“I just got fired.Marlon said he had to cut back on staff and I was the newest hire, so I’m the one losing my job.I don’t have another one yet, Carl.I haven’t even managed to get an interview anywhere,” I tell him before taking a long sip of my drink.It’s cold as hell and burns on the way down, but I don’t drink alcohol so soda is my go-to when I’m here and Carl knows that.
“Are you shitting me?You’re the only one here besides me who actually fucking works.This isn’t about Marlon having to cut back on staff, Wren.He fired you so he could bring in his daughter.I overheard him on the phone when I got here a little while ago.She doesn’t even need the job, but her mom wants her to get some kind of experience or something like that.This is bullshit!”Carl shouts, anger lacing his voice as he slams his palm against the top of the bar, startling me.“This place is about to fucking go to hell because you’re the only one who cleaned the dump.Everything that’s gone wrong has been handled by you.Who the fuck is gonna take on those jobs now?Tanzy sure as fuck won’t lift a finger to do anything.”
“It’ll be okay.Thank you for the drink,” I say, finishing the soda and pulling out a few bills to slide across the bar.
“You’re not paying for it, Wren.It’s on me.Get the hell out of Briar Glen.There’s no reason for you to stay here any longer,” Carl says, pushing my money back toward me before I gather everything in my hands and leaving.“Live your life somewhere warm all year round and find the woman you’re meant to be.Go to college and continue your education.I know you graduated high school at the top of your class, Wren.Put that mind to good use and don’t waste a second more in this fucked up town.”
I give Carl a hug across the top of the bar before turning and walking out.This is the last time I’ll ever step foot in the bar because I won’t come here as a customer.The only person I’ll miss is Carl.He actually gives a shit about me and that’s rare in my life.I can count on one hand the number of people who ever made me believe they cared and still have fingers left over.
The drive to my apartment doesn’t take very long.In fact, I could walk to work every day in under ten minutes.The only reason I don’t is because the neighborhood I live in isn’t the best.I’d be harassed and threatened the entire time.Or dragged into one of the many alleys to be beaten and raped.It happens every single day but I had no choice except to move in with Karmen.I learned really quick it’s best to drive no matter how close my destination is.Carl’s right, I need to get the hell out of Briar Glen and start my life over somewhere new.Somewhere I can find a job and live in an apartment on my own.This town holds absolutely nothing for me.I don’t have any family.
I grew up in foster care because my parents decided to leave me on the side of the road during a horrendous thunderstorm late one night.Someone happened to find me and they rushed me to the hospital from what I’ve been told.I don’t know much about my condition, but I was told by one of my foster families that I spent two months in the hospital before they discharged me into the custody of the county.My first foster home kept me for three months before they decided I was too much trouble or something.All I know is after that, I was moved from one home to the next after six months to a year.
When I was almost eighteen, I was put in my last foster home.The lady who took me in was Mrs.Smythe.Her husband had died from a heart condition they didn’t know he had and they weren’t lucky enough to have children of their own.That’s when Mrs.Smythe decided to become a foster parent.She was the best.I was never abused in any of the homes I was placed in.That’s about the only lucky aspect of the situation I was in through no fault of my own.There were two boys in the home when I was taken there—Tristan and Zach.They were close as hell and about five years younger than me.For the first time, I had a foster mother who treated me as if I were her own daughter and two brothers.
Tristan and Zach accepted me without question.We hung out after school, helped Mrs.Smythe with chores, sat outside and just let the silence fill the air as we got lost in our own thoughts, and spent all of our time together.They annoyed me the same way I imagine younger brothers annoy their older sisters.It was the best six months of my life and I miss the three of them every single day.The only reason I haven’t tried to look for Tristan and Zach is because I want them to live their lives without any painful reminders of that period of time.I want them to be successful, happy, loved, and have the best of everything.If anyone deserves it, those two do for sure.I also don’t want to remind Mrs.Smythe of the day I left her home.She cried while holding me tight and told me she didn’t want me to go.It’s one of the memories I have and relive on a constant basis.
After parking close to the road so I’d have a street light nearby, I head inside the small apartment complex.There are six apartments in this building.It doesn’t get taken care of and is falling apart more each day.The front door has a large crack through the glass that won’t take much to shatter completely.Every single step inside sags and I feel as if I’ll fall through any second.All the walls have peeling paint and large holes that have never been repaired.The walls are so thin you can hear everything in each apartment on your floor and the one directly under you.There’s also no insulation to speak of.As I get upstairs to my door, I find an eviction notice taped to it.Ripping it down, I read it and discover rent hasn’t been paid in four damn months.
“One of you finally decided to show up,” I hear from behind me and turn to find Cliff, the landlord from hell.“Where’s my money?”
