The Ambitious Maid

~ Irene is running. It appears like this is all that I do. The sound of my shoes' soles hitting against the wet pavement, the scorching ache in my legs with each step forward, and the strange looks from those around me. Everything was usual for me. I hear their evil chuckles as they sprint ahead of me, tossing my rucksack about like a toy. "Come and get it, Hart!" He exclaims, excitement coursing through his raspy voice from all the cigarettes he smokes. That was Rex Henry. He's been smoking since he was six years old and takes pleasure in my anguish.

His other minions, Jacob Landors, Emma Rems, and James Vlad, all shared the same purpose.Make my life miserable misery. I felt my heart pounding in my chest.I'm not sure how long I've been running, but I couldn't let them take my backpack, the one thing I valued the most. It was the final piece of my father I had with me, the last present he gave me before his death. I was just nine years old and didn't grasp that my dad would never return.Until my mother. She'd been so miserable; I don't think I'd ever seen somebody as distraught as she was, owing to her use of narcotics. We couldn't afford to buy these drugs.And when she overdosed, I was left with all of her debt. I feel the anguish in my throat, just before I can't stop crying. My hair was drenched from the rain, my clothing was soaking, and my voice was practically gone as I yelled and begged them to return it. They would not.This was just the beginning, after all.They turn into an alleyway, cackling like a pack of hyenas, and I, like the idiot I am, follow them inside. I was struggling to catch my breath as my wet hair stuck to my face and the rain continued to fall. They gaze at me, hold the backpack out for me, and laugh as I approach, believing I can just grab it and escape."Go on, don't be so scared." James Vlad utters this, bringing the backpack closer to my reach. As I place my hand on the old bag that has been with me since elementary school, I look around at everyone standing in a circle around me. I attempt to grab it, but Peter has a firm grasp on it, a nasty sneer on his face as he glances at his friends. Don't you want the backpack?" Take it. He yells in my face, and I stagger back, feeling my throat close and my heart race as I know what is going to happen.I hear their camera switch on, and Emma lets out a giggle before Sydney's punch hits directly on my face. I couldn't feel anything as I was thrown into a muddy pool, and their words became mumbles. It sounded like hell. I get kicked in the ribs, legs, and head. A cry of anguish reverberates through my body as they deliver one final kick to my stomach before fleeing triumphantly. I stayed out till I felt like I was choking. My body lifts up instinctively as I try to choke out the water in the puddle.My body was vigilant, warning me not to move from the discomfort, but I had no option. I slowly crawled to my backpack, which had been flung into another puddle.I take it up and cry as I watch the unclean water trickle down the edges. I cry as I put on the backpack, as if nothing had happened, as I wipe the filth and muck off my face, and the entire way to Francina's, where I had been working for three years. And right before stepping in, I wipe my eyes, grin, and open the door.Ms. Tilsky's fixation with incense obscured the place's constant odor of oil and perspiration. She never liked me, and no one else did, so coming in late would just exacerbate her disdain for me. I know her aged face, large spectacles, bright makeup, and hair pushed back into a whirl of blonde strands as she runs around, doing the job of two people. The task I was meant to do. If Sydney hadn't taken my backpack at school, this would never have happened, but here I was, attempting to speak with Ms. Tilsky, who refused to recognize my existence."Ms. Tilsky, sorry I'm late. I had to stay after school a bit for a test." I say this as she walks to the rear of the little diner. She sits down in a chair, heaving a huge breath and wiping the perspiration from her brow from the rush."You're fired." She spits, and my world freezes with those words."No, Ms. Tilsky, you don't understand! I need this job. Please do not do this to me. I don't finish as she angrily waves her finger toward the door, her forehead wrinkles tightening in wrath."Please." I beg once again, but she ignores me and moves on to another customer.I feel the hot tears fall again, and I walk miserably out of the restaurant, my soaking garments pulling me down and my head down to the ground.It's OK; I could simply get a new job and save and save and save until all of my obligations were paid off, Chris wouldn't bother me again, and I'd graduate from high school and live a regular life.All my expectations faded as I received a horrific SMS on my ancient phone, which had nearly shattered. "I'm giving you three weeks, and if I don't have the money by then, I'm going to fuck you and pull you apart limb by limb," Chris said.Mother's dealer. He found me after she died and told me he'd give me a few weeks to find work and pay off the remainder of the loan. $25,000 Now I was unemployed, and he would find out. He always discovers everything. If I didn't get a job right now, my life would be gone before it ever began. Despite the painful anguish, my legs gradually led me to the spot I called home. It was a one-bedroom apartment that appeared to be in disarray rather than functional.When it rained, the ceilings would drip with water, the flooring would split, the walls were dusty, and the bed was almost shattered. I take off my damp clothes and place them in my tiny wash basket before entering the shower. The hot water lasts 4 minutes and 32 seconds, so as soon as it starts, I get in and attempt to complete it as quickly as possible. My skin burns as the hot water penetrates into my cuts, but I ignore it, like I do with almost everything. My body hurts as I change into my only pajamas, my head hammering and my legs sore from all the jogging earlier.It was silent, empty, and lonely when I walked out of the restroom. The room was dark, and the only sounds I could hear were the couple upstairs shouting again and the heavy rain outside.I grab a bowl of dry cereal and eat it carefully while scrolling through my phone, seeking work opportunities.Nothing ~~~ First chapter, ahhh!!! What are your opinions on the book thus far? <3