Prologue

Mortality and life is bullshit to me. Especially since my life has been bullshit since the day I was born. Nora always tries to tell me to be optimistic and logical. That we'll figure out how to get out of here. And its just utter bullshit. How could I, a 17 year old girl, with her kid sister escape our parents? That involves a plan, strength, and most of all confidence.

Confidence that there won't be some bullshit that could fuck up said plan. Like, I don't know, death?

How am i supposed to take care of Nora when I can hardly take care of myself? This is bullshit.

"Aine, will you please stop cursing under your breath? You're giving me a headache." Nora sighs as she writes down those five thousand plans she's made up in her head ever since she asked me to get us out of here. For a 14 year old who can't go to school anymore, she's smart.

A smartass but smart.

"How many have you come up with so far?" I question, already exhausted and regretting my question before she even answers. "Ten. How many did you come up with?" she asks, looking up from the paper. Oh shit, thats right, I was supposed to be making plans too.

She looks back down with a knowing frown before stating, "You didn't do anything, did you?" I don't answer her and that pisses her off. She gets up from the floor we were sitting on and leaves the room to get some water from the hose outside.

She comes back a couple of minutes later and whispers, "They're asleep. We can eat now, I think." I nod and get up, myself, making my way to what used to be our kitchen.

Now it just looks like an orgy room.

Sorry, no, its not that bad. More like a teenagers basement where they have bongs and shit. Picture that instead.

I open the fridge to only be disappointed when the only thing i see is stacks and stacks...and stacks of beers. Fuck me.

I'll have to travel on foot to go to that abadoned warehouse and get food. Hopefully, it isn't moldy or too old and warm so we don't get sick.

...

Don't you love the smell of an abandoned warehouse? Me neither. And on top of it, I was here with Nora who does things on impulse instead of logic so theres a possibility she'll steal  something we don't need.

Which is more stress for me, watching her dumbass and making sure we don't get caught. Just because its abandoned, doesn't mean they want kids hanging out in here.

We were actually very close to getting caught one day. The cleaning crew had come to look at the damage of the warehouse and obviously we had no idea, they weren't going to call us. A guy spotted us but he thought he was hallucinating due to how hot it was that day so he didnt worry about it and we got away with a bunch of processed food.

That was a fun day out of many horrible ones.

Nora ran off while i was in thought but soon came back with bread, peanut butter and a dorky smile on her face. I replicate her smile, ruffling her head as way to say good job and then grab the food from her. As we walk back I ask her if she remembers what happened and she laughs, screaming. "Oh yeah, remember when you fell? Your face was like the brightest of reds!" she exclaimed a little more, holding her breath and imitating me when i was pink in the face. I had to push her by her arm to keep myself from laughing...at myself.

She fell flat on her face and turned around, mad. I had to hold in my laughter. "No fucking fair." she pouted, getting up. I offered a hand but she slapped it away in refusal and sped up her walking pace. At that point, I couldn't hold back. "I'm sorry, Nor-Bear. I didn't realize i was so strong." I laughed, flexing my arms in a joking manner. "You aren't... I was caught off-guard." she huffed.

...

By the time we got home and made it to our room to make the sandwiches, both of us were tired. "You can take the bed today, Nora i like sleeping on the floor." i said tiredly, whie preparing the sandwich. All she could  do was nod as a yawn escaped her.

We both eat and then go to sleep until the noise starts again.

It happens everyday, in the middle of the day.

My parents have sex in the living room. They forget we are here and just go at it because of whatever drug  they're on and it happens so often, we've gotten used to it.

Nora looks at me with those beautiful green eyes of hers and I know what she saying without her having to say anything. "I know, Nora. We will.", I say as I chew my lip and go to make another sandwich.

...

We both fall asleep fast after eating and Nora ends up cuddling with me on the floor. Its not fair that there is only one bed for both of us but we try to make it work.

Night comes soon and I find myself not sleeping at all. I look up at the ceiling and think long and hard about the outcomes of the plans we talked about on the way back home from the warehouse and it scares me. I don't want to die in an unmarked place..but i also don't want to die here.

Here isn't home anymore. It hasn't been home since the day common sense was common to me and I know that I wouldn't die in a peaceful way if I died here. I want Nora to actually have a chance to be a kid unlike me and if it means that I have to try my hardest to keep us both safe and as healthy as we can, then that's what I'll do.

Even if it means risking my life.

God, what have I just agreed to?