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"You're not just my great love story... you are my big break. And our love story." — This Is Us, 2016-2022

Word count: 2167

FROM the moment I was born, I had been shoved into the face of poverty.

I once lived in a one-bedroom apartment on the edge of the city with my parents. During that time, I barely saw my parents — they worked and worked and worked until they eventually died.

When they passed not long after my fifteenth birthday, I lost everything. Literally. I was kicked out of the apartment immediately and thrown onto the bitter and dangerous streets of Sadorna.

The capital of the South.

Where you had to be tough to survive.

In order to survive, I had to learn how to steal, slip into the shadows, and fight. I learned to never trust a single person, to always look over my shoulder and fight my way through any battle. 

Not long after being kicked out, I met Ashle,y or Ash for short — my best friend. She was the first person since the death of my parents who grounded me. With her, I felt human again.

You see, living on the streets, alone and young, you lose a part of your identity. You do despicable things in order to live.

Most days I questioned why I should keep going. What was the point? What was I living for?

Those were dark days Days where I contemplated ending everything. I was glad I had Ash.

Living as a thief who bounced between abandoned buildings constantly was not easy. There were days I didn't eat anything—times when I would be stuck in the rain, alone and shivering.

Ash used to be with me — my partner in crime — but she left three months ago. She had snuck out of the South — which was deemed an impossible mission — to fight against the North for the rebels who were known simply as The Prave's. 

"Aurora, come on," Another friend, who I didn't see that much, beckoned me over. Harriet. She was a beautiful, raven-haired woman who piercing blue eyes that could capture the hearts of any man or woman. Her long pale face seemed to glow under the lighting and her soft pink lips were curled into an alluring smile.

Harriet was an unusual case. There was a time when she let me live in her abandoned warehouse. But, due to her addiction and problems with East Gang. Politely and guiltily, she kicked me out of her warehouse for my safety. 

On top of this, for the past two years, she held ravenous parties once a week for the poor, messed-up people in the city. It was always the event of the week, filled with alcohol, music, and lots of drugs.

Harriet herself had become well-known for her consistent drug use.

Her boyfriend, Jared, had introduced her to them a few years ago and since then, she had become obsessed with them. To her, they were a way to escape the horrible world.

Forcing my feet to move, I followed my tall friend. She was dressed in a tight and revealing dress — the only one she owned. It showed her long legs and bruised punctured arms. 

I didn't own a dress so I had to steal one from the only dress shop in the city. Luxuries such as dresses were not common here.

My own outfit paled in comparison to hers.

I rarely attended the weekly parties but when I did, I enjoyed it tremendously. They were one of the few times I could enjoy myself.

The warehouse was located on the edge of the city, where the police rarely visited. In all honesty, I believed they didn't interfere because they themselves delved into criminal activity, especially in the warehouse.

Harriet was the main attraction as we entered. Everybody knew who she was.

Her blue eyes skimmed the front of the crowd, searching for her lover. When she spotted him, she dragged me towards him.

I felt hungry eyes burning into my body. Uncomfortable, I pressed myself closer to Harriet. I didn't feel fear very often except for when I was here. This place had a mixture of alcohol, drugs, oppression, and anger in the air. The people here were unpredictable and willing to do whatever they wanted to take the pain away.

Harriet wrapped her thin, pale arms around Jared's lean body and smacked her lips against his.

Live drum music sounded, bouncing off the walls. Items such as guitars or pianos were unheard of in the South. In order to make music, we used trash cans, metal lids, and our voices.

This meant the music often had a heavy, hard beat.

Dancing occurred behind Jared. Bodies were stuck to each other, grinding and dancing exotically.

It was in these moments I wished Ash was still here. I liked Harriet but she was always busy with somebody else.

"Aurora?" A male voice asked to my side. Turning my head, I saw Ash's lover, Gael, standing with a confused expression on his face. His dark brown hair was messy and his hazel eyes were filled with an overwhelming amount of sadness. "What are you doing here?"

Swallowing, I sent him a small smile, "I'm not really sure." I admitted, tucking strands of my greasy light brown hair behind my ear. I had not been able to bathe — the last few places I had been staying had no running water and I had run out before I could find somewhere.

Going days without bathing was a common occurrence. Water was a luxury not many had. Sometimes there were fights over it. I had been involved in a fight a few months ago. The girl I fought with was a few years older than me and had the same desperate look in her tired eyes.

Surprisingly, Gael encircled his arms around my frail body. He inhaled my scent and mumbled something incoherent under his breath. Puzzled, I debated whether I should awkwardly cough or leave him be.

"You smell just like her," He muttered, this time loud enough for me to hear.

My heart dropped to my stomach. Ash. Of course. He adored her to the moon and back. When it was revealed Ash had left without any warning, we were all devastated. Nobody more than Gael.

