Sinners Paradise

Chapter 5 : Nightmare

The single porch light on a shabby house shook as the whole foundation wobbled as the yelling and cursing echoed through the hallway. A small girl sat outside on the porch curled up in tiny ball as she glanced up every couple seconds to see some furniture and other objects being thrown out past her. The girl squeezed her bare legs closer toward her as a gust of cold wind blew by. Even at night time, the neighbors would be sitting outside amused by what others were doing. Mostly the Collin family as they were repeatedly fighting, it was a daily thing. Arguing over petty things like taxes and bills. Although her family weren't the only ones fighting on a regular basis. The whole neighborhood was twisted. Cop cars were always coming in and out of the neighborhood. Although they never did do anything, just stood around laughing being amused by the sights. Sometimes. If you were close by watching, you could over hear them standing around there cars making bets on who was going be the next to kill themselves or murder somebody.

As the girl sat with her head resting on her knees, the sound of a ball bouncing off the sidewalk was auditable. Shortly after a soccer ball with a few kids chasing it came into view as they were kicking it around. The one boy stop and look directly at the girl, her eyes peek out from under her arms as she could see the boy wave in her direction.
"Hey Lina! Want to play with us!." The girl lifted her head up and brush back a few strains of her hair behind her ears as a small smile form on her lips. Standing up from the steps, she pull down the over sized hoodie over her shorts as she hop down from the steps and ran over to the group of kids as they giggled and kick the ball around the neighborhood.

Those times are precious for a child. However they never last as long as they should. In only short periods of times, those precious moments disappear and that's when reality comes rushing back and smacks you in the face. In days, weeks, sometimes in months. Those who your happy to have around you would disappear suddenly. The next day came, the girl laid curled up in a ball on her porch. Birds were chirping as the sun shine brightly. The young girls eyes flickered open as she rub them with the palm of her hands. Pushing her self up off the creaking boards. She glance around the neighborhood to see it was as dead as ever. While looking around, her eyes stop at a soccer ball that laid in the middle of the street. She rub her eyes once more before standing up. She walk down the driveway and in the middle of the street and pick up the soccer ball. She look around for the kids she was preciously playing with. But no one was in site. She kept looking until she notice and old man sitting on a bench at the small playground that was between two run down houses that know lived in for years. Gathering enough courage, she walk over into the playgrounds direction and stop right in front of the man. The man held his hands on top of the Handel of his Cain as he cock and eyebrow up as he push his glasses up his nose.
"If your looking for your friends Lina..there gone." The man spoke bluntly as he stared at the girl. Her plain expression change almost immediately as she was understanding the meaning of his words. "Tommy and Timmy were both stabbed to death by there mother..she kept saying she had enough..to damn tired spending money on two brats she didn't even want in the first place..although..she stab herself right in the stomach before the police said anything.."

The old man continue to talk, explain everything that happen in a single night after the girl fell asleep. Child after child, he spoke about how unstable each of the households were and how her friends were killed. Her eyes shown emotions. However with everything the man was saying, she had no idea how she was suppose to express them.
"Let me tell you something Lina..and listen carefully..there are stories about a place that all the bad people that commit unspeakable crimes go..they call it Sinners Paradise. Although there have been many cases over the years.nothings ever been conform that the place really exists." The girl stay silent, her head hung low. Time pass as the man stay silent as well, he was one of very few that actually had some human emotion still left in him. His attention was soon focus back onto the girl as she slowly raise her head. "Why though?..why...why were they murder! Why cant anybody be...be happy!." Her voice crack as a few tears slipped down her cheek, her hands clutching the soccer ball against her chest as she tried not to cry so much in front of the old man. Afraid that he was going to yell at her, just like her parents do when she ease drops on there arguments by accident.
"There is no such thing of true happiness anymore dear..people are always suffering..and at some point they will break. But listen hear Lina. Don't ever forget about last night. Cherish those memories you had with your friends. Having friends, people that support you are uncommon now a days.even if it was Mist never forget them."

Lina face twist in agony as she cried her eyes out. Falling to her knees she drop her head as it landed on top of the soccer ball, her tears dampen the dirt under her as her eyes were blood shot, snot drip from her nose as she cried to herself. The old man lean back on the bench and stare up into the sky as he closed his eyes.
"Your a rare one Lina."