I sat in the dark alley I have came to start calling home nibbling on the small piece of leftover bread I had found in a trash bin. Sure it may be a bit moldy and old, it was also found in the trash but it was the only piece of anything i found in two weeks so I was happy to even see it. The alley has been called home by me for at least.. well.. it was probably a year or so? You don't get a sense of time living on the streets, I mostly stay away from people. My black tank top has now a lot of dirt built up on it as so does my skin, my white shorts now mostly black, my hair is knotted and very dirty. I can't imagine what my face looks like and I smell of trash and sweat.
I heard footsteps approaching and slowly looked up to see a black haired man with green eyes. " Are you alright?" He asked in a kind voice. I nodded shocked to be talked to by a person, normally they would just walk by with no care in the world. " Do you need anything?" He asked, I eyed him warily and slowly shook my head. He could have any reason just to walk past and ignore the homeless starving teen but instead he stopped and wanted to help me. " Well then, at least let me give you something to eat. That bread could be the last thing you could eat and you don't want to die having moldy bread as the last thing you ate now would you?" He said lightly laughing
" Thank you sir." I weakly said, starving for two weeks and only drinking from puddles doesn't give you much strength. He held out his hand to help me stand up and I hesitantly grabbed it, almost falling onto my face when standing up. We walked back to his house and he set me down on the couch in his living room. " I will be right back and once your done eating how about you go take a shower?" He suggested and I gave a small nod. The couch was the softest thing I had ever touched and I was hit by a wave of exhaustion as I leaned back. As my eyes closed I snapped them back open, I have had a problem about sleeping ever sense I had left
Every time I closed my eyes it was either the pain from the experiment or filled with the screams from 001. My eyes slowly fell to my wrist, you could see a faint scar under the dried mud. It was from before I had left. Krane had dug out '002' into my wrist to make sure I never forgot the pain he caused me over my years of living there. A sudden smell of cooking food filled the air and it was the best thing I have ever smelt for a while. He walked into the room carrying a small plate and handed it to me. My mouth watered at the sight and smell of a waffle and a pop-tart. Sure this may be no big deal for a regular person but to me it was a buffet.
As I started eating I couldn't help but practically inhale the food and gave a content sigh afterwards. My stomach felt warm and full, I had a bit more strength that would probably be gone by the time I took a shower. " Thank you for the food." I said handing him back the plate which he took before heading to the kitchen. " Your welcome! The shower is down the hall outside to your left, go straight until the second to last door on your right." He called from inside the kitchen. I nodded, although I knew he couldn't see me and headed off to find the room. " What should I wear as clothes?" I asked as I passed an open door to the kitchen.
" I will put some in front of the bathroom door." He said and I gave a nod before setting off again to the bathroom. As I found the shower I closed and locked the door behind me before walking over to the shower and turning one of the handles. The water was running on hot and steam was raising from the bottom of the tub, as I slid my clothes off looking at them in disgust and dropped them in a heap on the floor. I took a moment to look down at my body, you could see my ribs and hip bones. Dirt covered almost every inch and I grimaced, this was not a nice sight to come back to after a year.
I stepped into the water and gasped in shock and pleasure the warmth of the water hitting my skin. Dirt started falling making the water in the bottom of the tub turn brown and I rubbed my skin to get the dirt off. I bent down and grabbed the soap and started to scrub the dirt off my body, it took about fifteen minutes to get it all off and I set the soap back in it's place was finally happy to see my pale skin. I found the shampoo and rubbed my scalp, and after another five minutes I glad to see my hair back to the clean brown it was a year ago. I then put some conditioner in my hair returning the shine it had lost a year ago and the smoothness to it. I stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around my body and cracked the door open a crack and grabbed the pile of clothes on the floor. I put the clothes on the sink counter and pulled on the shorts and a baggy t-shirt. Picking up a brush I brushed out my hair and gave a small smile at the reflection of the now shiny hair. Walking out of the bathroom I headed to the living room and stopped at the doorway, lingering for a moment before heading to the couch. Sitting down I eventually couldn't keep my eye from shutting and I feel asleep, not dreaming at all for the first time in a while.
When I awoke, I sat up and quickly glanced around in panic before remembering what happened last night. It was a few moments before the man walked into the living room wearing a grey tank top and black sweatpants. " Morning. Did you sleep well?" He asked in a groggy morning voice. " Y-Yes thank you." I stuttered with a shy smile. He sat down in the brown arm chair across from me, and crossed his legs resting his head in his hand as he looked me up and down. " What's your name?" He asked.
" I-I don't have one." I stuttered looking down at my lap twiddling my fingers together.
" You don't have a name?" He asked confused," How do you not have a name?"
I shrugged and gave a sigh." I used to but it has been so long since anyone has called me it I forgot what it was." I said," Though I know my last name is Merrick. My mother's name was Abby Merrick."
" Okay.. well.. Do you like the name Elizabeth?" He asked leaning against the chair.
" Um.. S-Sure." I stuttered. ' Did he just give me a name?' I thought.
" Great that is what I will put on school registration forum." He said," How old are you?"
" Seventeen.." I answered looking back up at him slowly. He nodded and stood up leaving the room. 'Did he say I get to go to school?' I thought happily. ' What if they don't like me?' I thought and I laid back down on the couch, excitedly waiting for him to get done with the phone conversation he was having.
" Great news! You can go to school Monday!" He said walking back into the room.
" Monday?" I asked. I thought today was a week day?
" Yes. Today is a Friday so you have all weekend!" He said," Also I think I forgot to tell you my name. Sorry about that, my name is James." James said," Would you like to go shopping for some clothes?" /p
I nodded and stood up following him out the door to his car. We drove to a mall and he let me out of the black car and we walked inside. I gaped at the shops and prices of all the objects inside of the stores. We bought me twelve whole bags of new clothes for me before leaving. " Thank you for buying this stuff." I said amazed at how much money he had spent. He laughed," No problem." He said and put the bags on the floor. " I have a guest room on the second floor, down the hall and on the left." James said and headed up the stairs to the room he told me I could have.
The room had grey walls and a red bedspread on the bed, with white fluffy pillows and a brown oak head stand and foot-stand. A oak desk sat on the left wall with a black swivel chair and a TV sat on the right wall. He sat the bags down on the bed and left, closing the brown double doors behind him. I put the clothes away and pulled out the hair dye and contacts we had bought.
I walked to the brown door on the right wall opening it to see the walk in closet. I closed it again to open the door on the left of the door I just opened and saw the bathroom. I started the hair dye and was very happy with the turn out. I saw the white hair had turned out perfectly and I put the contacts in looking into the mirror happily. I had finally got rid of everything physical left of Krane, only that scar and memories. Hopefully school would help me not think of him.