Tried For Error

0 | 7 ~ When I sneeze, my eyes close

The night was cold.

Her breath fogged in front of her as she breathed against the bedroom window.

Outside, she could see the silhouettes of three men. One of them being her father. Little Scarlett knew that something was erroneous the minute they stepped out of an overpriced car.

It was unusual for anyone with fortune to be in a place like this. A place little Scarlett called home.

'Home'. Was that the right word to describe a place as awful as this?

It wasn't her dream house, not like she dreamed about having more than this anyways. She thought of how much she hated princess tiaras, designer dresses and everything else her friends at school liked.

But not her.

No, she dreamed about having a house with working lights, running water and a family within that actually cared for one another. Instead of dreaming of a world that no longer existed, she learned to survive. Yet, something deep down, something told Little Scarlett that she didn't mind calling this place her home.

She drifted back from her thoughts when a door slammed downstairs.

"Abigail!" The voice of her drunken father echoed through the corridor.

Little Scarlett cringed as she slowly slipped from the window seal before making her way downstairs.

Upon entering the room her father's voice came from, she casted her eyes down and inspected her shoes like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"This is Abigail, the daughter I told you about," little Scarlett's father introduced her before kneeling down to her level.

"Abigail, these men were nice enough to give us some money so that we could buy you all that pretty dolls in your room, but they want us to pay them back now."

Her father was much like her last target, Damian. He lied about a lot of things and always gambled with the little money they had in hopes of winning more, but he never did and she never cared. Not until that day.

Little Scarlett looked at her dad in confusion," We don't have any money, daddy. Why would they give us something if they are just going to ask for it back later?"

Little Scarlett noticed the anger building up behind her father's eyes. She knew that he hated her defiance. Her understanding why never mattered. She just needed to obey.

"That has nothing to do with you, girl! I made a promise to them and what do we know about making promises?"

"To never break a pinky promise?"

Little Scarlett flinched as her father lightly patted her small head.

"Good girl, now I want you to go to your room and pack a few things. You are leaving with these men and doing everything they want you to do, okay?"

Tears welled up in little Scarlett's eyes as she twisted her fingers, a little nervous gesture, before choking out the words," I don't want to go with them. I want to stay here, with James."

Normally, if she had been told to do something, she usually did it right away. The consequences of not listening was very severe for a little girl her age.

"Abigail, I told you to go upstairs and pack your bags."

"I don't -"

Scarlett abruptly sat upright in bed, panting and covered in a layer of sweat. Her breathing was rapid as she looked around the unfamiliar room, trying to calm down her racing heart.