On an average day, I woke up, if not with a gun in my face, then with razor wire on the sole of my feet. I moved about my attic attic with roughly three hundred pounds of steel on my back. I had just enough room for a forty-two inch Samsung flatscreen TV. After some quick investigating, I found the escape route. The floor was tiled, but it had rusted beyond any possibility of fixing. I threw open the dented panel door to the attic, and carefully lowered myself through the wire fencing. I remained still on the tiles, waiting for my heartbeat to slow.
On my first night, I crawled under the bed. I had to force my way into a small space that was not quite big enough for a human being. I was debating my chances of squeezing under the bed, when a figure walked into the room. I froze tighter than a statue, and it slipped passed me. I lay as still as possible, as the footsteps neared the bed. They paused for a second. I was slowly lowering myself closer to the ground, as I was sure that I had been seen. It walked slowly around the foot of the bed, as I was floating slowly on a cloud of air. It stepped on my hand, but I dared not move a muscle, as it walked slowly on past me, on its way to a chair in the room. It switched on a small lamp on a bedside table. My eyes refocused after a split second of extreme darkness. It was a woman, who appeared to be somewhere in her forties. Her clothes were old, dirty, and general evidence of her occupation. She was usin' a razor blade cut over her left eye. She spoke in a deep, rough voice, whilst twirling an old cigarette.
"Ain't it hard to get a decent job, working for the most powerful family in the world?" She said before breaking out into a laugh.
I was too afraid to speak.
When she left the room, I got up and snuck to the door.
They had left most of their valuables behind. There were some rings, and some silverware, but that was all. Weeds hung from the pendant that hung from her necklace. It was much too heavy for her. Her hair, once brown, was now the color of wheat which was now green. Her sunken eyes, and her dark circles were evidence of her nights spent out on the town. Her leathery skin was as thin as a sheet of paper. She stunk.
After a little bit of snooping, I found myself, in their master bedroom. There was a two thousand dollar nightstand, with a five hundred dollar alarm clock. There was a four thousand dollar mirror with a seven hundred dollar mirror on top of it. There was a two thousand dollar bed, with a one thousand dollar headboard, and a two thousand dollar mattress. The health minute bead covers were up to three thousand dollars. He had probably didn't have any money, but he sure spent it. Some thirty grand had been spent on the furnishings of this room.
On very hot days, I was left in the attic, to keep the house cool. They had left the side door open, so I sneaked out, through the ten foot tall weeds. I was standing in the middle of the street, looking for a break to run. I was so confused. I looked around, trying to find an escape route. I was trying to think of where I was. I saw a sign that said "Maine". I was in Maine. I stood there for a minute, shaking. I was happy that they weren't my parents, but was worried that that I had no parent at all. I sat down on the curb, and thought. I thought for a very long time. After a while, I went back inside. I went to the kitchen, where I found a nice looking, turkey sandwich. I took a deep breath, and took a small bite of it. I had almost forgotten what food tasted like. It tasted delicious. I ate the whole thing in seconds.
I heard some people talking in the front room. It was a man. No, not a man. It was a boy, maybe thirteen years old. He had a very angry glare in his eyes. I had one myself.
