Dawn Blake

Perhaps I shouldn't have left without my friends. I was pretty drunk right now, but surely it would have been better to wait for them? I swore under my breath, kicking a stray soda can down the street ahead of me. I checked my phone, shocked to see that it was past three in the morning. I'd had too much to drink- I knew that. I also knew I should have gotten a cab, but...well, you know how it is when your drunk? Things just never seem to matter much.

I sighed deeply, zipping up my waist-length leather jacket. It was freezing out, and the wind was starting to pick up. I switched my phone to selfie mode, peering at my reflection. There I was- twenty-seven years of age, my shoulder length hair a brilliant ginger, my face as soft and lovely as ever. I knew how beautiful I was, of course. I didn't boast about it, but I knew. All us Blake girls were gorgeous. I was perhaps a shade too thin, but that was part and parcel of being a model. I continued down the sidewalk, aware that I had a long way too go. I stumbled slightly, the booze still scrambling my sense of balance. I needed some food! Surely I had just enough for a late night hot-dog? Not the most glamorous of food, but needs must.

So I found a particularly grim take-away, and ordered my hot-dog. I was tempted to stay inside and eat it, but no...no, I'd attract way too much attention here, and from all the wrong sorts of people. I ate and walked, leaving the city-centre and strolling down the residential streets, back home to my little apartment. As I walked, I passed luxury apartments, manor houses and penthouses, feeling a pang of jealously. I wanted this! Sure, daddy was rich. I'd spent my childhood in his manor house, the second of five sisters. But I wanted my own riches! Was it too much to ask? I didn't think so. My useless agent had promised me so much, and thus far...nothing.

I finished my meal, feeling all the better for it. It had tasted cheap, gristly and slimy, but it would help with the hangover tomorrow. I looked around for a bin to get rid of the wrapping. I peered down a short alleyway between two high rise buildings. In the gloom, I could just about make out the shape of one of those massive great bins, the kind that all the residents share. Perfect. I walked quietly down the alleyway, and lifted the heavy lid. Tossing the wrapping into it, I lowered it quietly, and turned to leave.

Except...

"Hey lady!" came a child's voice from inside the bin.

I felt my heart skip a dozen beats, and wheeled around, clutching my chest. Cautiously I lifted the lid again, and used my phone's torch to peer down into the gloom. Gasping, I looked down, ignoring the stench of rotten food and decomposing waste. Inside was a little boy, probably no more than eight or nine. He was wearing a strange brown smock, complete with a flat-cap and what appeared to be knickerbockers. He looked like he'd stepped out of the 1800's. He was staring up at me, grinning broadly. His little eyes shone with mischief. He was holding my discarded wrapping in one hand.

"Were you a little peckish, lady?" he asked me, giggling. He spoke in a high, cheery voice, with a definite British accent. He lisped noticeably when he spoke. I shut my eyes, and opened them again. Was I dreaming? Hallucinating? Had someone spiked my drink? No...he was still there, still smiling.

"Erm...yeah." I replied uncertainly. "Sorry, I er...I didn't mean to drop that on you."

"Ohh, that's fine!" the boy insisted, "You shouldn't eat these thingsh though. They're bad for your health."

I laughed. "Yeah, well...I needed to eat. Listen kid, uh...what are you doing in there? Shouldn't you be tucked up in bed?"

He giggled again, his bright eyes sparkling. "I like it here. I sleep better. Mom and dad have always got strangersh around, and they make a lot of noise."

I frowned. "Strangers? What kind of strangers?"

"Bad people!" he replied. "I think they are doing drugsh, lady. So I sleep here instead."

"you can't be serious..." I said. I'd come to a decision. I'd found a kid sleeping in a bin, on a cold October evening, with his parents allegedly holding some kind of pot-party. Not on my watch. "Come outta there, buddy." I said to him, in a firm but hopefully comforting voice. "I think a little trip to the police station might be in order."

I expected him to say no, yet his eyes lit up with glee. "Police? Yesh! Yesh, good idea. Can you help me out?" he asked, stretching his arms up. I shuddered a little. The boy had spent goodness knows how long in there. I'd probably catch something...but then he looked up at me with pleading little eyes. "Pleash...I can't get out without help."

Sighing deeply, I reached into the bin and took his hand...

/

/

Daphne

I woke up groggily, and glanced at my bedside clock. Eight in the morning! On a Saturday! No chance. I shut my eyes again, hoping to doze off. But then I realised my phone was vibrating. That's what had woken me up. I grabbed it off the table, and glanced at the screen. Mom? She never got up at this hour. Puzzled, I answered.
"Hey mom...what's going on?" I said.

An hour later, me and my three remaining sisters were sitting at the Coolsville Emergency Medical Center hugging each other, not saying a word. Dawn, my beautiful sister, was lying on the bed in front of us, not moving. She never would again. She'd been found face down in an alleyway, freezing, her clothes ripped and bloody. She'd survived the trip to hospital, survived being hooked up to life support. But her injuries were too much. She'd died half an hour ago. I gazed down at my older sister, my lovely, beautiful older sister. It was too much. Tears poured down my face, and I cried aloud, hugging my mother tightly. My father, normally cool and emotionless, stood with his hand on my mom's shoulder. Crying softly. I'd never seen him cry before. Ever.

Because it was bad enough that she was dead. It was horrific, shattering and unbearable. But I haven't yet explained the worst part, the part that made the poor, unsuspecting ambulance crew scream out loud when they pulled her lifeless body around, face up. I gazed at Dawn, yet I couldn't look at her face. I just couldn't...

Someone had gouged her eyes out.