ELENA

My eyes fluttered open as I felt cold water drench me. My cheek was pressed against the cold, damp floor, the scrub bush still in my hand. I jolted up, coughing and sputtering at the same time.

“Ugly bitch.” My head snapped to the direction of the voice to see Jenna, hovering over me with a scowl on her face.

“Why are you lazing around? And why isn't breakfast ready yet? Do you want to starve me?” She sneered.

I glared at her, water dripping from my hair and clothes. Tears stung at the corner of my eye but I blinked it away.

I slept really late last night because Vera handed me more chores just as I was about to go to bed. I had to wake up early so I could do all my chores before heading off to my waitressing job at a bar. I had gotten tired and dozed off while trying to scrub a persistent stain off the floor.

“Answer me, or have you suddenly lost your voice?” Jenna yelled.

I took a deep breath, anger simmering in me but I managed to bite back the retort that hung at the tip of my tongue.

“I was tired and I fell asleep.” I said calmly.

Jenna scoffed. She threw the bucket she was holding hard on the floor. It made a loud thud.

“What's with all the commotion?” Vera's voice came from the living room.

“Mum, Elena was sleeping instead of making breakfast.” Jenna yelled back.

I heard hurried footsteps climbing the stairs.

“What did I just hear? You were sleeping? Who gave you the luxury to act lazy?” Vera said.

I opened my mouth to defend myself but before I could speak Vera interrupted me with a slap. I held my cheek as a stray tear fell from my eyes.

“I don't feed you, clothe you, and put a roof over your head, just for you to be sleeping while you still have tons of work to do.” She yelled.

Technically, I was the one feeding her. I was the only one in the house that had a stable job. Vera and her daughter were jobless. Vera collects 80% of my earnings every month leaving me barely enough to fend for myself.

Vera had always hated me ever since the first time she set her eyes on me. As she loved to remind me, nobody wants me. She loves telling me the story of how my ‘wretched’ mother left me at my father's doorstep with a note that says ‘she is your business now’.

Vera and my father had just gotten married then. She had Jenna from her previous marriage. She didn't want to raise another woman's child even if it was her husband's. My father had begged her and even went as far as to threaten her with divorce before she accepted me. But every single day of my life, I wish she hadn't.

When my father was alive, she always treated me right in his presence, my father believed she truly loved me. But I automatically became a domestic worker in his absence.

I never told my father. The one time I did, I received the beating of my life from Vera. After then, I learnt to keep everything she did to myself. The bruises on different parts of my body are a constant reminder to never underestimate what Vera can do to me.

I had always hoped everything would change once I graduated high school and went off to college. My father died a few weeks after my high school graduation from a heart attack.

I took a few steps back as she raised her hand for the second time.

“I'll go make breakfast now.” I said quickly and rushed down the stairs, narrowly missing the punch she threw at me.

I heard her follow behind me, cursing under her breath. I quickened my steps. Thankfully, she walked into the living room instead.

I walked into the kitchen and started by doing the dishes. I mentally went through my schedule for the day. After my shift at the bar, I had a babysitting job for a couple right across the street. The thought that I would get my paycheck soon lifted my spirits. I wanted to visit Dad at the cemetery but I didn't have enough money to buy flowers for him. The thought of it brought a pang of sadness to my chest.

The ringing of the doorbell jolted me out of my thoughts.

“Elena, get the door.” Vera yelled from the living room.

I scoffed. She was closer to the door than I was but she still felt the need to call me.

I walked to the door and flipped it open to see two bulky men standing on our porch. Their presence was so intimidating that I had to take a few steps back, my heart hammering in my chest. They stared down at me, their gazes hard.

“Why do you look so startled? Who is at the door?” Vera asked.

I couldn't answer because I had no idea how to describe them. Upon hearing Vera's voice, the men shoved me aside and marched into the house like they own the place. My eyes caught an ace of spades tattoo on their necks and I stood frozen in place, eyes widened in shock.

The Cosa Nostra. Why are they here? And what do they want?

I had a feeling Vera had gotten herself in trouble with them somehow, considering how shocked she seemed as she saw them. Her eyes widened and her body visibly shook.

I made a silent prayer that it's not something too bad that could get us killed. The Cosa Nostra are not one to be messed with. They are the Italian mafias in New York City with their leader being Nicolas Russo, popularly referred to as Ace. I had never seen Nicolas, but I've heard enough rumors about him to know the exact type of person he is.

