Ladders

Pregnancy

"Hear about the prostitute that was murdered?" The danish man said to the family as he read the news paper. Lukas nodded "yeah, I'm not surprised though. Those prostitutes are always getting killed. She knew what she was getting into".

Emil looked out the window into the darkened street of the alley, the conversation from two months earlier replayed in his mind. He blew the smoke from his cigarette out the window as he sat on the windowsill. Lukas was somewhat right, he and Chun-Yan knew what they were getting into. Though desperation covered the consequences in their minds. "Don't mock me with that, you know I can't smoke anymore" said the Italian girl behind him sitting on the ripped and dirtied couch. "Not my fault you went and got pregnant" he said look over at her with dulled eyes. She rolled her eyes "that damn Spanish bastard went and poke holes in the condoms, I swear he did!". Emil looked back out the window and inhaled the nicotine. "What about Plan B?" He said, knowing most of the people working in the brothel take Plan B like candy. "This isn't fucking Canada where Plan B is free, I didn't have enough money this time..." she said as she laced her thin arms around her stomach. "What'd Mr.Vargas say when you told him about you being pregnant?" Emil asked glad he wasn't able to become pregnant. Lovina sighed and looked at the rotting wooden floor "he said he won't pay for my abortion". Emil looked back at her "well are you going to abort it?" He asked. You really couldn't be a prostitute while being pregnant, not with all the abuse and drugs used. "...no. I'm going to tell Toni and if he doesn't want me or the baby...then I'll have to go somewhere else than here. I refuse to let my baby have a mother who sells her body" she said after a moment of silence. Emil was shocked honestly, usually those who sometimes do get pregnant end up going to the cheapest doctor they can do get an abortion. Though doing that usually results in them being left in pain and bleeding a lot. One girl he hadn't met even died from a back alley abortion. "Lovina what if Toni wants you to abort it? Like I know he's tried to buy you from Mr.Vargas but what if he doesn't want a child with you?" Lovina sighed "then he'll be the Spanish bastard I knew he was". Emil jumped off the windowsill and walked over to the table and put his cigarette out on the ash tray. "I wish you luck but don't get your hopes up, remember what happened to Anya when she told that Chinese guy she was pregnant with his kid? He kicked her as hard as he could in the stomach and ran out" he said sitting next to her. "Don't fucking remind me...I remember how Anya would talk about wanting a baby so badly and how she'd one day escape the brothel. Too bad the doctors couldn't save her nor the baby" Emil shrugged "all I'm saying is just don't let it happened to you". She nodded and looked at the clock "I have a client in five, I need to get back to my room" she sat up and walked to the door "oh and Emil, be careful. Mr.Vargas is more temperamental these past few days ever since Katya hasn't come back. He thinks one of us knows where she is" and with that she left Emil alone. Emil sat up as well and walked to his room. He was so scared Mr.Vargas would find out he had something to do with Katya being taken. He opened up his door and laid down on his bed. He was so tired he could barley keep his eyes open. He actually had somewhat of a social life now, so he's been juggling that, home, school, and "work". It's like Gilbert thinks by making Emil social and going out that that'll stall him from going and working at the brothel. If only that was the case. Emil ignored the feeling of wanting to escape and he closed his eyes and clutched his hands to his chest. Maybe he could just wake up from this terrible nightmare. "Emil" He tight grip was placed on his should and he was forced to sit up. His eyes shot open and he looked at his boss. "I've cancelled everyone who rented you today. You're coming with me" he dragged Emil to his car and shoved him in the backseat. Emil sat up and looked around. Why would his boss shove him in the backseat of his car? Unless something was going on. Emil was terrified, Lovina had said Mr.Vargas had been on edge. Maybe he had found out about Emil helping Ivan with taking Katya. He stayed quiet as the car drove away into town. "Emil, you know a boy named Leon, correct?" Emil was now very much on edge, what did any of this have to do with his best friend. "Y-yes sir". Mr.Vargas nodded and soon they pulled up to a newer Chinese restaurant. The place Leon works. "Sir if I may, why are we here?". Mr.Vargas looked back "the owner of this dump killed a good selling girl over an unborn child, he claims it was an accident but he still owes me a lot of money for her death. Anya made me a lot of cash. Now he knows you, so why not threaten him a little so he pays". They both got out and went through the back door that led to the kitchen. Emil saw Leon writing down something, while his half sister from Taiwan was packaging something. They both looked at the two intruders, and saw an unknown taller man dragging Emil in. Leon's sister was quick to try and stop the two "you both can't be back here, workers only" Mr.Vargas glares and her and got in her face "where the fuck is Yao?". She tried holding her ground "sir please leave-". Mr.Vargas then pulled Emil into a choke hold and grabbed the gun from his waist "I won't ask again, where is he". With that he aimed the gun at his head. Leon reached for the phone to call the police "You even pick up that phone, this bullet goes through your boyfriend head" he said pressing it into Emil's unnatural white hair even more. Emil struggles as he was scared, he knew he was just a cash whore to him but would be really murder him? "Mr.Vargas...please stop" Emil struggled, scared as once again his life was being threatened. The Taiwanese girl shook and ran to a hidden office and pulled Yao out seeing as her brothers friend had a gun to his head. Yao ran out of his office and saw the scene laid out before him. "Now Yao, you still haven't paid that amount I demanded. We can do this the easy way and you give me the money now, or you can have more blood on your hands. So what is it? The blood of Emil, Anya, and your unborn child on your hands or are you gonna pay me?". Yao's face was pale and his body stiff. He didn't mean for Anya to die, or for himself to even end up at the brothel so many times. The touch and love with Anya was exhilarating as all his life he's had to work and never was able to make time for a love. Though when she was asking Yao to take her and their unborn child away from the hell hole, his body just reacted and wanted to rid of the child. He couldn't afford to take care of anymore people, but he loved the women he murdered. Now his actions were coming back to haunt him. Whatever he said right at this moment would again decide the life of someone.