One

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO,

September 22nd, 1990.

On the busy streets of London, specifically the Brick lane street in the late hours of the night, cars sped the highway and people were still seen walking around, possibly making their way home to meet their families.

Everyone who was seen on the street walked to and fro, not minding the little beautiful ten year old girl who was sitting on a stone close to the Pedestrian walk crying. Merely looking at the girl, you could see that she had suffered, and is still suffering. It felt as if everyone who passed her got irritated of her or shifted far away from her as if she was a rare but dangerous disease.

Wearing a very long and torn green gown, her hair looked so scattered and very much unkept. She did not even have shoes on. She had an injury at the back of her leg, but merely looking at her, it could be seen that was the least of her problems.

She held the plate which she used to sell biscuits everyday as she cleaned her eyes. She was in a very big trouble....she knew it. What was she going to tell her mother? How will she believe that she was raped and the money taken from her?

She bit her lips as she continued to cry, calling for her mother and father to come to her rescue, pleading that they should come and take her away from here...away from this world...

Away from this pain.

She had never experienced love from the people who call themselves her parents. She had been told since she was just five that she was nothing...a nobody....a waste....an orphan. As small she was, she was made to cook the family meal, do all the houses chores, wash the clothes and do whatever work her mother told her to do, no matter how hard or tiresome it is.

She would hawk biscuits everyday till she had sold every single one of them, and if she does not sell everything, she was very well punished. As small as she was, she was used to being raped and tortured.

She did not know at that moment what to do. Her mother was not even going to look at the injuries those men gave her when they took advantage of her, nor will she notice the innocent girl's tears. There was nothing she could do. The money was gone and she had to be responsible for it. Cleaning her eyes, she got up and made her way home, limping as she held the plate very close to her chest…as if it would take the fear…..the throbbing pain which was much worse than the pain she felt on her leg.

She was used to the evil of the night and she was not scared....not anymore, because she was part of it….all her life had been on the streets of London. She does not fear any evil that happens, and there was nothing she could do about it.

The place she called her home was another hour walk, but she spent two and a half hours dragging herself till she reached her home.

Finally she was home. The Gateman opened the gate and let her in, his eyes depicting fear and pity. She did not know if it was for her but she did not care, she had more problems to deal with.

Looking at the building she called her home, painful memories she knew would never leave her for as long as she lived still haunted her. It seemed they just found a place in the middle of her brain and were rooted there...never to leave her.

It was more of a disease that was incurable.

She cleaned the tears which were already falling down her dirty but beautiful face. Closing her eyes, she prayed to whoever would hear her that the punishment would not be as hard as she thinks it will be.

Opening the door, she walked in. Her eyes immediately went to the sofa where the whole family sits...which she never had the privilege of sitting on and as expected, she met her dad, mum and Helen, her six years old sister.

A tear dropped down again as she met her mother's gaze. Her body shook as she heard her voice....that voice she dreaded the most....

"You!" She said, making her way towards her. She closed her eyes as she expected what she saw coming and true to her expectations, a slap landed on her face.

"Where are you just coming from you little bitch? Do you know what the time is? And where is my money?" She said as she pushed her, making her hit her head on the floor. She felt a sharp pain on her head and knew it would bleed.

"Get up you slut and give me my money. Why are you quiet huh?" She bit her lips as tears fell again. She looked at the man she called her father for help but he was just sitting there, looking at his wife, not even bothered by what was even happening. She knew better than to beg...there was no way he would come to her rescue.

"Mum....mother....the money....."

"What happened to my money? Talk before i start doing what i want to do to you"

"Someone took the money mum" She said, her head pounding, her eyes not wanting to hold back her tears.

"Oh! So the money which was with you was taken by someone and there was nothing you could so about it"

"It is not my fault mother, I promise you. I was raped and the money taken away from me. Please do understand mum….i will never steal your money"

"I knew you have always been a thief an an expert liar. Wait till i teach you a lesson"

"Mother please...."

A slap landed on her face and then another, and another. A kick landed in her stomach and a punch made way to her face.

That was it.... She could not take it anymore.... Her survival instincts came in control as she used the only strength she had at that moment to run away... from her pain....from her torture.

She did not care where she would go or what will happen to her if she left this woman. But all she knew was if she did not leave at that moment, she won't live to see another break of dawn.

She never turned back....she just ran....ran till she felt she was far away from the hell she lived in....and then she fainted right there.....

Just beside the highway.

In between the shadows of the night, a strange looking beast which could not be seen so clearly as the night covered it well with its intense darkness stood with his red eyes on the little girl who lay beside the highway in an unconscious state. Its rough and hardened big hands which had long nails hit the floor as it reached forward to see her clearly.

It moved back, as if the girl would attack him of it did not. And into the night it roared. It stopped again and looked back at this little girl. HeIt turned and disappeared…..into the still night…..back to hell fire.