Ashleigh was kind, affectionate, and supportive. And she was a complete badass. The moment they set eyes on each other; it was love.

Three months had passed and we still hadn't heard a word. I didn't even know if she made it safely to the North. For all we knew, she could be dead. Bile rose in my throat at that thought.

"Still no letter?" I questioned as I pulled back.

He pursed his lips and dejectedly shook his head. "Not a peep. You don't think she's..."

The word got caught in his throat. To think it brought great pain. Ash didn't deserve to die. 

"It's Ash we're talking about. That girl can talk her way out of anything. Death wouldn't dare come near her," I attempted to joke but my voice fell flat.

Gael flattened his lips and stepped back. "Of course."

"Aurora, come on. I have something for you," My attention was suddenly pulled back to Harriet. She had finished devouring Jared's tongue and was staring at me with bright eyes. Harriet must have found something to snort.

I apologized to Gael and let Harriet pull me into the crowd. A few people dozily greeted Harriet, slurring their words.

She brought me to the back of the warehouse, where she had a trap door. We climbed down into her den.

Candles were the only source of light. An old bed was positioned to my left whilst a tiny kitchen was to my right.

Memories of when I briefly lived here flickered in my mind. It all became too much to live with her. The drugs she had littered around were everywhere I looked and whispered into the darkest parts of my mind.

My eyes landed on a full needle and my heart stuttered. I was no stranger to drugs but I could not afford to even think about them.

Harriet's eyes followed my line of sight and a smirk stretched onto her pretty face. "Do you want it?"

With great effort, I dragged my eyes away from it. "No."

She stared deeply into my eyes, "Are you sure?"

Harriet was testing me. I couldn't tell if she wanted me to fail or not.

"Yes, I'm sure." I reiterated, firmly.

Harriet smiled cheekily and swiped the needle off the table.

"So, why did you bring me down here then?" I wondered, praying it wasn't to offer me drugs.

She twirled around on the balls of her feet, letting her free dark hair encircle her body. Now facing me, she wore a mischievous grin on her face.

"I called you here because of this," She said, producing a worn-out letter.

My name was scribbled on the front but the address was Harriet's.

Instantly, I recognized the handwriting. I could never forget it.

"Ashley," I whispered her name in awe. My arms reached out for the letter. Carefully, I took it and gazed at it. "When did you get this?"

"It came today," Harriet told me. "She must have sent it here because she wouldn't know where you were staying."

An indescribable noise came from my throat. I could feel my eyes welling up with tears. I spent many lonely nights wishing for a sign from her. Anything.

My fingers brushed over the letter, feeling the indentations.

"Can you give me a moment?" I requested, sucking in a breath.

"Of course," She replied, patting my shoulder. She climbed back up the ladder and shut the lid lightly. Above me, I could hear the tapping noise of people's feet.

Sitting down on Harriet's old leather couch she found outside, I folded my legs together and inhaled sharply.

Opening the letter, I delicately took the letter out.

Aurora,

I'm sorry for upping and leaving without any warning. You won't understand why I left — just know it was for a good reason.

I miss you. I miss you more than you can even realize.

Please don't worry about me. I'm fine. You know me — I can always protect myself.

The North is unimaginable. I literally can't put into words how different it is.

I'm sorry I can't tell you where I am or what I'm doing. It's for your safety. Just know that I'm safe and alive. I'm okay.

I'm going to save us. I'm going to help everyone in Sadorna — we won't have to fight over food anymore or bounce from places. We'll make a home.

I love you. Stay safe,

Ash.

Hiccupping, I shakily wiped away my tears, my heart aching.

I was grateful she told me but annoyed she had left me so easily. It hurt, a lot.

It took me a while to put myself back together again. When I did, I clambered up the ladder and back to the party. The letter was safely tucked into my bag and would be placed in my locked box when I returned to the abandoned house, I was currently sleeping in.

I found Harriet located in the corner of the room, sitting on Jared's lap.

She had a needle between her lips and was preparing her arm for injection. I also spotted Gael sitting beside them, his eyes downcast. Did Harriet tell him about the letter?

"Hey, Harriet," I murmured as I uneasily approached them. She flickered her glittering blue eyes up to me and smiled dozily. "I think I'm going to go. I'm going to try talking to Mitch again tomorrow morning."

Harriet nodded her head in understanding. "Okay, I'll see you later."

I barged my way through the crowds, easily slipping my way past people unnoticed. When I needed to, I could move into the shadows, blending into the dark. I had acquired the skill after many failed burglar attempts.

The place I was staying at had been abandoned long ago. You could tell many other people had stayed there before me.

For the time being, it was where I was staying. Until I needed to move on to the next place.

My life would always be the same — always hopping between places, never having a stable place.  

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