Star_Spark
07-05-2008, 09:50 PM
A young girl, of the name Jane Peniski, stumbled down the dark alleys of the London slums. Tears rolling down her cheeks, her side jabbing with a painful stitch and legs burning as her sore feet pounded the dirty ground.
Her dirt streaked face was rosy as got hotter; she skipped between rubbish and human waste, running to the familiar warehouse of the end of First Avenue.
Jane glanced around her, checking for any signs of movement, and opened the door, with a loud creak. She slipped inside, into the cool tranquillity of this abandoned dusty warehouse.
She wandered slowly across the room, playing with the boxes stacked on shelves, opening them up and exploring the contents. It was just filled with the usual rubbish, cheap gifts and tacky ornaments.
But Jane already knew that, she must have searched through these boxes a million times before. She was more familiar with this then her own home, but this old warehouse felt more like home then home did.
Home was a dark dangerous place, fill of pain, injury and neglect. It was worse then the nastiest places in the slums.
You see, ‘home’ for Jane was a child farm, and it was horrible. It was dark and cramped, with little food and water. The Mistress was a small but violent woman, formidable and terrifying. With one blow, she could knock Jane down to the floor.
It was from that place that Jane had been running. Running from the pain, the hunger and the heart break. Too many times had she witnessed and felt the blow of that fearsome woman, too many times had Jane had to hear how worthless and stupid and ugly she was, and way too many times had she seen a defenceless baby die as the result of the Mistress’s neglect.
She’d shed too many tears, hidden too many bruises and lost too many friends. Jane just couldn’t take it anymore, she had to just get out, break free. Although her heart wrenched and twisted at the thought of those she had abandoned, little Tony, just turned eight, and Elizabeth who was only two, and relied on Jane's clumsy care and attention.
But Jane couldn’t do it anymore, not knowing that the chances of Tony and Elizabeth’s survival to the age of ten were so slim, it was unbelievable. She couldn’t face losing yet another child she considered family.
Hunger burned in Jane’s stomach, and she decided it was time to leave. She ran across the room towards the door, yanked it open, staring out into the foggy street.
She skipped down the steps and crept along the corner, hoping and praying to God that the Mistress wouldn’t find her. Jane brushed a strand of lank, greasy hair out of her face and carried on down the lane, towards the nearby shops.
She foraged around the dustbins, looking for any scrap, even if it was a mere morsel, of edible food.
“OI!” screeched an old lady, who was dumpy and short and brandishing a broom. “Get away from my bins! Go on, shoo!”
Jane scrambled back, nimbly avoiding the vicious blows of the broom that towered down on her.
“Alright, alright! I a-going, leave it off will ya?” Jane yelled backing off along the lane. Her energy was reaching dangerously low levels, her stomach was rumbling and head spinning. She needed food and very soon.
She reached the out skirts of the slums, wondering whether to risk going out in to the city for food, or not. Would it be worth it?
Jane looked over her shoulder to the murky dirty, disease ridden slums, then back to the sparkling shiny town.
She smiled, stepping out into the beautiful city, where the sun was always shining and everyone was happy and well.
She wove in between the tall beautiful people, ignoring the disgusted looks and whispered she was receiving, she had gotten used to that, after a lifetime of it.
Jane strolled up to the nearest bakery, the delicious smells wafting towards her and her hunger burned even more, so much so it was painful. Her glassy eyes glazed over at the sight of so many cakes.
“Hello little girl,” whispered a musical voice, belonging to the most beautiful woman Jane had ever seen. Jena gaped at her in shock. What would such a beautiful lady, want with scruffy little Jane?
“Are you hungry?” she asked Jane, holding out a delicious cake. Jane nodded, taking the cake and biting into it. Sweet cream and loveliness filled her mouth. It tasted so good to her poor skinny stomach.
“Thank you,” whispered Jane, her mouth full of food. The lady smiled.
“No problem honey. Now will you come with me?”
Dread filled Jane’s gut, souring the once beautiful cake. Two burly men appeared beside her, and Jane instantly knew her mistake. She dropped the bun and ran for her life.
“HELP!” she yelled, weaving between he coldly elegant rich folk, “Help, they are after me! Please help!” but her yells were only met by looks of disdain and disgust.
“Please, Miss, Sir, HELP ME! Save me from them!” Jane screamed, pointing to the men chasing after her.
An able young man grabbed Jane’s arms, holding her still. The two men soon caught up, thanking the young man, who handed her other with out a second thought.
“Wait please! I didn’t do anything, help! PLEASE HELP!”
But the posh people of the city ignored her pitiful pleas, and instead of helping her, they shunned that poor young girl, condemning her to whatever horrific fate lay ahead of her with that icy beauty and her two cronies. They had handed her over, without thinking that her cries meant something, without a thought or a care.
