Desperation Devastation

2 days later...

The roar or busy commuters in their over priced, over-necessary cars screamed overhead the Land-Of-Smiles as the clock hit rush hour. The sun was a basketball, large and orange, descending rapidly across the evening sky. Leftover clouds lingered on the edge of the horizon waiting for the cloak of night to sweep them away from the dying day once past.
The many prostitutes and sex workers which inhabited the Land-Of-Smiles had begun to prepare themselves for the busy night ahead of them.

The addicts had begun their vicious routine of drug abuse. The numerous men, women and children who sought an escape from the reality of life begun snorting, puffing and shooting up the drug of their choice.

The retreating sun shone dimly on the body of polluted water, its reflection dancing as the stagnant stream tumbled by.

A short, slightly pudgy man with red hair paced the perimeter of the Land-Of-Smiles with his hands in his tatty pockets and a smirk on his weary face. He continued to pace, and he began to mutter to himself incoherently while looking over his torn shoulders.

"Razor!" The man exclaimed with apparent glee, yet there was a gleam of fear in his brown eyes.

"Scud," Razor replied with a stiff nod.

"Ha! For once it's you who's late, not me!" the man called 'Scud' stood with his arms folded over his chest, a triumphant grin on his face.

"Ah, and that is where you are wrong, Scud. It was you who was late to begin with. I have been watching you for 10 minutes now. I didn't acquire a watch for you, to have you arrive late once again."

The colour in Scud's face drained and the grin transformed into an expression of terror. He frantically pulled up the sleeve of his tatty coat to reveal a gold Rolex, odd compared to the ragged clothing which adorned him.

"As you know, Scud, this will not be tolerated. You're not getting a cut this week." Razor announced, as if this was a bore for him.

"What do you think you're doing?! I worked hard this week," Scud exclaimed, fury coating his words.

"And who's the newbie anyway?" Scud said, pointing to the shadowed figure sitting cross-legged by the river.

"You got yourself another one?" The red-headed man asked, with a smug look.

"Shut it. She's going to be joining us." Razor muttered.

"And who's is she taking?" Scud asked, defiant.

"Mine, now shut it." Razor motioned to Emile with a flick of two fingers.
She noticed the gesture and tentatively strode towards the pair of men.

"So what's so special about you, Sunshine?" Scud asked with a suggestive glance.

Razor put a hand on my forearm, "Not yours, Scud." Razor hissed fiercely.

"Fine, fine. She sure is a nice one though." Scud admitted, morely to me. He raised his bushy eyebrows in my direction.

I began to feel uncomfortable, with Scud's glances at me and Razor's firm grip on me.
Meat. Meat, I was, meat being fought over in the pack of lions that was the Land-Of-Smiles.

"Come." Razor said.

I followed like a good little girl. Razor was the one who'd helped me these few days in the Land-Of-Smiles. Found me a place to sleep, next to him of course. Made sure I wasn't in trouble and kept me from 'customers'.

I felt safe around him, he wasn't mental, creepy or horny around me.

We'd grown close.

The three of us reached a small, hodge-podge set of wooden planks, arranged in a sort of bridge.

"This is The Rainbow, but before we cross, I wanna say something to you." Razor took a few steps away from Scud.

"We'll meet you there." Razor said to him. Scud got the hint an started crossing The Rainbow, with a scowl to farewell us.

"Now, Emile. How many people in the Land-Of-Smiles know your name?"

"No-one, except you." I said, biting my lip stud.

"Good. That's very good, how about we keep it that way?" Razor said.

"Why?" I asked, ashamed of my naivete.

"Emile, do you really think Razor is my real name? As I said when you first came here. There's some crazy, fucked up people in the Land-Of-Smiles. And some of them like to find out who you are, stalk, rape, rob or kill you. Especially the newbies who don't hide themselves." Razor laughed at the stunned look on my face. His laugh a jolly, joyful expression from an intense person.

"And because of that, no-one can call you Emile."

"Then what will you call me if I can't have my name?" I asked the raven-haired man.
Razor fell silent, deep in thought.

"...Sunshine." He replied. Razor must have been thinking of what Scud had called me earlier.

"Sunshine," I repeated, looking at the setting sun in the orange sky. The dark purple of night began to spread in the areas of sky where the sunshine had departed.

"Let's catch up with Scud." Razor said, beckoning me onto The Rainbow.
"Watch your step."

After dodging upturned nails and used syringes, we crossed The Rainbow in no time at all.

"Emi- Sunshine," Razor began.

"This is called the Pot-Of-Gold. Cliche names, huh?" Razor said.

Several groups of people were gathered around small bonfires, drinking, laughing. Silvery threads of smoke floated overhead. Happy people were illuminated by the fire, seeming to grow happier with each flicker of the flames.

Few were alone, shooting up in the company of no-one.

Razor spotted Scud and I followed him to a small bonfire, where Scud sat with a man and a woman.

"Scud. Phoenix! Sassy! Haven't seen you two in awhile." Razor spoke to a man with long brown dreadlocks, reminiscent of mud. He had tanned skin, and brown eyes. He wore faded navy jeans and a gray hoodie.

Next to him was a woman, maybe a few years older than I, dressed in a skimpy PVC skirt, a fluro pink bikini with matching pink boots. Her platinum blond hair glowed while sitting in front of the fire to keep herself warm.

"Oh, by the way, this is Sunshine." Razor said, putting his arm around my shoulders.

"Yo! Good morning Sunshine!" Phoenix hollered, stumbling to his feet and embracing me with a hug. He stunk of weed and scotch.