“I don’t know.I thought Karmen was paying it as usual.Can I still get inside?I have some money hidden.I can pay you and I’ll talk to her to find out what’s going on,” I ask Cliff as he glares at me.
“This is the last time you’ll be allowed inside the apartment if I don’t get all the money I’m owed.I’ll give you a break of two days on this month’s rent, but that’s it,” he states, reaching around me to unlock the door so I can go inside.His arm brushes against my chest as I recoil from his touch.
The apartment is trashed as I take in every inch.This is not how I left the place when I headed out to go to work.Heading for my room that’s no bigger than a small closet, I take in the destruction there.My mattress on the floor has been flipped, blankets are all over the place, and my clothes are tossed all over the room instead of being in the laundry basket.Grabbing my clothing, I stuff it all back in the laundry basket unfolded and notice over half of them are gone.All of my uniforms for The Hide Out are missing minus what I’m currently wearing, jeans, shorts, and two of my favorite skirts are missing.Most of my tank-tops are also now gone.Karmen raided my shit and took what she wanted once again.
I walk over to the closet and move the door that’s leaning against the wall because it isn’t on the doorframe any longer, I reach into the hole where I hide my money.My hand comes back empty.Bending down, I look inside to find nothing there.Karmen found my stash and took what money I had saved up.
“Fuck!”I yell to no one as my landlord enters the room.
“Where’s the damn money?”he questions me, glaring harder now than before.
“It’s gone.Karmen took it,” I state, defeat lacing my voice as my shoulders hunch and I realize I’m about to be homeless with no job or employment prospects.
“You got five minutes to gather what you can and get the fuck out.I’m timing you,” Cliff says, his voice cold and hard as he watches me scramble around the room.
I grab everything important to me.The one picture album I have filled with the time I shared with Tristen and Zach, what clothes I have left, the blankets from my bed that are worn and thin, and the one pillow I have.Grabbing the backpack I’ve had for years, I stuff all of the food I’ve stored in my room inside.There’s not much left and I won’t be able to buy much more because I’ll have to put gas in the car so I can get the hell out of this town.
“Two minutes,” Cliff states as I gather the last of my things.
Placing my backpack on my shoulders, I stuff the blankets over the basket and grab it.This is all I have to my name.Twenty-three and I’ve got one basket and a backpack.This just shows how fucking pathetic I am.It’s time to move on and build something bigger than this.
Cliff follows me outside and locks the main door of the complex behind me so I can’t get back inside.Karmen really fucked me over and I know she doesn’t give a damn about anyone but herself.I put the basket on the trunk of my usedChevrolet Cavalier.It has more spots of rust on it these days than paint.I got this car just before I aged out of the foster system and have done the best I can to maintain it.Opening my back door, I load the basket and bag inside before slamming my door shut and getting back in the driver’s seat.
I lean my head against the steering wheel for a second, letting tears of anger and frustration fall unchecked.Today has been one more day in averylong line of horrendous days.It’s simply how my life works and I’m over it.One day I’ll catch a break and be able to not stress about money, somewhere to live, and living the life I deserve.I’m not a bad person, but all this shit seems to keep coming for me.Today is just another example of that.Finally, I reach up and wipe the tears away before starting my car and leaving the apartment complex behind.It doesn’t take me long to get to the sign announcing that I’m leaving Briar Glen and I smile a genuine smile for the first time all day.
“Welcome to your new life, Wren,” I say to myself as I pass the sign and turn to get on the highway.
As I cruise down the highway, I’ve got my window rolled down and the music blaring as loud as the ancient speakers will play.It’s not very loud if I’m being honest.Too many days spent listening to loud music has blown them.I sing along to each song that comes on the radio.My car is so old, I don’t have all the fancy inputs for me to connect my phone to the radio so I can play one of my playlists.The radio is good enough for me, though.
***
Driving on the emptyroad, I start to smell smoke.That very distinct smell of something on fire you can’t mistake.I’m not even an hour outside of Briar Glen.Looking to the left of the deserted highway, I spot the fire immediately.It’s a little down from an empty diner I passed.I immediately pull over and rush across the road.The heat from the fire is overwhelming as I try to look through the smoke to see if anyone is around.Walking around the area, I find a motorcycle on fire.Directly in front of it is a large vehicle and I can hardly make out the raised hood.The entire bike is engulfed in flames and I can smell gas leaking from one of the vehicles.Pulling out my phone, I go to call for a fire department when I hear a choked cough from a few feet in front of me.At least I think it’s a few feet.The smoke is so thick I can’t really tell where anything is.
“Is someone there?”I call out, immediately coughing from the smoke I’m not inhaling with each breath.
“Help,” I hear someone try to call out weakly with a hoarse voice and I strain to hear anything to help guide me toward where I think the voice is coming from.