Survival Of The Fittest

Chapter IV

I just wanted to say thank you for reading! :)
Pic of Diamond

The lady took us to the basement of a run down building, inside there were beds about 50 of them, nothing very clean, and under any other circumstances sleeping in beds like those would have been unthinkable but now I was grateful we even had a bed. The three of us took two beds in the corner, I volunteered to sleep with Diamond in one and Meg didn't protest. Sleep took over our bodies and we slept like the dead. 

The wheezing coughing of the girl in a bed next to ours woke me up, what I thought was a couple of ours later. Despite being crazy thin and dirty, she was still beautiful. "Is there anywhere I can get you some water?" I inquired. She looked at me and smile weakly, "No, we are not allowed to leave, besides I am just cold," She laughed softly, "Who knew I would ever wish to be fat."  I stared at her, "How can you be so cheerful in these circumstances?" Her reply stunned me, "Life isn't easy. I don't think it was made to be sunshine and laughter, but the amazing thing is...You and I can change that. No matter what hell hole we are in, we can make this world a better place, just by doing something as small as having a positive outlook on life." I felt my throat squeeze, and unshod tears in my eyes crawling over I lay down beside her, hugging her, willing my body to warm her cold form up. "You are incredible!" I whispered. Then we both fell asleep smiling.

"Up! Lazy bitches! Get up!" I woke up the the shrill yells of a woman. She wasn't the one from yesterday, this one looked even more like a bitter shrew. On a rack beside her there were a bunch of tiny dresses, in all kinds of gaudy colors, "Pick one, put it on" she yelled. We fell into a line and picked up a dress each. There were no changing rooms, we just each stripped where we stood and put the bits of cloth on. They didn't cover anything, she then handed us a pair of high heel pumps which bared our bodies even more. Finally, We were seated in a room where our hair and makeup was done fast. We were then huddled into a room in front of yesterday's lady. 

"Rule #1" she started. "This is not a optional thing, whatever I say goes. Understood?" We nodded stiffly. "You are worth less than nothing...Every night I will send you all out, you must each bring me in $750 a week. If you fail to do that..I don't care if your sick, like her" she pointed to my new friend, "You don't bring me the money...you are done." she turned to another wraith like girl. "She has had her week and what has she brought in, a measly $700." She spat. "Here is your warning, old and new." Then she drew a gun from her dress and shot the girl in the heart.  

It was about 9:00 pm when we hit the streets, a van dropped us off at several different corners, along with a couple harsh looking men to make sure we didn't escape. I was paired with Megan and my new friend, who said her name was Dylen, she was 15. Her hair was golden blonde, and her eyes blue grey, at 5'9 she could have been a model. As we stood she began to cough, worried I asked her, "What are you going to do if you can't get your $750?" "I'll figure it out," she replied as she coughed again. I looked at her wasted figure, she was burning up with fever, she wouldn't last much longer.....Megan broke through my worrying, " We shouldn't be hanging out with her, she will get us sick too! She hissed. "What!" I replied "What is your problem, how can you even say that?" "Her or me? which one is it to be?" was her reply. I didn't hesitate, "HER!" Megan walked off as a car approached and got in. WTF! Well at least she ditched us now instead of later. I turned to Dylen, "C'mon lets walk over to the next block, my other friend is there" We walked over to where Diamond was, recounting everything that had happened her lovely cold face softened a bit and she murmured, "Bitch!" "We have to help her don't you see" I pleaded. She studied me for a bit then drew me to the side, "We can Lia, but.." "But nothing" I retorted, " Whatever it is...I am game!" She sighed then said,  "We will have to make the money for her" I froze. I mean I had been wondering how I was going to meet my quota much less half another persons, but I would do it. I had to. I replied, "Ok" A car pulled up and a guy said to me, "Hey little rapunzel, want to come play?" I forced myself to smile seductively and lean into the window, "Whatever you like, handsome..."