Pulse

Beat 1

It was a tight feeling. Something brand new, that she had never felt before. It was like her entire body was burning.

"I'm sorry we have to-"

"Maybe once it's over I can-"

Voices flooded her mind as she tried to open her eyes, but she could not.

"Help me please!" she wanted to scream. "It hurts so bad! My chest is burning!" But no words would form. It was then her mind created a new phrase, one she had never heard before. She did not know the meaning of what she would say, or the outcome it would bring, but they were the only words that her voice would form

"I can't breath!"

Lena shot up out of bed covered in a later of sweat. Pulling her blankets to her bare chest she gasped for air. A strand of her pink hair was sucked into her mouth causing her to cough and spit. For a moment she sat there just taking several deep breaths, first through her mouth, then her nose. With each breath her chest would push itself out.

It took Lena a solid half hour before she managed to throw the blankets off of her single size bed and into the floor. She stood up at the right side of her bed and faced a large mirror. It exposed her naked body and long hair which fell over her chest. She grimaced at herself and slunk over to her closet. She pulled open the doors and in a heap laid all of her clothes. She kept saying she would hang them one day, but she never could bring herself to actually do it. She grabbed a black bra and sky-blue blouse to go along with the small jean shorts she wore the day before. When she looked up again she noticed a single article of clothing hanging on a wire hanger. It was a purple tie. Lena could not remember why the necktie was there but something compelled her to hold it against her chest. When she did she caught the thick smell of a strong cologne and a soothing voice rushed to her head, accompanied by a memory.

"It's my necktie," a man in a white shirt said grinning at Lena. "I'm sure I'll get the job with it! Doesn't it look snazzy?" Lena giggled and reached up at him, adjusting the horribly crooked and loose neck piece.

"You'll never get hired like that!" the 12 year old shouted. She could barely reach it enough to straighten it and pull it tight. "That's how it goes!"
The massive man let out a hearty laugh and crouched to Lena's height, staring into her grey eyes.

"Lena, baby, I'm going to get this job. And then we're going to be okay. I promise."

"It's gonna be okay today, I promise," Lena said quietly. A few tears fell down her red cheeks before she returned the tie to its place.

Lena snapped on the bra, adjusting her breasts in it as she walked. A pair of black underwear and her shorts followed. She opened her refrigerator and looked at several unfinished meals.

"It's as hard a choice as ever, isn't it?" she asked herself pulling out a pan with dried chicken in it. She placed it on a glass plate and and slid the plate into her microwave. She entered the time, listening to each button beep and the machine start up. While her reheated meal cooked she put on the blue blouse and buttoned each notch carefully. She decided to leave the top three open to give herself some movement. For some reason the top felt even tighter than usual. She decided to chalk the tightness up to gaining weight from not eating well and pushed it from her mind. The microwave began to beep once more signaling her that the meal was ready. She quickly ate her food and placed the plate on a stack of dishes.

"I should clean those," she told herself. She told herself the same thing every day, but she never did. Lena paced around her small house for a few minutes before ending up in the bathroom. It was the end of her daily routine and soon her morning would begin. She blushes her teeth thoroughly and rinsed it with mouthwash. She always filled the entire lid because it never felt like it was enough otherwise.

Finally the girl brushed out her long hair. Once it was stright she seprated it into three sections and interlaced them into a single large braid. It was the perfect style for her job and today she was feeling exceptional. She slipped on her shoes and opened her front door. For a moment the harsh sunlight burned her eyes, but once they had adjusted Lena stepped outside and locked her door.

"It's another day another dollar!" she shouted to herself and began her walk to work.