Flashback...
Eris clutched the worn teddy bear tighter, its fur matted and missing an eye. Ten years old and already the weight of the world seemed to press down on her small frame. The hospital was sterile and cold, the air thick with the antiseptic sting that couldn't mask the underlying scent of grief. Her sister, Nora, snuggled closer, her thumb plastered in her mouth, oblivious to the storm brewing within Eris.
Their parents, vibrant and full of life one day, gone the next in a freak car accident. News reports called it a tragedy, a random twist of fate. Eris saw it for what it was – a cruel twist that had ripped the rug out from under their already precarious existence.
Their uncle, Elias, a kind man with a gentle smile, had taken them in. But Elias, bless his heart, was a dreamer, not a provider. A year later, his marriage fell apart, the constant financial strain driving a wedge between him and his wife. Eris and Nora ended up back in Elias' ramshackle apartment, the once vibrant colors faded to a dull echo of happy memories.
"Don't worry, Nora," Eris mumbled, rocking her sister back and forth. "Uncle Elias will get better. We just need to be brave."
But Nora, barely three, just whimpered, clutching Eris' ragged shirt. Eris understood. Even at ten, the fear was a constant companion, a cold hand gripping her heart. Money was scarce, meals were often skipped, and Elias' gambling habit, a desperate attempt to escape their reality, only made things worse.
Two years of scraping by followed, a blur of patched clothes, hand-me-down shoes, and a gnawing hunger that never quite left. Eris started taking any odd job she could find. Delivering messages, sweeping streets, cleaning houses – anything to bring in a few meager coins. Nora spent her days with kind Mrs. Hernandez from downstairs, or, when Mrs. Hernandez was unavailable, alone in the apartment, clutching the worn teddy bear that Eris had gifted her on her third birthday.
One night, Eris returned home late, exhausted and aching. The apartment was dark, an unusual occurrence. Panic clawed at her throat as she fumbled for the light switch. There, slumped on the rickety armchair, sat Elias, his face a mask of pale despair.
"Uncle Elias?" Eris's voice cracked in the silence.
He looked up, his eyes hollow. "Eris," he croaked, his voice thick with despair. "There's... there's trouble."
Eris's blood ran cold. "What kind of trouble?"
Elias reached for a crumpled piece of paper, his hand shaking. "The Nightingales. They... they say I owe them money. A lot of money."
The name sent a shiver down Eris's spine. The Nightingale Gang, notorious for their ruthlessness and brutality, were whispers in the alleyways, a chilling reminder of the city's dark underbelly.
"How much?" Eris whispered, already dreading the answer.
Elias choked back a sob. "More than I can ever repay."
Days turned into weeks, the tension in the apartment thick enough to cut with a knife. The Nightingales sent their goons, hulking men with vacant eyes and menacing smiles, to "remind" Elias of his debt. Eris watched in horror as they ransacked their meager belongings, leaving them with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
The world felt like a harsh taskmaster, throwing punches one after another. Then, came the blow that shattered their fragile existence.
One night, Eris returned from delivering groceries, the aroma of warm bread from the bakery a bittersweet reminder of an empty stomach. The apartment door hung open, a scene of utter chaos greeting her. Furniture overturned, drawers ransacked, a metallic tang in the air. And then she saw him – Elias, crumpled on the floor, his eyes vacant, an ugly red stain blooming on his chest.
YOU ARE READING
The Way To You - ENGLOT
Romance"Did this mean anything to you? Did I mean anything to you?" Carys Isobel Avington, the sheltered daughter of a wealthy family, finds herself in the clutches of kidnappers seeking a hefty ransom. Fueled by desperation, she manages to escape their c...
