WARNING: ABUSE VIOLENCE AND CHILD ABUSE
Meanwhile, on the other side of New York City. Just on the outskirts. It is a small area that doesn't look very healthy; the road is cracked badly, the buildings look worn down, and the sidewalk has cracks that the grass is growing under and have not been watered all day. If you take one look and think this part is badly ruined by the Krang, not true. It has been like this for sixteen years since no one bothers to take good care of this community. The people here are bitter and living sideways, with no money or job to get themself a good home, so they are stuck here for good.
On the sidewalk, a figure dressed in dirty black pants, Converse shoes, and a dirty purple hoodie, hands inside the pockets, and the hood is up and covering their face, but the long brown hair is sticking out while they are walking forward, passing the homeless. They are facing down, not even bothering to look up, while they bumped into citizens who all yelled at them for bumping into them and not apologizing, not even caring to look up, just walking down while staring down and hands in their pockets.
They walk to a small park, but the grass is dried and ruined, the benches are broken and have splinters, and the trees are old and nearly dying. There are barely a few people here, but to them is an excellent place to be. Their head turns and scan the area as if they are looking for something. Nothing but a group of homeless people, a kid with a mother and two men with a bottle of beer. So far, it looks like nothing interesting is happening here. So they walked to the dying tree and sat on the grass.
They pull their hands out, revealing a soft tan skin, grab the edge of their hood, and pull it down. This person is a young teenage girl, roughly around sixteen years old. Her long brown hair reached her knees and covered the left side of her face. Her face had sets of freckles on her nose, but her eyes had heavy bags under them. Her eyes are forest green, showing many sad events in her time. She let out a sigh. "No animals here..." she whispered.
She reached inside her pocket and pulled a small wood turtle out. He opened his eyes and looked up at her; he smiled lovingly while staring at her lovingly. "At least I still got you, Bello." She smiled down at him as she rubbed him between the bridge of his eyes; he leaned into her touch, enjoying this feeling of being petted. He even let out a churring sound.
Then the two heard snickering behind the tree. She put Bello in her pocket and turned around, seeing two teenagers laughing while pointing at her. She only groaned and rolled her eyes 'not this again.' She thought to Herself,
" Hey, it's Arianina Luck, the freak of New York." The teenager with long blonde hair and dressed in a pink color taunted.
" I know; look at her clothes." Her friend snickered with her, her long black hair in a ponytail and dressed in green color, chuckled cruelty. "Does she need to get more clothes? Cause it looks like it hasn't been washed in years!"
" yeah! And a bath and a haircut!" The two girls laughed in a hurtful way.
Arianina shook her head and pushed herself up, dusting herself off the dead grass and crossing her arms as she glared at the two with a hateful expression. "I can hear you jerks." She mentions to them. The two only snared at her, but Arianina didn't care; she pulled off a look to try to make herself look tough.
" And what are you going to do about it, Unluck?" The blonde teen asked tauntingly.
Arianina walked straight to her, still holding that look of Aggressiveness. She would have rolled her hoodie sleeves to avoid it weighing her down, but she mentally fought that urge and walked to them until she finally faced the blonde-haired teen. She glared at her, puffing out and in.
Then out of nowhere, the blonde hair teen fell to the ground and held her bloody nose to stop the bleeding while crying in pain. Arianina's left hand was formed into a fist with blood on it. She just went up and punched her straight to her face.
Her friend just slapped Arianina on the face, almost knocking her down. But she put her feet down and put her weight on them to keep her balance up. Once she was sure she was upright, she kneeled down and swiftly kicked the black hair teen, ending her on the ground with her friend.
" You...You little freak!!" The blonde hair teen shouted, covering her bloody nose.
" I'm calling my daddy on you for this!" Her friend yelled, trying to get up but only falling in pain.
Arianina then turned around and started running away from them as fast as she could while citizens of the park helped them. She ran on the sidewalk; her feet crushed the growing grass creak. For five minutes, she stopped running to catch her breath and walk casually. She put her hands inside her hoodie pockets; she felt Bello licking her hand in comfort. She smiled at this.
