Emery

3.

I woke up to an eerie silence in the brothel. Usually, the walls would be filled with the sounds of drunken laughter and flirtatious banter, but today there was only silence.

 As I neared my mother's room, I heard a faint wheezing sound. My heart raced as I pushed the door open and saw her there, slumped against the wall, her eyes closed and her breathing shallow.

"Mom?" I called out, rushing to her side. "Mom, can you hear me?" I shook her gently, but she didn't respond. Her skin was cold, and her lips were turning blue. Panic began to rise up within me as I realized what was happening.

"Please, Mom, wake up," I begged, tears beginning to form in my eyes. "Please, don't leave me." But it was too late. My mother's eyes remained closed, and her breathing ceased altogether. I cradled her head in my lap, sobbing as I stroked her hair.

In that moment, I knew that everything had changed.

The day of the funeral was a somber affair. A small group of people attended, mostly regulars from the brothel and the girls. My mom had 0 friends so I wasn't expecting any. 

"My mother was not a perfect woman," I said, my voice cracking. "But she was my mother, and she did her best to protect me and provide for me in a world that was often cruel and unforgiving. I know that she is in a better place now, free from the pain and suffering that plagued her in this world."

" I want to remember her in the way that she deserves to be remembered: not as a prostitute, not as a victim, but as a woman who fought for her daughter's future, even when it seemed impossible.

As I spoke these final words, I felt a weight lift from my shoulders.

In the wake of my mother's death, Jasmine stepped up to fill the void. She had always been kind to me, treating me like the daughter she never had. "You're one of us now, Emmy." she said, her voice soft and motherly. 

And so, I continued to live in the brothel, learning from the women who had become my surrogate family. Jasmine taught me the basics of the trade, showing me how to walk, talk and  how to entice a man without even having to spread my legs.

 The years passed quickly, and I blossomed into a young woman. I learned the art of seduction, the secrets of the body, the power of desire. I became a skilled and sought-after business woman, able to command top prices for my services.  I never forgot the lessons my mother had taught me. I was cautious, pragmatic, always looking for the angles and the pitfalls.

I was a survivor, just like she had been.