A month’s accommodation would be plenty of time for me, where I would use that time sensibly to clean myself up and get steadily back on my feet, with the overall intention of hopefully getting myself in permanent work, where I’ll finally be able to pay my own way in life and never be a victim to rough living again.
I kept all my savings -which so far rounded to a measly $152.00 and some cents, mostly in coins- securely on my person in the front pocket of my ripped jeans. It was a miserable amount which technically should have been more, if only I hadn’t of kept getting robbed and having to fucking start over.
So yeah, based on all that it was the best place for it right now, until I bit by bit get it up to $200.00 -a milestone amount which I’ll then exchange each time with a walk-in teller at a bank for dollar bills, until I one day finally have enough to execute my plan.
It made everything I had to carry with me daily like a tortoise, a little heavy. But I knew perseverance would one day pay of-
‘’Going somewhere?’’ a voice behind me suddenly said, and I turned swiftly to see the face of Jeremy’s friend who’d been watching me by the corner earlier, now leering his filthy face down at mine.
‘’What business is that of yours’’ I replied coldly, and continued on walking hoping to quickly make the exit out from Madison Square where more civilized lifeform was.
‘’Need some company babe?’’ another voice to the left of me suddenly said, and I spun my head round to see yet another of Jeremy’s friends, whose face I also remember waiting for me inside that tent…
‘’From you? I don’t think so ‘’babe’’’ I retorted rudely and kept on walking. As uncomfortable as all this was making me, I knew full well if I didn’t bite back like that, if I didn’t show at least some semblance of a tough girl attitude adept to living out on the streets, that it wouldn’t take long for word to spread of my inexperience, where it would be only a matter of days before someone tried attacking me and taking again what little I had.
‘’Come on man let’s get outta here, this chic ain’t gonna give us nuthin’’ another voice from somewhere else said, now making his presence visible from out the park bushes where I guess they’d all been lurking.
‘’That’s where you’re wrong, because if she’s got it, then there’s something for her to give…or rather us take’’ said the first guy.
I could feel my heart pounding ten to the dozen, but let my face show no expression as I stood staring each man out who had now all surrounded me, with the cover of darkness gradually surrounding us all.
‘’What, got nothing witty to say this time? Cat caught your tongue sweetheart?’’ said the second guy, uninvitingly twirling a strand of my hair around his fingers which I angrily batted back ‘’awe come on baby, don’t be such a sour puss’’ the third guy said, with an instant snigger from the first guy who extended the expression ‘sour puss’ into something rudely inappropriate.
‘’Just get the hell outta my way alright’’ I snapped, my fingers already halfway down in reach of the small wasp killer canister I kept inside my back pocket, another stolen item I right now didn’t feel so bad about, as I stood poised ready to burn the eye sockets out of the first guy who tried touching me.
‘’I don’t think so Taylor’’ a fourth voice said, and I turned to see the ring leader himself Jeremy walking towards me, his hand instantly grabbing mine and snatching out the canister I just that second managed to reach ‘’oh that’s right, I remember you baby’’ he said circling his way around me with a cold nasty leer ‘’the ‘you’ who thinks she’s too good to hang with ‘us’ right? Smh, you’re not as hot as you think you are sweetheart’’ he spat rudely.
‘’I never claimed to be’’ I countered back ‘’and as I was just telling your boys, and have no problem telling you also, get the hell out of my way’’ I snapped leveling the same nasty glare back at him, before trying to pass again so I could quickly get to Charlotte Street.
‘’Not so fast bitch’’ he said palm shoving me back hard with his hand ‘’you may have dodged me before, but I don’t take that shit lightly. Oh don’t worry, I’m not interested in that crust you got between your legs’’ he smirked rudely.
‘’Speak for yourself’’ sniggered the guy closest to me, and I felt my body tense in sickened nerves, as this was exactly the terrifying scenario I tried avoiding night after night living out on the streets.
‘’Nah baby, you see…I’m more interested in that clink clink pocket of change you got right next to it’’ said Jeremy running his finger down slowly over the outside of my jeans, knowingly tapping against the pocket of savings I had ‘’I caught you counting it the other day by the shelter’’ he said taking a step closer to me ‘’and after not giving me what I wanted the first time around…’’ he said lowering his eyes down my body then back at me ‘’…I figure its high time now that you owe me’’
‘’I don’t owe you shit’’ I hissed at him, and pushed his hand back before angrily shoving my way past him.
‘’Oh yes you do sweetheart, and not just me, but my boys too’’ he said running a little up ahead of me and blocking my path again ‘’we might all be slumming it out here on the streets, but we still got needs bitch that you and your money will both serve just fine’’ he sneered, and I could hear his boys who too jogged up a little to join us again, each sniggering around me at Jeremy’s crude snide remark.
‘’Oh yeah?’’ I said turning fully to face him now, determined still not to show how nervous I really was, as I squared my jaw and looked at him dead on ‘’well you’re gonna have to fight me for it bitch if that's what it takes’’ I challenged.
Dumb kneejerk reaction I know, but I needed that money I saved. And right now, a show of confidence was the only defense I had in the hopes they’d somehow sense my wrath, and not bother in the end to try and mess with me.
I was wrong.
‘’Quick! Grab her other leg, we can do this in the park’’ instructed Jeremy, and I suddenly found myself in that dreaded situation as Jeremy’s hand quickly cupped over my mouth so I couldn’t scream, where I was then rough dragged into the darkened grounds of Madison Square Park, stripped of all the money which had taken me over a year to save, before feeling what little I had in the way of tattered clothing now being stripped from my body as all four guys crouched like animals over me holding me down.
‘’Get off of me! Get the fuck off of me!’’ I cried out at the first opportunity I got.
‘’Shut up bitch’’ sneered Jeremy, his filthy fingers already halfway down the inside of my jeans and ripping into my underwear.
‘’Oh god heeelllpp-‘’ I tried crying again, when all four boys turned me over facedown now onto my stomach, only to be met with the harsh fist of the second guy connecting hard with my jaw, then again at my cheek.
It stunned me cold, and the pain fast splinted to every nerve I had in my face. But I was a fighter still. And if a fight was what it took to take me down, well then hell I’d give them one!
I without hesitation I bit down hard on the finger of the guy whose hand was closest to my face, watching him instantly flinch back in agony, before using the strongest gust of air I could muster from my lungs, to scream again at the top of my voice in the hopes someone nearby would hear the commotion and come help me.
‘’Just for that bitch I ain’t gonna lube up’’ sneered Jeremy in my face ‘’that’s right Taylor, I’m gonna make you feel the burn of my fucking cock in your filthy ass’’ he said, and disgustingly spat in my face as his boys each held me down by my arms and legs.