Well, that’s society for you.
Her dirt streaked face was rosy as got hotter; she skipped between rubbish and human waste, running to the familiar warehouse of the end of First Avenue.
Jane glanced around her, checking for any signs of movement, and opened the door, with a loud creak. She slipped inside, into the cool tranquillity of this abandoned dusty warehouse.
She wandered slowly across the room, playing with the boxes stacked on shelves, opening them up and exploring the contents. It was just filled with the usual rubbish, cheap gifts and tacky ornaments.
But Jane already knew that, she must have searched through these boxes a million times before. She was more familiar with this then her own home, but this old warehouse felt more like home then home did.
Home was a dark dangerous place, fill of pain, injury and neglect. It was worse then the nastiest places in the slums.
You see, ‘home’ for Jane was a child farm, and it was horrible. It was dark and cramped, with little food and water. The Mistress was a small but violent woman, formidable and terrifying. With one blow, she could knock Jane down to the floor.
It was from that place that Jane had been running. Running from the pain, the hunger and the heart break. Too many times had she witnessed and felt the blow of that fearsome woman, too many times had Jane had to hear how worthless and stupid and ugly she was, and way too many times had she seen a defenceless baby die as the result of the Mistress’s neglect.
She’d shed too many tears, hidden too many bruises and lost too many friends. Jane just couldn’t take it anymore, she had to just get out, break free. Although her heart wrenched and twisted at the thought of those she had abandoned, little Tony, just turned eight, and Elizabeth who was only two, and relied on Jane's clumsy care and attention.
But Jane couldn’t do it anymore, not knowing that the chances of Tony and Elizabeth’s survival to the age of ten were so slim, it was unbelievable. She couldn’t face losing yet another child she considered family.
Hunger burned in Jane’s stomach, and she decided it was time to leave. She ran across the room towards the door, yanked it open, staring out into the foggy street.
She skipped down the steps and crept along the corner, hoping and praying to God that the Mistress wouldn’t find her. Jane brushed a strand of lank, greasy hair out of her face and carried on down the lane, towards the nearby shops.
She foraged around the dustbins, looking for any scrap, even if it was a mere morsel, of edible food.
“OI!” screeched an old lady, who was dumpy and short and brandishing a broom. “Get away from my bins! Go on, shoo!”
Jane scrambled back, nimbly avoiding the vicious blows of the broom that towered down on her.
“Alright, alright! I a-going, leave it off will ya?” Jane yelled backing off along the lane. Her energy was reaching dangerously low levels, her stomach was rumbling and head spinning. She needed food and very soon.
She reached the out skirts of the slums, wondering whether to risk going out in to the city for food, or not. Would it be worth it?
Jane looked over her shoulder to the murky dirty, disease ridden slums, then back to the sparkling shiny town.
She smiled, stepping out into the beautiful city, where the sun was always shining and everyone was happy and well.
She wove in between the tall beautiful people, ignoring the disgusted looks and whispered she was receiving, she had gotten used to that, after a lifetime of it.
Jane strolled up to the nearest bakery, the delicious smells wafting towards her and her hunger burned even more, so much so it was painful. Her glassy eyes glazed over at the sight of so many cakes.
“Hello little girl,” whispered a musical voice, belonging to the most beautiful woman Jane had ever seen. Jena gaped at her in shock. What would such a beautiful lady, want with scruffy little Jane?
“Are you hungry?” she asked Jane, holding out a delicious cake. Jane nodded, taking the cake and biting into it. Sweet cream and loveliness filled her mouth. It tasted so good to her poor skinny stomach.
“Thank you,” whispered Jane, her mouth full of food. The lady smiled.
“No problem honey. Now will you come with me?”
Dread filled Jane’s gut, souring the once beautiful cake. Two burly men appeared beside her, and Jane instantly knew her mistake. She dropped the bun and ran for her life.
“HELP!” she yelled, weaving between he coldly elegant rich folk, “Help, they are after me! Please help!” but her yells were only met by looks of disdain and disgust.
“Please, Miss, Sir, HELP ME! Save me from them!” Jane screamed, pointing to the men chasing after her.
An able young man grabbed Jane’s arms, holding her still. The two men soon caught up, thanking the young man, who handed her other with out a second thought.
“Wait please! I didn’t do anything, help! PLEASE HELP!”
But the posh people of the city ignored her pitiful pleas, and instead of helping her, they shunned that poor young girl, condemning her to whatever horrific fate lay ahead of her with that icy beauty and her two cronies. They had handed her over, without thinking that her cries meant something, without a thought or a care.
Well, that’s society for you.