Omicidio

Chapter 8

My coughs sounded deathly as I pulled my knees to my chest. My stomach has been turning for who knows how long considering the prohibition of water or food.

I was right. Vitaly was leaving me here to rot.

I had no idea how long I had been down here but it must of been days. In school when I was younger, I heard that the average human can only survive without water for seventy-two hours and I was starting to believe my high school health teacher was right. My tongue was dry and my lips were crisp. I felt as if there were a drought.

I groaned as my stomach ached.

*Flashback*

"Ma, i'm hungry," the little girl whined as her young mother dragged her down the street by the arm. When she got no answer she tried again. "Ma, come on - i'm hungry. My stomach hu-"

The sting on her cheek sounded like the crack of a whip - stopping her dead in her tracks. "Shut the hell up." Her mother screamed shaking her franticly.

"But-"

Her mother struck her again. "Ain't no buts! Shut the hell up!" Her mother then began to rant in spanish. The little girl said nothing knowing that if she pressed on a beating would follow. Instead she walked with her mother; already knowing their destination.

Everyday after school her mother would walk her to the park. Her mother wouldn't explain - just drop her off then get into some random car that was barely ever the same. It was always a different car with a different man. She didn't know what her mother did with the strange men but she knew this was where her mother got money - this was her job.

"And don't get in no trouble Noah," Her mother warned before leaving the girl alone.

The girl climbed the graffiti covered play set and sat against the a railing. Sometimes the girl would play basketball or draw pictures with her friends in the dirt, but on other days such as this one, she had no energy.

She was hungry and thirsty. The last time she ate or drank was three days ago - courtesy of her mother who spent almost every last cent she made from work on drugs and not food; she knew that much. The way she got food was stealing it from the corner store but last time the little girl tried she got caught. The man who caught her let her go but the little girl wasn't stupid. She knows she can't return to the store unless she has money because the man will be watching her closely.

So until she could find another way to feed herself she would starve.

*Flashback Over With*

I had no strength - not even the slightest to pick myself up off the concrete. My hands trembled as did my entire body, probably panicking from lack of nutrients.

Cracks in the cement allowed the room to freeze me at night and the smell of rusted sewer pipes filled the air. I felt like I had gone blind due to the lack of light and I had actually gotten used to the darkness.

All I had was my train of thought to entertain me which often betrayed me, bringing me back to the many bad memories had in such a darkness as this. Many times I became thoughtless and tired and let myself drift to sleep making it even harder to figure out how long I had been down here.

As I sat huddled in the corner the jiggle of a lock woke me from my depressing trans. An extremely bright light broke my endless repetition of staring into nothing. I had no choice but to hide my eyes in my knees due to the fact that I hadn't seen light in so long. What I had desperately prayed for just hours before pierced my sensitive eyes painfully.

A flashlight led heavy footsteps as they pedaled down the wooden stairs. I kept my head down as I felt arms slide under my body and lift me into the air.