two minutes when I hear the door behind me squeak again. Spinning around to make sure it's not my mother, I see my little brother leaning on the open-door frame with his arms crossed and a smug grin on his lips.

"¿Qué estás haciendo aquí? (What are you doing out here?)" I mumble, wishing that he would close the door.

"Podría preguntar lo mismo. (I could ask the same.)" He talks louder, probably trying to get me in trouble. I don't understand why, though. I have every right to be out on the balcony in the middle of the night when I'm nineteen years old.

"La única persona a la que vas a meter en problemas eres a ti mismo. (The only person you're going to get in trouble is yourself.)" Snickering, I twist back around to the night air. The stars have always been so pretty from this very spot, but I'm leaving it soon. Two weeks to be exact. I'm leaving my family and friends back in Puerto Rico to work in Las Vegas.

Working as a police officer has been my dream for so long; I don't think I even remember why I wanted to be one in the first place. I just want to help people.

"No quiero que te vayas. (I don't want you to leave.)" He confided, stepping up next to me.

"I wish you'd stop saying that."

"¿Eh? (Huh?)"

"Nada, no importa. (Nothing, it doesn't matter.)" I respond, tears welling in my eyes. Turning my head away from my little brother yet again, I stare out at the few cars passing by below us. The headlights hurt my tired eyes, but I can't sleep anyway.

I can feel the presence of my brother gone, so I turn around to close the door before too many bugs get into the house.

~ 12 days later ~

Turning into the airport was hard, as the roads were busy. I had left the house before anyone woke up because I didn't want to bother with goodbyes. It wouldn't be a goodbye anyway; it would have been a see-you-later. They would come live with me eventually. We just only had money to send one person, and they chose me. Against my will, but whatever.

The Uber driver finally stops next to the entrance, and I grab my suitcases from the backseat and watch him speed away to his next customer.

Sighing, I step into the airport lobby and immediately look for the signs to find security, then my gate. I'm really not excited for a seven-and-a-half-hour flight, especially considering this is my first flight, but I'll deal with it to escape my hometown.

Security was a wreck, and it took me nearly an hour to find my gate, but I did, and now I'm ready to get on this stupid flight and get out of here.