Why is it so cold?
The young girl in an almost empty apartment was shivering under the covers.
Her 18th birthday was last week and that meant she could no longer stay with her foster parents. 18 meant she graduated out of the system and she was on her own. With nothing but a backpack that contained all her wordly posessions she went to the slums.
The apartment was cold, it being late November, she was sharing a room with her friend Carmen a girl she met while walking along the slum streets.
I guess you can say she is quick to befriend strangers but even if it was a shady room in a cold run down apartment it was still slightly warmer and safer than being outside.
"Rony" she faintly heard coming with the living room along with several thuds.
"Rony" slightly louder but with traces of distress as well.
It could be no one other than Carmen. Getting up from the bed she rushes to the living room where she sees Carmen hunched over the sofa groaning in pain.
"Carmen whats wrong, what happened to you tonight?"
Her eye was swollen and there was blood running down her thighs.
"Oh the usually" she said forcing herself to laugh, "you know just Marcos looking for his cut from my earning. Here this is for you"
She takes out a shiny red card from her coat pocket and hands it to me.
Walking to get the first aide kit Veronica flips the card back and forth, "its blank."
"Oh course its blank." Carmen says still fighting back tears from the nights events.
Taking the first aide kit from Veronica she explains, "its an invitation of sorts. More like a meeting really with the Grand Dame of the most prestigious whore house in City Z."
"You don't want it? The meeting I mean."
"I'm not worthy anymore, I've lived this way for 2 years since I was your age. I don't want you to end up anything close to me, so take this card and try it. You've told me your dreams and for girls like us there is only this way of life. At least with this you'll be at the high end of all of us. At least with this you can earn some good money quick and achieve your dream before you become a cheap prostitue"
I wanted to deny all her words but i couldnt. Everything she said was true.
"Just think about it ok, 2 days from now at noon. Just think about it."
Carmen went to bed while I stayed sitting on the couch. She was right I do have dreams, I want to leave this city and live a peaceful life out in the country, open up a fruit stand maybe but all of this requieres money. Money I dont have and money that is hard to earn when you dont have an education or any means.
