Sacrifices

The stranger was asleep, and Naomi was trembling. She was sore and bleeding and tired and afraid. She quietly got up, leaving the man where he was. She clutched the money tightly in her hand, reminding herself that it hadn’t all been for nothing. She exited the abandoned building where they had been. It was just an empty office building; it probably hadn’t been used in years, that Naomi had noticed a few days before. Once outside, Naomi took a deep breath of the night air. She let it course through her body and she shivered.

The reality of what she had done suddenly hit her. Her thoughts were as slow as the steps she was taking. “Lost my virginity… To a stranger… In an abandoned building… For money…” She let out a shaky breath and folded the money over and over in her hands. Finally, fearing she would lose it, she folded the bills, two twenties and a ten, as small as she could make them and tucked them inside her bra. Calm down, she thought. You need to keep it together for Brandon.

Naomi knew right where Brandon would be. The two were not entirely homeless, but they were close to it. There were currently living at a water park, inside a small closet-like building that was once used to store something but currently had no purpose, since the park was closed for the winter. They had hopped over the park’s fence, and the building hadn’t even been locked.

Naomi climbed over the fence and walked towards the place. Before entering, she took off her shoes, fishnets, and tried to pat her hair down. Leaving her clothes outside, she pushed the door open, and went in.