Back To December

{ Chapter 1 }

The last time I saw my mom, Renee Barringer, was August 16th, 2010 before she walked out the door, the highest of high on drugs, never to look back. Her last words sounded like a different language, nothing I could remember. Deciphering what she said was impossible because all the letters slurred together. My father, Marcus Knight, too, was taken away by the cops and put in jail for twelve years. He didn't say anything on his way out, just cold, dead silence.

My name is Daria Ann Marie Knight. I've been living on the streets since I was 9 years old. Now, Im 17. It's hard to believe, I know, but no one wanted to adopt me in my old foster home. Even total strangers on the street would give me funny looks like I came from another planet. Nothing's been right since my parents were absent from my life. I'm an only child which means I would get everything I could ever want. Instead, I got abused physically and emotionally, from sun up to sundown, day in and day out. The pain was horrible. To this day, old or new, scars line my whole body from head to toe. The only thing I can think about is violence and destruction, two of the worst things in this world. If I could erase all the bad memories and never think back even for a second, I wouldn't be where I am right now.

I saunter carefully down the street, limping in pain from walking all day. I can't afford a cab. I barely have enough money for a bottle of water, and begging the diner owner's for leftovers don't go to well either, always grabbing phones and dialing the cops to arrest me already. There ain't much I can do about it. All I need right now is to survive and even that ain't easy.

After trudging block after block in search of help, no one came. I plop down on the curb to catch my breath. I've thought over and over that I would never make it past a few days like this. Death has been on my mind for the longest time but the small last bit of hope I have left, is still hanging in there.

"Hey look over here boys, we got ourselves a little girl in desperate need of her mommy," a nearby gang leader calls out.

Heads turn to me. Mumbles and rants follow.

"Just leave me alone," I sigh briskly.

The tall boy towers over me with a threatening expression. "Where's your mom? Did she forget to take your bitchy ass home or did she drop you off in the middle of Eastwood to rot?"

"Come on it's not funny," I tried raising to his level. He stood around six foot three and at least two hundred pounds with beaming brown eyes and an entire crew of seven other boys just like him.

A boy I couldn't see towards the back hollered, "I'm sure you'll live off garbage scraps.... Or maybe just end yourself right now. It would do us all a favor."

The adrenaline just rushed through my veins with a signal of danger.

"Look I don't want any trouble, just back off and I'll leave you alone," my voice cracked like a little girl.

Another boy strolls up from the side of me and see's the situation. Judging by his footsteps, they seem to increase by the second.

"Hey leave the girl alone would ya? Now beat it or I beat your face in!"

This guy is much shorter and less bulky than any of the street boys. He waves his thick wooden bat around still fending them off as they run for the lives in the opposite direction.

The adrenaline settles inside me and my heartbeat returns to normal. A feeling of relief overcomes me.

"Little babies. Thanks for uh, saving me," I smirk.

His bright blue eyes shine even in the darkness of the night sky. "No problem."

If I had just fought back against those guys, I wouldn't have to make it so obvious that I need saving. All heads turn away from me but the insults of close witnesses continue.

"Really, you didn't have to save me. That was brave."

"Nah, it was nothing. What's a beautiful, young girl like you doing around here
in the middle of the night?"

"Long story but I should get going," I persist.

"Yeah sorry to keep you waiting. I'll um see you around?"

I nod in approval and head west towards Braydon Street. My watch reads 12:57am but the position of stars in the sky show otherwise. I've always been a space junky but since the foster care situation, school has been the lowest of my priorities. Affording school was very hard for a single mom like mine. The divorce process really changed her in ways unimaginable... drugs took over her everyday life. I'd come home from school and she'd be passed out on the couch, three or maybe even four bottles of pills scattered all over the floor, inhalants shoved into pillowcases in her bed and occasionally, needles tucked away in her drawers. She knew I snooped around her room while she was out so finding them was hard when she changed their positions. My dad on the other hand, was pretty normal until he too became stressed out after the divorce. I haven't seen him since 2011 when my aunt Gracie took me to visit him in prison. She moved out of state right before I was placed in the foster system, the only stable person left to care for me. I'll be 100% honest, I never liked her at all. The satisfaction I get that she's not here bossing me around like my parents did is the best feeling in the world.

I continue my travel uphill for a good mile and a half until I reach a community shelter. The parking lot is fairly empty. Outside porch lights flicker on and off from over battery usage. My intuition tells me not to go inside but what other choice do I have? Every minute I stand outside, watching innocent people just like me freeze to death in this harsh December winter, another part of me slowly freezes and dies too.