Day 5. Something is lost.

As Carrie walked down the street she mused on the old saying, ‘you don’t know what you have until it’s gone.’ Now she knew just how true it was.

It had taken every last cent she had, most of her possessions and the shared flat she had come to think of as home, to be able to get herself out of the agreement with her pimp.

Oh and the black eye, split lip and a number of bruises that were scattered over her body. To say he had not let her go easy would be an understatement.

She had the clothes on her back, and one small bag with maybe two changes of underwear and a spare pair of jeans. He had even ripped the earrings out of her ears before he was done, but at least now she was free.

Free with nowhere to live and the only way of making money she knew was the one she had just paid so dearly to leave.

Pushing open the door to the café she half smiled as the warm smell of deep fried chips and coffee washed over her. It was still early and the place was empty of customers.

“Holy crap girly, what the hell happened to you?” Jeff asked as he made his way round from behind the counter to over to her and led her to a seat.

“Can you believe it, I got knocked up?” she said.

“Knocked out looks more like it, who did this to you?”

“This, it was just a parting gift. Is you offer of a job still good?”

“Sure, you out of the game now?”

“Yeah, out of the game, a job, and on the streets once again, and to top it all off, I’ll be a single mum next year.”

“Wrong, you have a job here, and room to stay in. I can’t do anything about you being a Mum, but you don’t have to be on the streets.”

“You are a good man Jeff.”

“Yeah, I’m a real catch, that’s why I’m alone.”

~#~