Baby, Baby, Baby...

She shivered sub consciously as she moved forward, glancing instinctively over her shoulder as she moved in his direction.
“Do you have it?” She asked sharply, brushing a few drops of rain from her face.
He studied her for a few seconds, unashamedly slowly looking her up and down, past the dip of her neck, chest, down her navel and below the short hem of her dress and back again.
“Do you have it?” She repeated, a little more hysterically, again surreptitiously glancing over her shoulder.
He smiled curtly and nodded, this time producing a small package from his coat pocket. She snatched at it but he teased her by pulling it just out of her reach.
“How long is it going to last this time?” He smirked, mocking her.
“Like you can talk. Besides, I keep you in business.” She smiled smugly, her puffy and bloodshot eyes distorting a once beautiful face.
“No darling, I keep you out the gutter” He corrected her, swapping her the package for a wad of cash.
She scoured at him before turning on her heel and walking away from him. The rain had begun to fall more heavily and she felt water slowly cascading down her back and inside her dress, which now clung to her body, revealing a vulnerable figure, all alone in the world.

Cries woke her dreams and she jumped startled from her bed, barely managing to stumble to her feet. It was some time after daybreak, nine, perhaps ten in the morning, it didn’t matter. She feebly pulled open her bedside draw and pulled what was left of last nights purchase. She emptied its contents, eventually gaining the strength to attend to the empty screams echoing down the hallway.
“Baby, baby, baby.” She groaned with a combination of affection and resentment.
Lifting the baby on to her hip she re-emerged from the dirty room and to the even more contaminated confides of the kitchen. The two year old still screamed with hunger and other housemates had begun to stir, those who were conscious enough wielded abuse at the pair and the young girl desperately begged the child to be quiet.
“Shhh…” She soothed, half placing, half dropping the baby on the floor so that she could enter the fridge. Pushing some syringes and ‘packages’ to one side; she reached the baby formula that had been shoved to the back of the fridge.
“Here baby.” She cooed, clumsily scooping the small body inter her arms and offering it the bottle. Her cries of hunger ceased, but they still echoed amongst the cold and hard walls of their home.
“I know baby, Mummy feels like crying all the time” She spoke as if the little person knew or cared of her problems.
“Mummy wishes things could be different”
She pulled a syringe and small package from the fridge.
“Everything is O.K”
She mixed the powder.
“It’ll get better”
She drew the liquid into the syringe.
“This is our life”
She injected.

FOLLOW US


25

Write4Fun.net was established in 1997, and since then we have successfully completed numerous short story and poetry competitions and publications.
We receive an overwhelming positive feedback each year from the teachers, parents and students who have involvement in these competitions and publications, and we will continue to strive to attain this level of excellence with each competition we hold.

KEEP IN TOUCH

Stay informed about the latest competitions, competition winners and latest news!