Several citizens walked past her and almost bumped her, but she never minded it. This is a horrible Neighborhood, and no one here really cares rudeness; it has been like this since she was seven years old, and no human being has ever shown her kindness or compassion. It was all about looking out for yourself; either you survive, or you can get hurt by others. Arianina can't trust anyone here; she only relies on Bello now.
A few good five-block, she spots a bakery with a bread stand on the outside. Her stomach growled in hunger. She reaches inside her jeans pockets, only to find no money. She looks around the block, hoping there is no one in sight to spot her. After making sure she wasn't surrounded, she quickly grabbed two loaves of bread, shoved them in her hoodie pocket, and ran off before someone came out and spotted her.
After running for a minute, she felt her lungs getting tight, and she stopped in her track. She sat down on the sidewalk and was breathing heavily. She felt Bello moving around; she took him out and saw the expression on his face, seeing he was concerned for her. "Sorry, buddy, I am not as healthy as I am." She then nuzzled her nose against his tiny head. She leans against the wall, trying to get her breathing working. She looks at the sky, seeing the sun setting down, meaning the day will be over for a new day. Arianina got to get back home, or she will be in big trouble. She put Bello back inside her pocket, slowly pushed herself up, and walked back to her house.
If you think the community looks terrible, the estate houses are more horrible. Each other has broken parts; their yard work is awful, even broken windows. Even homeless citizens live in empty houses that the previous owners left and moved out of; sadly, they can't get heat, light, or even water.
Arianina mindlessly makes her way home; she sometimes takes Occasional looks at the homes and spots empty cages left outside. She let out a satisfied grin. With a dreadful community here, no animals can survive here. So she would open the cages that were left out and set the animals free. To her, animals are the only living being she can feel safe with, not unlike the teens she faces that look down on her.
She turns to her right and walks up the stairs of an estate house that look very run down and have awful yard work. Then stopped by the door, let out a sigh, and opened the door as she walked in.
When the door closed behind her, a vase was flying toward her. She dodged it by leaning to the left and letting the vase hit the wall. The inside of the house looks so horrible. The walls are stained with coffee and beer, the carpet floor is ruined and stained, and the walls have broken cracks and missing parts. A middle age woman marches straight to Arianina. Her skin is pale, long brown hair pulled and tied in a messy ponytail, and brown eyes, and she is dressed in a dirty black shirt, ripped shorts, and sandals. She looked mad, almost like something had pulled her strings and let them snap.
She stopped in front of Arianina and let out a loud yell. "Where were you?!" She shouted at her. "Dinner is ten minutes late and no food on our plates!"
Arianina let out an eye roll. "I was out! It was only twenty minutes!" She shouted back at her.
Her mother raises her hand. "Every minute is wasting time!" Then she gives Arianina a harsh slap on the face. "Need I remind you that you'd be in the streets without me!" She shouted at her face.
Then came to them: a tall man with pale skin, dirty black hair, blue eyes, dressed in a stained white tank top, ripped jeans on the knees and wearing sandals. "Is that brat back!?" He yelled. He then punched Arianina in the face and almost spit out blood. Arianina fell to the floor and panted. "Where is our meal!!?"
" Back off! I am disciplining her!" Her mother shouted at her husband.
But she ends up with a slap on the cheek from him. "I am the man of the house!" He shouted back. He then got slapped back, and he growled.
" I am the owner!" She shouted again. And turned to Arianina, who slowly got back up and rubbed her face. "Arianina! You start cooking now!"
Arianina gripped her fist, feeling so angry. She looks up at the two, glaring with so much hate for her. "Fine! Cause you two are too lazy to do anything!!" She watches the two grown-up faces getting red with anger and impatience. And before she knew it, she got a firm punch on the stomach. She groaned in pain as she clung to her stomach. It was always the same, a never-ending routine.
" Maybe if you come back in time!!" Her mother grabbed her by her hair, pulling her close to her face as she snarled down. "Next time you grow a spine and leave, we will lock you up forever!! Do you want that!? You want to be locked up!?"
Arinaina winces. "No, ma'am.." she sighed.
