Last Hope - (Sarah Paulson & Holland Taylor)

FAKE

TW : Drugs, Alcohol

Lizzie POV :

Immediately when my father started driving, he talked with my mother, and totally ignored me. I tried to heard their discussion but they were whispering. I looked through the window, hoping to see Sarah and Holland following us, but there was no one.

We arrived to a small and dirty apartment, with other adults. They were taking drugs and they seemed drunk. I was a bit scared but my mother showed me around.

"Here you have the bathroom." There was a middle aged woman lying on the bath, naked and a man throwing up on the toilet.

"Sorry about that, we had a big party yesterday night." We turned to the other side of the corridor. "And you'll sleep right there." She showed me a little mattress on the floor, next to two little beds. "Your father and I are sleeping in the main room, and our friends are often sleeping here, but don't worry, they're very nice and you'll like them."

I was very, very confused. This place was so strange, the people were scaring me and my mother just dropped me in front of my 'bedroom', not taking care of me anymore.

When I went back to the living room, she was with my father. She was taking coke drug and my father tried to find a vein on his left arm to put a syringe, in order to take heroin. When he saw me, he asked me to sit next to him.

"Do you know what is that ?"

"Yes, it's heroin." I said.

"How do you know ?" He demanded amazed.

"I've been to foster homes where they were taking these kinds of... things." I replied.

"Did you ever tried ?"

"No, no thanks." I said scared of this proposition.

"Come on, you're old enough ! You must be what... 18 ?"

I was shocked, my own father didn't know my age.

"In fact I'm 16."

"I started at 12 so it's no big deal, here give me your arm." He took my right arm and tried to put the tourniquet but I pulled away, stood up and took a step back.

"No ! I don't want to try."

"Well, do whatever you want, I don't fucking care." He answered, finally finding the right vein on his arm. It looked like no one was seeing me in the room and it was better this way because those people were really frightening.

I decided to head back to my room and when I sat on one of the bed, I noticed my father wallet. I looked inside it and found a photo of a little girl. Maybe it was me ? But when I turned the photo, I saw the date, and the girl was far too old to be me. Then, I looked at his cards and his ID fell on the ground. I picked it up and discovered something that froze me. His name wasn't Mitchell, like me. And the description on his ID proved that he couldn't be my father. His birth date, the place he was born, the place he stayed for years... This man wasn't my father. I was getting more and more anxious as I was discovering those things.

I figured out I needed to get out of here and get some fresh air to make my mind straight.

"I'm going out." I said putting my jacket on.

"Wait ! Where are you going ??" Asked my mother.

"Just take a walk. I'll be back soon don't worry for me." I opened the door, but she stood up.

"No, you don't leave. We have work for you. For now you're going to clean this place and then we'll see."

"Wait what ? No I have to take some fresh air. All this smoke." I pretended to cough.

"I don't care. You stay here." She said sternly, walking close to me.

No, not again, I thought. Not another abusive house, not another parents who use me. I couldn't handle it. I wanted Sarah and Holland. I wanted Sarah's warm arms around me, holding my weak body and shushing me sweet things. I didn't want my birth parents, or whoever these persons were.

It was my last chance, and I took it. I opened the door wide and slamed it behind me. Then I started running on the building's corridors until I reached the entrance. I kept running through unknown streets but I could hear screams behind me. I didn't stop running until I as sure I was safe. I entered a shop, out of breathe.

"Please, please help me." I sighed before collapsing on the floor.