Razor pulled him off, "Come on, Phoenix, she's new."

Phoenix moaned and plonked himself next to Sassy.

"New, did you say?" Sassy asked, her voice sultry.

Scud whispered something to Sassy behind his hand which made her giggle.
"She's hot," Sassy said to Razor, making him blush.

"She working yet?" She asked, curiously, with a hint of suspicion.

"She's not going to work," Razor said confidently.

"Nice to know, that one'd put me out of business, she would."

Scud laughed loudly.
"No-one could put you out of business, Sassy." Scud laughed, touching her cheek. She chuckled, flicking her hair about her head.

"Take a seat, Sunshine." Scud offered, patting the patch of ground beside him.

I hesitated, then sat beside Razor instead.

Razor pulled out a few syringes filled with some sort of liquid. Heroin, I thought to myself.
Sassy reached into her bra and pulled out a roll of notes, she passed it to Razor and he gave her a large syringe.

"Thank-you darling."

She pulled a ribbon from her hair and tied it tightly, just above her elbow. She removed the lid with her teeth and spat it onto the ground. Sassy stared at the syringe closely in front of her eyes, the inserted the needle into the underside of her elbow. She pushed the drug into her veins and sighed with relief.

"Oh fuck, that's good." She moaned and closed her eyes. Sassy untied the ribbon, replacing it in her hair and threw the syringe into the fire.

By the time I finished staring at Sassy, shooting up, Scud had already done the same, and was smoking a joint of weed.

Razor was chugging down a bottle of vodka, and stopped when something appeared in his peripherals.

"Razor." Scud said, offering him the joint. Razor took a long drag from the small joint and exhaled with a sigh.

"Sunshine?" Razor said, handing me the joint.

I felt everyone's eyes on me as I stared uneasily at the joint. All the videos of criminals high on marijuana seeped into my mind.

Why is everything so dark? First Naomi, then Lance. Everyone who is close to me ends up screwing me around! Did I push Lance away? Was I too sad? You know you were too sad, the voice in my head announced.

I've got to be happy, maybe Naomi would have stuck around if I wasn't so boring.

I took a puff of the joint and gave a small cough. I heard giggles around me.

"Don't worry hun, you'll get the hang of it." Razor said, taking the joint from me. Scud passed the bottle of vodka to me.

"It's natural to get thirsty after a puff," He said with a shifty smile.

"Hey Sunshine, try this. It's way better than any joint." Razor suggested, pressing a small purple pill into my palm.
I swallowed it with ease, giving a grin to Razor. He laughed and leaned towards me.

"You know, Emile. You're not so bad. And you are a pretty one, just not so much when you cry." He whispered to me.

He kissed my cheek softly, then handed me a new bottle of scotch, the other one was empty.
I took a mouthful, pr four, then passed it to Phoenix, who was holding both his outstretched arms in my direction, calling for the alcohol.

"Sunshine." Razor whispered to me, from the shadows.

I glanced to where Razor was sitting seconds before. He wasn't there.

"Sunshine." Razor whispered again. I stood up and walked towards him. He pulled me towards him and hugged me.

"Emile, I want to tell you a few things," He began.

"Stay away from Scud, please. And if Sassy tells you that I'm a pimp, she's lying to get you away from me. Phoenix is an alcoholic, he gets violent sometimes, be careful, other than that, he's a good guy."

"Emile, if you ever go, which I know you will. Soon probably. Come visit me at the Land-Of-Smiles occasionally," Razor said.

"Sure," I said. My voice was scarily happy.

"I think I'm falling for you," Razor said, wincing at the words.

He pulled me into a kiss, under the night sky, in the shadows. Although I was in a strange place, I felt so safe, and happy. Razor's hands began to creep up my shirt, his other hand un-buckling my belt, I pulled away from him.

"Emile, you know me. I have protection if that's what you're worried about."

"It's not that, it's just, well, I don't know what it is."

He looked at me, confused, and I saw a real person, not some drugged up hobo.

"Don't forget about me," He said, walking away.

"Hey Sunshine," Sassy called.

"Come with me up here!"

I glanced at Razor, sitting at the fire, laughing loudly and grinned.

I turned away and began to walk up a worn path, obviously made by people.

Sassy was standing on the bridge above the Land-Of-Smiles, next to a streetlight. She bent over, shaking her rear at passing cars. Wolf-whistles and toots were heard.

Other prostitutes were in short, revealing outfits, selling themselves to the nightlife.

"So what's between you and Razor?' She asked.

"I met him a few days ago."

"Oh yeah? Why you in the Land-Of-Smiles?" She asked staring at me.

"It's complicated."

"Aren't we all." She replied, blowing kisses to a red car.

"He's a dodgy one. Big dealer. Powerful too. Lots of friends in high places."

"Right," I said.

"Stay away from him." She said flicking her hair back.

"Why?" I asked, although I knew then answer.

"Just do it." Sassy said. The red car pulled up beside the curb and rolled down the window, revealing a hand clutching some notes. It blurred, looked like it was so fast...

Sassy took the notes and put them in her bra.

"You do threes?" A deep voice inside the car asked.

"Sure," replied Sassy with a giggle.

"Fuck off," She muttered to me as she opened the car's door.

I turned away and strode to the other side of the bridge. I sat down at the curb and stared at the sky. All I was filled with was happiness.

A silver car pulled up beside me and I heard a familiar voice.

"You look a bit over-dressed for a working girl."