The Cosa Nostra are recognized by their ace of spades tattoos. No one knows the story behind the specific tattoo. But they are well known for being ruthless and unforgiving. They protect New York from other mafia groups, but also never take shit from anyone. If you get on their bad side, you get killed.

“Vera Smith?” One of the men called in a husky tone.

“Y..e..s?” Vera stuttered

“We have a message for you from Ace.”

Vera swallowed hard and pressed her lips together. She turned to me swiftly.

“Go back to the kitchen now.”

Her voice was harsh, delivering a sense of urgency that I couldn't even ask what the matter was. I simply nodded and proceeded into the kitchen, cautious of our strange guests.

I tried to focus on my task in the kitchen but I couldn't stop thinking about what was going on in the living room. I tried to listen in on their conversation from the kitchen but it was almost impossible. I only heard snippets of their conversation. I could depict from the snippets that Vera borrowed some money from the Cosa Nostra, and it was way past the deadline she was given to return the money.

I heard that Nicolas was pissed and wanted–

I couldn't hear what they were saying anymore. They started talking in really low voices. Soon after that, I heard heavy footsteps walking out of the house. They had left.

Few minutes later, Vera called me to the living room.

“Those guys came from the Cosa Nostra.” She said,

“Yeah, I know them.” From their tattoo, bitch.

I wanted to add that, but I bit it back. The slap from earlier was enough to last me for the day.

“They came here because I was owing them.” She said,

I already figured that out from their conversation. I wanted her to get straight to the point, but she didn't even seem interested in doing that.

“I managed to convince them to give me one more day. They will be here first thing tomorrow. But if I don't have their money they would take something important to me and hold on to it till I repay them.” She narrated so casually as if her life is not in grave danger.

The only thing that probably involves me in the whole paragraph was getting the money for her. I had a hunch that was where she was heading with the whole speech.

“The loan is a hundred thousand.” She dropped the bombshell.

“A hundred thousand dollars?” I couldn't control myself from screaming.

One hard glare from her shut me up immediately. I hung my head low and listened impatiently. There was no way I could raise a hundred thousand dollars before tomorrow. My paycheck was just a hundred dollars. We are definitely getting killed tomorrow.

It's unfair how I got dragged down with her when I didn't even know when or how she spent the money. I was sure half of the loan went into unnecessary shopping. My step mother had the fashion sense of Beyonce but the wallet of a beggar.

“So when they come here tomorrow, they're going to take you with them.” She casually dropped.

I blinked my eyes repeatedly, unable to believe what I just heard.

“Why am I going with them?” I asked.

I clearly heard her say that they were going to take something important to her. I wasn't. So why did she tell them to take me?

“Because I don't have a hundred thousand right now and you're practically useless to me. And also, I'll finally be able to get rid of you. It's a win-win situation for me.”

Tears stung at the corner of my eyes. I blinked them back and forced myself to speak.

“It's the Cosa Nostra, they're very dangerous people. You can't give me to them, please.” I pleaded.

I couldn't stop the tears from falling. I knew Vera was very cruel and also didn't like me. But giving me out to the Cosa Nostra to repay her loan is like signing my death certificate. That's how bad and dangerous they were.

“Can you find a hundred thousand dollars before tomorrow?” She yelled.

“No, but please. Don't give me to them, I beg of you.” I pleaded with her. I fell to my knees, sobbing uncontrollably.

Vera turned a deaf ear to my pleas. She continued watching TV as if she did not just ruin my life. I cried profusely, my heart shattering into pieces.

After a few minutes, Vera stood up and went to her room. She told me breakfast should be ready before she came down.

.

.

.

I sat on my bed, tears falling freely from my eyes as I stared at the portrait of my dad and I. It was taken on the day of my high school graduation.

My father had always wanted me to go to college and become a great person. Not only will I not be able to fulfill that dream, I might never be able to do anything meaningful with my life again.

I didn't know what life was going to be at the Cosa Nostra. But it's certainly not going to be better than my current life. What if I became a sex toy? Or something more worse?.

My head was hurting thinking of all the horrible things I might have to do there. Whatever it might be, I was certain I didn't want the life. But I had no choice at the moment. The only alternative for me is to find a hundred thousand. And that was close to impossible.

I groaned frustrated and threw my head back. I wish I could just disappear from here to where they wouldn't be able to find me.

My eyes fluttered open as an idea came to my head. Or maybe I could. I could run away while everyone was asleep. It was a long shot and I could get caught but it was my only option. Even if I end up getting killed, I did try my best to escape living that life.

I jolted up from the bed and stared out of the window. I took a deep breath. I had made up my mind, I was going to run away.