Unraveled

Chapter Two

Unedited.

The moon shone high and bright, reflecting against her silver eyes. Arms were splayed wide across the roof and ink black hair was sprawled across the shabby shingles. Bare feet tapped gently in a rhythmic pattern. Lungs expelled a cloud of smoke.

Loud bangs rang out across the dingy street, making her shoot up, fierce eyes glaring across the landscape searching for the perpetrator. Warm air slid across her tanned skin, kissing it, caressing it with a harsh nip. Shrugging out of the tattered jumper that was over her, Duke was left in a tank top. Blowing hot breath out of her mouth, she stood, proud and confident in her stance.

The long mane of wavy hair curled down near her ribcage, licking her lips she scanned the streets. Surprise fleeted across her face before morphing into a blank mask. A Rolls Royce was parked by the curb. Far too pricy for the rundown streets of Farrow.

"Duke." A voice whispered. Lips twitched and pursed.

Walking over to the edge of the roof she peered over the edge, a familiar hazel eyed boy looked at her worriedly.

Anger seized her.

"Ilya, what are you doing out of bed?" She hissed, dropping to her knees and onto her ass, she slide down onto the widow sill, finally dropping down to the ground, towering over her younger brother.

The small dark haired boy peered up at his sibling through thick lashes, innocent eyes begged her for her attention.

"I couldn't sleep." He looked down at the ground, scuffing his feet across it. Hands behind his back.

"You know it's too dangerous to be out here at night." She scooped the five year old into her arms, cradling him close to her. Magnesium eyes scanned their surroundings, as if an armed man would gun them down.

Ducking into their house, she glared at her mother as she walked in. Empty beer bottles surrounded the unconscious excuse of a mother. Carefully picking her way through the house, Duke shivered slightly at the cool air of the rooms, she was only grateful she had paid the bills in time to cool off during the abnormally hot summer air. Turning carefully around the corner that separated the two bedrooms of the apartment, she gently turned her brother in her arms, trying to free a hand to open the door.

Once inside, she peered around the room, scanning for any dangers, and laid the now sleep held child into her bed, tucking him tightly into the crisp sheets. As the moon shone through her window, she softly brushed her sibling's hair back from his his caramel skin. He was so sweet and innocent that sometimes it truly pained her to leave him alone with their mother, she feared one day that she would come back and he wouldn't be there, that their mother would've sold him for her next fix; but she had no where else to leave him most days. 

The addict was no better than a coke whore. She drowned her sorrows in liquor and heroin, day by day she had became the shell of her former self. Duke could hardly remember the days where she and her mother had lived in the upper side of town, where everyone who was not in poverty resided, when she actually was privileged enough to get an education. But now, to her, they were simply memories that she would only ever dream about.

Sighing, she sat on the bed, lying back on the foot of it. Skin came alive with goosebumps, eyes closed as she soon fell into a fretful sleep.

§

As a scream tore through the house, Duke's eyes flew open, immediately looking towards where her brother usually laid. Ilya looked frightfully back at her, covers pulled tightly around him. She was up in a flash, picking him up underneath his arms she hastily walked towards her measly closet, forcing the door open, she settled him in there before shutting it once more.