Arriving at home, she hurriedly prepares their breakfast, knocking her head when she remembered that the chocolate has stayed in her bag and she was not able to transfer it to the refrigerator despite of all the groceries she was able to hurriedly shove inside it last night.
She still places it inside, imagining the happy face of her niece that would also light up her mood for the rest of the day.
And before the clock hits five she hears the familiar voice that made her feel awake.
"Kina! I wanted to wake you up but you're earlier than me today!"
"Yup, since I know you've worked hard these past few days, I decided to work harder as well, and start it by waking up early. Did I do well princess?"
"Good job my knight!"
"Do you want something else aside from scrambled eggs this morning?"
"…do we have enough?"
"Yes, don't worry."
"Can we have some toast? I want to eat it together with butter!"
"Alright, get the butter from the fridge."
She waddles with her short legs, looking smaller than children her age yet much more energetic, in her eyes, and she throws her a glance once in a while, waiting for her reaction once she stumbles upon the box.
"Kina? There's a box here. It's not the same as anything that you have bought before."
"Hmm? Go ahead and open it, that one's for you.'
"For me? Even though it's not my birthday yet?! Wait, is it my birthday today?! What is it, what is it, what is it?!"
"It is your birthday, indeed. Open it."
Despite the giddiness, the young lass carefully removed the ribbon and the wrapper, not wanting to ruin the cover at all. Once she reached out for the gold bar, her entire face lit up and she jumped towards her aunt who looks at her lovingly.
"This is chocolate, isn't it? I saw it in the tv! Thank you Kina. You're the best aunt in the whole world!"
"Aren't I? You can taste it after breakfast."
"I'll only get a piece for now, and I'll give you a piece as well. Then we'll have another piece tomorrow."
"You can eat more, it's your birthday."
"Nope, I need to share it with you and I need to make it last longer. It must have been expensive to buy. Only the rich ones eat it in the tv."
"There's nothing to worry about. Eat more later."
"I won't. I'll make this last for looooong. And we'll always eat together!"
Laughing at her niece's antics, she proceeded to change into her uniform and took her bag, giving her the same reminders.
"I'll be back earlier. Shall we have dinner together later?"
"Aye aye!"
She goes into the train, gets bumped into some passengers and flinched in pain but she was able to retain her composure. Though all she wanted to do that time was to bawl out in tears.
"Hey."
Ignores him.
"Hey you. Stop acting like you don't hear me."
Still ignores him.
"I've put your tattoos on you, I know you remember."
Flashback of her younger days, a tight compartment, lips busted and bleeding, head throbbing from the punches, hands tightly tied, wrists left with chaffed skin.
She shivers as she remembers, and she forced herself to not look at the man. To never look and be pulled again into that same whirlpool of misery.
-
"You want some cigarette?"
Shakes head.
"Alright, one more for myself then."
He lights it up, wafts a breath of smoke into her face, while she sits still, trying not to cough loudly despite it.
"A whiff of cancer, my friend, but it's healing as well. Fine, rather than healing, it does kind of release some tension. You really don't want to?"
Shakes head again.
"That's too sad. You should try."
He forces it into her mouth and make her breathe in, that only ended up with her coughing loudly and smoke coming out of her mouth and nose at the same time, throat burning from the unfamiliar sensation.
"Hmm, kids these days really don't know how to have fun huh. But don't worry, you're still not hopeless, I mean, we can do so much more!"
Laughing he stands up and pulls her by the collar, dragging her across the floor as she stumbles due to hunger and drugs running in her system.
"You see, I haven't tattooed anyone in a while but I do have my license. I have even drawn to hundreds of people already! It's just, you know how it is when we get stuck here and it becomes a ton harder to have a job, oh right, you don't understand me. Or do you? Were you brought here after your parents' crimes or you got born here and became a citizen with no official identity outside?"
She just watches him, now seated across from him preparing some tools, mind still groggy and feeling unresponsive as she ends up slurring her words.
"Tsk, I knew I shouldn't have used that dose earlier. I should have made it less since you're much smaller than me. How silly of me!"
He drapes a tattered jean jacket over the counter and pulled her to lie down on it, tying her legs on the table in the process of doing so. She felt the pressure on her skin, and she thinks she has seen blood dripping down her arms but she didn't feel pain for some reason. Perhaps from the drugs that still makes her feel all wobbly.
"You're doing so well, I actually decided to draw flowers all over your arm today, then tomorrow I'll start drawing on your legs too. Peonies first. I've decided on peonies actually. Isn't it wonderful? It's my gift to you. Since you know, you've been kind to me, though I didn't ask for help. But I know, I know, it's probably in your nature. So peonies. And roses sounds good too doesn't it? Aren't I great?"
For some reason she tears up, of what, she can't even state it herself anymore. Her mind's too clouded and she can't help but wish that it'll end soon.
It's tiring.
"Hey, hey, look at me, don't fall asleep yet, you see, I need you to be awake and see this once I'm done. Okay? Do you understand?"
No answer.
"I said do you understand?!"
A loud slap on the table which made her body jump a bit, the needle digging deeper than it should making her flinch for the first time as she felt the effects of drugs slowly leaving her system.
"..y-yes."
"Good, good. Alright, where was I? Right, the design."
Instead of the flowers he had first said, what's starting to form on her skin are nothing but lines drawn haphazardly, until he starts focusing and it blooms into life, peonies looking like they're just blooming, of baby's breath and lilies, marygolds and edelweisses, drips of honey falling from bees swarming around them, and it looked so alive.
Drawn on a body that's almost lifeless.
For a moment she thought of death, of how it's such an easy way out of these, but then she remembers the child left, on her crib, probably crying right now and already hungry. All she needs is to get her strength back to push him away, just enough for her to slip away. But her body would not cooperate.
And finally as the morning arrived, she felt him let loose and noticed him lie down in peace on a ragged couch at the other side of the room.
Dragging herself with her drug-clouded mind was no easy feat, but she's able to do so, she can't suddenly drop dead now after enduring all of these, or all the enduring would be pointless.
By the time she reaches a nearby street, she loses consciousness, not before she had seen a shadow looming over her.
--