Damaged Souls

Chapter 2 Lies

My story starts in March of '75 and it started out as a seemingly normal day for me. By the end of its night, it was beyond normal...

March 22nd, 1975
My eyes had fluttered open. For a while I just stared up to our broken roof while Dustin slept silently beside me on the dirty mattress we kept on the floor. I wanted to gently shake Dustin awake, but he seemed really tired the night before, so I didn't bother. I sat up, and stared at the used syringes and single belt laying beside Dustin's side of the mattress. I wish I had called him out on it back then, maybe even long before that day, and then at least I could've stopped his addiction sooner. He was just like dad in a way, letting himself use substance as a means of depression-relieving and distraction.

As I stood up to go grab us some breakfast, Dustin slowly woke, and sat up. "Hey..." he said groggily and stretched his arms. I gave him a nod and opened the tiny fridge we had. Of course we had no electricity, so we just used it as a box for our food. I grabbed the last two pieces of our stale bread, and tossed one to him, and he quickly ate it with no words. I was fourteen years old, Dustin sixteen. Our mother had been dead for ten years, and we had been on the run for eight. For teenagers, we were absolutely starving. "We're out of food, again..." I sighed, and closed the tiny bar fridge's door. Dustin scowled at me, "THEN GO GET MORE DUMBASS!" He yelled. "Okay geez..." I grumbled and pulled on my black hoodie. I wrapped my black and white scarf around my neck, and headed out.

Dustin's outburst wasn't unexpected, he was a drug addicted, starving sixteen year old boy. It wasn't a surprise he was so grouchy all the damn time. As I walked along the sidewalk of the suburban neighborhood, I counted the identical houses on either side of me. I reached into my pocket, and pulled out a lousy five dollar bill. "That's it..? That can barely buy one bread loaf..." I mumbled to myself as I put the bill back into my pocket, and that's when I heard it. Footsteps. A slow, rhythmic tapping sound behind me. Tap... tap... tap... each tapping more bone chilling than the last. Stopping suddenly, utterly freaked out, I turned slowly upon hearing the footsteps stop. Standing behind me was a man I presumed to be in his early thirties, he had a full head of bright blonde hair, and small clear glasses that let me see his emerald green eyes. He had smooth and unwrinkled ivory skin that curled delicately around his grin. This twisted man, he would be the one to end me. Jack Privet.

"Hello, little girl..." he spoke softly, his voice chillingly dull and unemotional. I tried not to shake. "H-hello..." I said back, feeling fear crawl up my spine. "I couldn't help but overhear, you were, having some, money troubles. I assume you live nearby because I see you often walking this street, so I'd like to be a, helpful neighbor..." he said in his creepy, monotone voice. Judging by my expression, looking uncomfortable, and the fact that I was clearly freaked out, he must of realized that I was scared and shook his head, giving me a soft smile. "Like I said, I noticed you mentioning you were low on cash, so, I thought I'd be a good neighbor and help out..." he smiled, and took out his wallet. In his mind, he was imagining himself undress me.

For a moment I was in disbelief. I had never seen anyone in the eight years of having run away offer to give me money, ever. Jack pulled out a one hundred dollar bill and held it out to me, I was in complete shock. "N-no sir, I can't possibly take this..." I said, looking at him with wide eyes. A hundred dollars could feed me and Dustin for months, maybe a year if we spent it right. I feel that if I had never done what I did next, I would probably still be alive, and maybe even living happily again. "It's no trouble my dear, I bet you're off to the market to buy candy, I remember doing so when I was a young boy with my mother" he exclaimed, and his smile curled into a small grin. "Hard, wet, sticky, candy..." he said sternly, and his normal smile returned as he put the bill in my hands.

"Th-thank you sir...!" I said in utter awe and gratitude. Mr.Privet smiled and nodded, "I rarely get visitors, so come by sometime, I'm always free for tea!" He cheered, and I smiled brightly with a nod. Putting the bill in my pocket and holding it tight, I thanked him again and skipped on my merry way to the supermarket. Through lustful eyes, he smirked.

"No trouble doll..."