March 23, 1996

Tomorrow would finally be the day! The day he escaped! Ludwig could hardly keep still in the line. Currently, he was in a gas station, waiting to buy a magazine. It wasn't for him, of course. Gossipy things like that never really grasped his attention for long, although the ladies seemed into it. He did glance at the cover. It seemed apparent that a scientist created a new guaranteed weight loss pill. It didn't really surprise the boy; Father was always pressing for the ladies to look as thin as possible for the strange men who wandered in and out as they pleased.

Finally, his turn came to be at the front of the line. The cashier gave Ludwig an uncertain look before shrugging and telling him the price. The boy grinned widely, grabbing fistfuls of pennies and dimes and nickels from his pockets and reaching up to put them on the counter with a satisfying clank. The others in line groaned when the cashier began to count until the required amount came along.

With magazine in hand, Ludwig burst through the door of the gas station, blitzing through the street. He ran as fast as his short legs could carry him, dodging the cars buzzing past. He received a great deal of honks and tall fingers, but he ignored them, not concerned one bit. Right now he was on a mission: to get home and deliver the magazine.

Soon, the crowded streets became quieter, thinning out to only the occasional car passing. The marvelous lights and flashing cameras also dissipated. Tourists wouldn't dare come this far out of town, so only locals prowled the street. Everyone knew everyone, greeting each other with a nod or a glance over the shoulder. Most of the buildings were abandoned or being used as a little chemistry lab (as his mother told him), but Ludwig wasn't so sure. Sections of crumbling bricks and cement crumbling was a common sight so one had to be careful not to stray too close to a suspicious looking wall, or it might just come crashing down upon you. A few people found that out the hard way.

A group of regulars sat on the porch step, chatting quietly and nibbling on potato chips (probably from a dumpster). They were all dressed in a similar style to Ludwig- worn out clothing two sizes too big or two sizes too small, all hand-me-downs. They watch the boy as he came closer to them.

"Hey Ludwig." one paused his chewing, "Why you runnin'?" Everyone knew there was nothing special going on, ever, so why could he be in such a rush?

The boy smiled, slowing his pace to a jog, "I'm doing an errand for one of the ladies!" he waved the magazine to prove it. They gave him approving nods and waved him on, continuing to eat.

Ludwig sped up again, not sparing another moment. The group did that to everyone who passed on foot- just to make sure no tourists came this direction. They couldn't afford to have any outsiders endangering everyone's businesses they ran in these abandoned buildings. If a suspicious character showed up, they would alert everyone and hide.

At the end of the street, a building much bigger awaited him. It towered above the others, watching. Some say it used to be a manufacturing place of some kind, but no one was quite sure. The walls were sprayed in graffiti and pictures—symbols meaning certain things, but he had yet to learn what exactly. A smoky haze drifted lazily out of the smashed windows and doorway. There to greet him was one of the ladies.

"Hey, Ludwig!" she gave a comical wave, rings glittering in the low light from in inside. Like many of the ladies, she wore next to nothing, only little outfits and skirts and high heels was all the boy ever saw them wear. She wore heavily makeup complete with blush, liner, lipstick and foundation to conceal the worn out face underneath and to divvy up her appearance for the next customer, "Did you get my magazine?"

Ludwig held up the papers triumphantly, "I most certainly did!" he waved it in front of her face. It was slightly crumpled from him clutching it so hard while running, but other that, it wasn't in bad shape. The woman thanked him and produced a five dollar bill from her cleaving and pressed it into his hand, taking the magazine.

The inside of the building was just as sorry as the outside. Mold and other unsightly things overrun the place long ago, but no one was going to fix it in the near future. Trash littered the stairs, flattened over time from the constant traffic, but for Ludwig, it was a normal sight. If one day all the filth was gone, he wouldn't have the courage to use the steps; they would look so weird!

The hall on the second floor was lined with doors, always almost always in use. The boy had to be sure to go in the right room, or he would face trouble with Father for "disturbing the ladies at work", as he called it. Fourth door on the left was his room. It actually was pretty nice compared to the others. It was complete with a fifteen year old mattress on the floor with a desk, chest of drawers, and a lamp since the bulb for the overhead light burnt out last year. He clicked on the light and began to work.

Immediately, the boy went to the dresser, pulling out a jar he kept behind his one other shirt, pants, socks, and underclothes. Nobody knew he had it, and he didn't intend to tell anyone. If Father knew he had it, it would be taken away and the money used for cheap booze or the little crystals he often saw the man carrying around. He thought it was sugar at first, but then he witnessed a group of men melting it on spoon or piece of aluminum and sucking in the fumes through a straw. Sugar isn't supposed to be used that way!

He plopped down on the mattress and emptied the jar's contents. He'd been saving his money ever since he was old enough to run errands for the ladies. They gave him a dollar here, and nickel there, to run and get things from the convenient store. It was never very much but Ludwig didn't complain. In fact, the five he received earlier must have been a Godsend. He counted carefully, methodically, making neat little stacks and piles of coins and bills.

$87.28. He counted again. $87.28. And again. $87. 28. Yes! He could make his escape in the morning while most of the ladies were sleeping. He thrust his fist in the air, letting a squeal of excitement escape his lips, which he stopped immediately. If he makes too much noise, Father would see why he was so loud and find all of his hard earned cash. He had to keep quiet.

As silently as he could manage, Ludwig put the money back in the jar and returned it back to original place in the chest. He combed his blonde locks with his fingers and slipped into bed, pulling the thin sheet up to his chin. Tomorrow would be the day! He grinned to himself, gripping the cloth. He didn't suspect to get any sleep that night, so he was content with watching the ceiling until the morning hours.