" Good!" She shoves her away, letting her hair go. "Then go cook us food and get this house spot clean, you little brat!" She turns as she and her husband walk into the living room.
Ariainina grabs the table edge, pushes herself up, and limps to the kitchen. The kitchen inside looks like a chef's worse nightmare; the sink is full of dirty dishes, the floor is broken and missing tiles, the window is missing glasses, and the countertops are sure filthy. Even the stove looks filthy. She can sigh, limp to the fridge and grab everything for dinner.
She began cooking as she cut the vegetables, putting the sliced potatoes in the oven, and cooking the meat on a pan as she added the spices. She almost puked from the scent of the cooked beef, but she shallows it back to her stomach. She shivered; the last time she vomited on meat, she got a bone-breaking punishment from her stepfather, Henry. She always hated the idea of eating meat that used to belong to an animal who was destined to be killed for food. She heard the growling noise from her stomach, but she pressed on and kept cooking.
In fifteen minutes, Arianina carried three plates with her hands and her left arm while walking to the dining room where her mother, Henry, and a little girl that looked about five years old with long black hair, brown eyes, pale skin and wearing a messy propel dress and barefoot. She carefully sets the plates in front of them; they will slap her if she makes one mistake.
" About time! I am starving!" Henry scarfed down the beef.
Her mother cut the beef. "Now go and clean!" She barked at Arianina. "I want every spot and corner spotless, or else you will be locked in the basement!" She took a bite off the fork.
Arianina sighed softly. She turned around and headed to a closet; she opened it and pulled out a duster, a small towel with a cleaner spray, and a vacuum. She soon started cleaning the kitchen, scrubbing the floor till the stain was gone. She washed the countertops, scrubbed the stove, and dusted the lights. As she headed to the living room, she heard her parents having another argument.
" And as for you! When are you going to get a real job?!" Her mother yelled at Henry.
" Hey! Someone got to look after the brats!" Henry yelled back. "What about you, Abigail!? I bet you got money by spreading your legs!" He points his indexed finger at Abigail.
Abigail slams the table, almost knocking down the plates and frightening the little girl. "Are you for real!? At least I am not a lazy dumb that drinks and gambles all day!!"
" No! You're a dirt magnet!! It's how you got that no good brat!!" Henry yelled; he pointed at Arianina, who was vacuuming the carpet.
Arianina cringed when he mentioned her.
Abigail only scoffed. "Her father didn't mean anything! I can't believe my own stupid parents like him!" She flops back on her chair. "Good thing they don't know about their pathetic granddaughter!" She has her arms crossed. "All they know is that she is dead!"
" Yeah! Those Filipino rats are so dumb!" Henry laughed in taunts.
Arianina looks down on the floor in sadness. She hated how they taunted her heritage, her culture, and, most importantly, her descended father. Benjamin Luck, god bless his soul. She was very close to him as a young child until his death. Her last memory of him is watching the doctors taking him away. That was when after a year, Abigail remarried Henry, who is a racist and never liked looking after her. She hates him with all her hurtful soul.
She just continued her cleaning. After they finished their dinner, Arianina cleaned their dirty dishes. The water wet her sleeves, but she refused to roll them up. She only pressed on till she heard a soft footstep.
the young little girl came to her side and took the clean plate." Hi big sis." She let out a soft smile.
Arianina growled. "What do you want, Olivia?" She questions her half-sister Olivia James. She is Abigail and Henry's little girl; she is their little center of attention. More than Arianina herself, but they never took good care of her, so Arianina has no choice but to watch her sister. She knows she is only a little kid, but she is part of Henry.
Olivia holds the plate close to her chest. "I saw that you look tired, so I thought I might help you." She pulls up a toothy grin.
Arianina huffed out. "If Nanay and Henry caught you, you would be punished like me." She spoke in an emotionless tone. She could care less about Olivia; their parents are horrible people.
" They won't; they'll listen to me," Olivia said, then she gave her sad puppy eyes. She wants to help her.
With no choice, Arianina gives in. "Okay, fine." She groaned. "But I am not part of this."
