From Riches to Rags

Prologue

Madison

16th July 2006 - New York City

Madison was sleeping soundly when she heard the unbearable sound of something being knocked to the ground. Opening up her beautiful brown eyes from the sleep that coursed her just mere four hours ago, she looked to her side to see her mother was no longer next to her with a book in her hand that she always read to little Madison, 'The Mystery Behind The Princess'.

Madison never really understood what the book was about, besides the mysterious princess and her selfish family. At only five years old, she was smart enough to gather up the princess deserved more. But no matter what it was about, or who, she was delighted to have her mother reading a book by her side, whilst she slept through the syllabus of two words peaking out of her mother's lips as she happily smiled at the sound of her soft voi-

A sound of another crash broke Madison's train of thoughts and she quickly pushed her covers off her little body, quietly jumping off her bed. Her small feet silently moved to the door, taking small strides. Standing on her tiptoes, she swung the door open and moved through. She looked left and right, making sure nothing out of the ordinary tumbled her way and in other words, she meant a stranger. Madison frowned and moved her little body in the direction she heard something crash to the ground, once again. She may be brave to find out what the racket was all about, but deep down, she was frightened.

About a year ago, she was on the plane to London with her mother to meet her beloved aunt Victoria who fell gravely ill. Sitting beside her mum, she felt safe next to her unlike amongst other women, men and children. It wasn't every day when a young child was kidnapped, but Madison wasn't entirely stupid to know what really goes on around the world. Her father always said, "the more you, my dearest Maddie, know what the world was about at such a young age, the less trust you'll have in people." She always believed in him to teach her how to fight her battles; whether it's physically or emotionally. However, having Madison sitting beside her mother on the plane ride to London, 8 am hit along with boredom and nausea; she had always hated plane rides. Madison had looked to the side where a man in his mid-thirties sat. His eyes were fully focused on the little screen in front of him, watching a movie, in which Madison vaguely remembers, a horror. An intruder jumped on the owner of a little cabin that was far deep into a forest.

Madison shivering from that slight remembrance, she comes to the conclusion she doesn't live in a cabin, nor does she lives deep in the woods, but one thing she has no idea of is whether she has an intruder in her home or not. Ignoring the little voices in her head, she tiptoes towards the door where the light was shining from under it, but as she moved closer, she sees it was slightly ajar. When she finally stood in front of the door, she quietly pushed the door so she can see what's inside - or who.

There, sat on the little armchair of her parent's room, sat her father with a bottle of half-full liquor, and three other bottles surrounding him like protection. Knitting her brows together in confusion, she opened her mouth to which she immediately regrets, "Daddy, what are you doing?"

Her father quickly opened his eyes and dropped his bottle, making little Madison jump up in fright. He looked at her with love and pity, making Madison a little more scared, "come here baby, there's something I need to tell you." She was hesitant; something in her guts told her not to take those strides towards her father, to turn back around and go to sleep, but she went up to him anyways.

"What's wrong, daddy?" She says, sitting down on the lap of her father as he brushed her hair to the side. Madison twiddled her fingers, something she took upon the habit when she was nervous.

Her father looked hesitant, but he opened his mouth and said the three words she'd never hear in her life, "mommy's in hospital". Madison may conceivably be five, but she was smart enough to know something is wrong with her mother to be in the hospital.

Not taking another second, she jumps off her father's lap and grabs his hand, "let's go, daddy, before it's too late."

She ran down the stairs with her father behind her but didn't make it past the last stairs before he opened his mouth once again, making her shocked for more than a second, "it's already too late, sweetheart", and for a split second, she could almost hear the crack in her father's voice.

She didn't know if that's what she wanted to hear. Despite what her father said, she wanted her mother to be alive; to walk through the front door, laughing wholeheartedly, telling her it was all a prank. But what kind of sick, twisted person would pull a prank like that? Her mother didn't deserve to die, not someone as kind and selfless like her. She knew it was a matter of days before her mother drifted away; to fall into a deep slumber, only to never wake up again. But as she stared into the distance, feeling her heart in her tiny body crack in a tumble of dozen pieces, she was broken that she never got to say goodbye or how much she loved her mother.

Turning back around, she sidestepped her father and walked back up the stairs with her shoulders slumped and her head down. Ignoring her father's pleas, she walked into her darkened room and shut the door, giving her father the idea that she wanted anything but to be bothered. It was a little after midnight, but Madison knew she will never be able to sleep; not yet anyway.

At only five years old, Madison fell apart. Such a small spirit, with so much knowledge of what this world has become, but she knew what her mother's wishes were, despite not being able to be there at her last breath, she knew what her mother gravely wanted, and no matter what, she'll do anything to get it.

And with that last thought, she moved towards the little bed she owned, latched back onto her bed covers and drifted into slumber.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆

omg, I finally completed my first prologue. I'm in shock, I'm in shock, I'm in shockkkkkk.

please tell me how you feel about it. I would really love to hear your opinions and if you'd like more chapters.

I've always loved reading and writing, it's a great passion of mine, so this is such a huge deal for me.

how wise and brave is little Madison, such a beautiful sweetheart.

Thank you to all of you who have inspired me.

MWAH.