Deck of Cards

Before it all began

Jen's Prologue

"Must get there," I whispered into the cold night air that whipped through my hair and bit at my skin. Above me, the sky was a pitch black, only broken by the glimmers of light that the stars provided. If it had been any other night, I would have stopped to just admire the beauty of it all. But I didn't have the luxury of time in that moment.

I knew I shouldn't have gone to him. I knew that he was bad news. But I needed the money- my son needed the money. 

The nursery's bright sign was at the end of the road and so ,with two minutes before I was officially late, I sprinted down to the colourful doors. Panting, I rushed inside to be greeted by her face again- my mother's.

From the outside she looked like the perfect mother; hair done in a neat bun and clothes sourced from boutiques meant for old people. That day she was wearing a coral cardigan, a floral blouse and her navy blue, knee length pencil skirt. However if you knew her well, you could tell that she wasn't right in the mind. Demented, possessive and aggressive were all traits on her résumé.

It disgusted me that she was holding my baby boy, he didn't know the monster that he was clinging onto. His eyes were filled of childish innocence, and he was unaware of everything that went on around him.

"I've got him mum. Go home," I muttered bitterly. I knew that I shouldn't have gone to his father, but money was short. That £20 he gave wasn't worth it now that she was here- I would rather have starved than meet her pitying eyes.

"Darling he's not safe with you, I've talked to social services and they've decided that I should look after him until you get a stable job. I was going to call you but I figured that you were busy drinking or something," her words were laced with bitterness and poison. My eyes burned holes into her head as we stared each other down but I knew she wasn't going to back down. An awkward cough from the nursery worker beside us brought me back to reality and I balled up my fists.

But I was tired, too tired to fight and far too tired to get into a legal battle with anyone. So I left, my judgement clouded by anger and anxiety. That was the biggest mistake of my life.

Pulling my hood up to cover my face, I walked down the dark streets with tears falling silently. They burned my eyes like acid and I wiped them away ferociously, trying to hide my weakness.  I kicked a can along the dirty street until I reached the familiar corner shop. I was too angry to care that I was falling into the perception my mother had of me- I needed a drink.

Pulling a few coins out of my pocket, I snuck into the alcohol section and grabbed a few bottles of beer, placing them under my jumper. Going up to the old lady at the cash register, I placed a stick of gum on the counter and paid for it so she wouldn't expect anything. I didn't want to be caught for shoplifting- not again. After I had left the shop, I placed the cold bottle to my lips and washed my worries away. The alcohol was weak, but enough to fog my brain slightly so I could forget some of the pain.

Going down to the park where I used to take my son, I sat on a swing and rocked back and forth, chugging the contents of the bottle down my throat. The alcohol soothed my thoughts and I swung until I felt my body hit the ground.

I was the first.

Sally's Prologue

I sat in my car, head in my hands as the tears spilled everywhere. This would be my last visit to the hospital- I knew that.  Cancer had taken the once strong person that was my father and turned him to a weak and frail shell of a human. He was dying; it had always seemed so far in the future but now that his day seemed to have arrive, it seemed like time had sped up for some cruel joke. I knew that if I stepped out the car, my knees would give way and I would fall like a broken mess on the car park floor.

My father. Gone.

My breathing became rapid and desperate- it was almost like I was suffocating in my own misery. Life without my dad wouldn't have been life at all. Memories flashed through my vision, blinding me and I was unable to switch them off. Knowing that I was wasting time, I opened the car door and stepped out.

A hand pressed itself over my mouth and I could taste the saltiness of his sweat. I could feel the heat of his skin. My head made contact with the hard ground and my vision began to blur until it was almost like I was seeing through fog.

I was the second.

Scarlett's Prologue

Tub of ice cream in one hand and a tissue in the other, I was being a cliché heartbroken girl. It had already been a month since he had dumped me but to me it felt like years had passed. Two years wasted on our relationship. For two years I had believed he loved me.

My friends were worried and my family thought I was crazy, but I only cared what he thought. He thought I wasn't good enough for him. He thought he could find someone better.

My phone pinged and I rushed over to see if he had texted but he hadn't. Instead it was a text from my friend which was a link to some site. Curiosity took over and I clicked on it which led me to a dating site. Great, I muttered. What couldn't they understand? I didn't want to date anyone but him. The love of my life.

Boredom drove me to make an account and before I knew it, I was getting ready for my date with 'Simon'. We had talked about mundane things, the weather and our jobs. He told me that he was a lawyer, and overall I thought he sounded nice. Trustworthy.

When I arrived at the restaurant, he was nowhere to be seen. It was off to a great start. I hated people that were late- I automatically assumed they were too lazy to be on time.

After ten minutes I was ready to leave but suddenly I saw him walking down the street... holding a gun. The object in his hand glared at me menacingly, almost paralysing me with fear.

My legs were weak and buckled under the weight of my body, causing me to fall to the unforgiving ground. My arms going out, trying to crawl away from him but he had grabbed me before I even had the chance to run away.

I was the third.

Hannah's Prologue

Being a runaway was hard, leaving home at sixteen was a stupid decision. I really thought that my companion would stay with me and help me out. I really believed him. When he left me alone, I had to fend for myself. Sleeping in doorsteps, and under bus shelters.

I was sat outside a tube station when he came along- the nice man. The streets of London were empty for a change which made my life harder because no people meant no money. He stopped in front of me, staring intently as if assessing me and then handed me the sandwich in his hand.

Of course I was confused but took the offer and stared at the food for a minute- I couldn't remember the last time I had eaten a sandwich. Hunger took over and I had inhaled it within twenty seconds.

It only took the drug twenty seconds to take over.

I was the forth.

Ava's Prologue

I was his daughter. I should have expected it.

I was the last.