Olivia jumped happily on her heel. She helped put the clean plates on the countertop while Arianina cleaned them.
Suddenly, the plate got a little wet, slipping off Olivia's finger, letting it hit the floor and shatter into pieces. It caught the two grown up's attention.
" What was that?!" Abigail shouted in anger.
" Olivia!" Arianina yelled at her.
Olivia cringed and cried. "I'm sorry!"
Henry stormed in, looking like an angry bull. "What was that racked!?" He yelled. He spots the broken plate on the floor. And he faced Arianina, who backed away from him. "YOU!!! YOU CLUMSY LITTLE BRAT!!!" He grabbed her on the arm, tight and hurtful, and dragged her out of the kitchen.
Olivia grabbed his tank top and pleased him. "Daddy! Stop! I dropped it!" She cried, letting her tears fall from her eyes.
Henry just yelled at her face, not caring about her tears. "Shut up, Olivia! Your stupid sister made a mess, and she will be punished!" He dragged Arianina to their room, who looked scared and fearful. She knows what is going to happened to her.
Olivia ran to Abigail, grabbed her hand, and cried. "mommy! Please tell Daddy Arianina didn't break the plate!" She begged. "I was trying to help her!!" But her pleading is only silent to them.
Abigail only grabbed Olivia by her wrist, squeezing it tight enough to hurt and making her cry. "You say out of it, you stupid wimp!" She shouted at her daughter. "You shouldn't be near her!! She is my toy, and I will do as I want with her!!" She dragged Olivia to her room, shoved her inside, then slammed it shut and locked it.
Olivia grabbed the doorknob, but she couldn't open it. She can only hear the sound of Arianina's painful screams, the horrible sounds of their kicks and punches. She wanted to stop them from hurting her, but she could do nothing now but cover her ears and cry. Her parents have turned her room into a soundproof chamber, so no one will hear her call for help. She curls herself on the floor, crying her heart out for her older half-sister.
After an hour, the backyard door opens, and Arianina is pushed outside. She screamed in seer pain; she could feel her ribs broken, her skin raw from the horrible beating, and blood soaking her hoodie sleeves. She tried to get up, but the pain was too much. She turns her head, seeing Henry standing at the door entrance.
" Hope that will teach you to be more obedient!!" Henry barked. "You're lucky we decided to keep you alive! Or else you'd be food for the rats!!" He slammed the door shut and locked it.
Arianina begins to crawl straight into the bushes since she cannot stand up and walk. The more she crawled, the more her body ached in sneer pain. After that beating, she could have been dead; it would have been a better punishment than another day of the same routine. She reached the bushes and crawled past them, revealing what looked to be a small camp for her.
The tent is up, but it is dirty with stains, a dirty mattress with loose springs, and a small blanket that doesn't cover much. She crawled to her mattress, finally feeling her pain claiming down.
She turned to her left side, staring at a small picture taped on the fabrics. The picture shows a small girl and a man holding the girl. His skin is tan, with black hair and fairest green eyes like hers. This was her father, right when they were in Luna Parks. Her father was kind, always working hard to support others and never asking for anything in return. She stares at the pictures; then tears fall from her eyes. "Tatay...I wish you were still alive.." she sobbed. Her life was a hellhole; she was treated like an animal who couldn't leave her cage.
Then she left a soft lick; she was face to face with Bello, who had crawled out of her pocket and come to her aid. She let out a weak smile. "At least I got you." She whispers. She puts Bello on her chest and looks up at the night sky. "One day, I will get out of this horrible city and go to Philippines and find my pamilya."
Then she remembers something. She pulls out the two loaf, giving one to Bello, who eat slowly as she eats hers. But her stomach still growls in painful hunger.
Once Bello is finished eating, he walks to Arianina, who covers herself with her blanket, and he cuddles close to her face. Tomorrow is their field trip, and she needs to get up early to feed her family breakfast and get to school. She just hoped that it wouldn't go wrong.
"Magandang Gabri Bello." Arianina whisper. She closes her eyes and lets sleep overtake her. Hopefully, tomorrow will go fine.