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THE CAR SLOWED TO A stop, charlotte huffed out an exhausted sigh. her fingers curled around the wheel, her forehead rested against the leather.
she felt mentally drained, everything seemed to only exhaust the girl more and more as the days passed. grumbling beneath her breath charlotte grabbed her school bag, flinging it over her shoulder as she closed her car door. her phone in hand as she pushed her key into the front door lock. her hand running through her hair.
typing out a response as she pushed the door open. oblivious to those who stood in her living room, shutting and locking the door. "charlotte" her mothers voice carried through the home, worry evident in her voice. dropping her bag by the door charlotte shoved her phone into her pocket, "don't get mad. i had a free period today, so im not ditching." charlotte told, turning to find her mother. only being met with five men holding base ball bats.
"let her leave. please" beth pleaded with the man who had a bird tattooed on his neck. "grab her" he replied blankly, a hand grasped her bicep tightly. charlotte didn't doubt tight enough to bruise, a wince escaped her lips as she was forced to sit beside her mother. eyes wide in both confusion and fear. looking to her mother, searching for answers that beth couldn't give to her yet.
"back to business. your short." the man told cooley, his eyes firm on beth who relaxed into her seat. "no we're over" annie told, pulling a box from beside her. setting it on the table, pulling out small glass figures. "these are super rare collectables" annie told, smiling in confidence as she set them atop the table. "treasures" beth told. a nod came from the raven haired girls aunt.
charlottes hand held onto her bicep, her skin turning red, a small bruise already forming. "yes dear sister" annie spoke grinning, charlotte was confused as to of how they could he smiling.
charlottes free hand shook lightly, hand resting in her lap as her eyes jumped between people. "much better word. because these treasures go for ten to fifteen g's on ebay" annie told, emphasizing the numbers. the man nodded slightly at her words, "which doesn't leave much leg work cause we've done half the work for you. ruby" annie told, looking to ruby who sighed softly.
ruby pulled out a sheet of paper, setting it atop the table pushing it towards the man. "these are our ebay accounts and passwords, with action tips to better your profits" she told, nodding with a small smile. glancing between annie and ruby, neither glanced towards the girl. busy trying to keep the gang leader from getting upset. "you want me to sell your dolls?" the man questioned, disbelief evident in his tone as he spoke.
quirking a brow, he looked between annie and beth. "tell him about hans" beth told her sister, the girl nodded smiling in excitement. grabbing the small glass figure, pushing it towards the man. he leaned down, his hands grasping the figure in his hold. "see hans he's one of twelve in-" she was cut off when the man slammed the glass figure onto the table. shattering it.
the four women jumped, yelps escaping their lips from the sudden noise. "this some type of joke to you guys?" he questioned, which annie was quick to shake her head no. "i'm done playing with you guys" he told, nodding slightly as he moved away. the four men began to shatter and break objects in the dining room.
he sat on his phone, crossing his leg as if this was a normal encounter. "mom what's happening?" charlotte questioned beth, fear burning deep within her. "their making it look like a joke invasion" ruby told, "so they can kill us" beth finished for ruby, her lip quivering.
charlotte inhaled, tears welling in her eyes. her hands shook in her lap, the man with a bald head, covered in tattoos rounded the corner. a gun in his hand, he pressed the barrel against the dark haired girls head. a gasp escaping her lips, tears fell rapidly down her cheeks. "she has nothing to do with this! she's a kid!" annie tried to reason with the man, his eyes looking to the man who sat on his phone.
beth's lips quivered as she looked to the man, "your an idiot" she told, fighting back a sob as she glanced to charlotte. the girls eyes squeezed close at her mothers words. "what're you gonna do? blow our brains out all over the room. cause that's how it works?" beth questioned him.
"someone shorts you, so they get tossed out like trash? and no one even cares, no one even notices. but that's were your wrong. we're good people, we pay our taxes. take our kids to p.f. chang's, take orange slices to soccer games. and when bad things happen to good people, everyone else goes crazy" beth told, holding back sobs.
moments passed, the barrel still pressed firmly against the girls head. with a nod the gun was lowered from the girls head, the five men leaving, and a choked sob escaping the four women's lips. beth reached for the teen, charlotte stood, rushing up the stairs to her room.
slamming the door, being sure to lock it as she collapsed into her bed. anxious heavy breaths leaving her lips, fear still embedded into her body.
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AUTHORS NOTE — first chap, i rewrote this btw. anyway poor charlotte life's gonna js get worse from here! also if ur a new or old reader im rewriting this book rn before adding new chapters, so the other chapters don't match as of rn but they will when i finish editing!
