• Chapter one

    Taylor stood apon the rubbish heap, her dirt smothered hands shaking. She raised her right and rubbed her sweat beaded brow, smudging a dirty line across her face.

    The pounding heat of the indian sun was starting to get to her as it cooked her skin and drew her needed moisture to her skin. Was it just her imagination, or was the sun getting hotter everyday? everyone around her was shouting, whether in relief or in anger. It was mostly in anger.

    Taylor's mother, mandy, was sitting ontop of a bashed-up washign machine, head in her hands. Taylor looked on at her mother, a tight feeling building in her stomach. Her hands trembled even more and moisture sprang to her eyes. She fought to keep the tears at bay anf preoccupied herself with rumaging in the rubbish again.

    A glint in the small hole taylor had made caught her eye. She bent down, breathing pace quickening. Taylor was sure she'd seen the tale tale glisten of gold somewhere. She bent down to search on her hands and knees, praying for somethign valuable.

    Her blistered hand passed over cans and crisp wrappers, it caught one knife which cut in and brought blood to drench her hand. The lukewarm liquid seemed almost welcome to her. Taylors deep brown eyes darted around her hole hurridley, trying to locate her golden goal.

    eventually, with a sigh and return of the tight feeling in her stomach, Taylor gave up and straightened out, streching. she took a step towards her mother, unblocking the sunlight to her ditch. Then she caught the gleam again. she dived for it.

    when she rose again, a small glistening braclet was clutched in her clause covered hand, tears of relief tumbling down her sun kissed cheeks. "Mother! Look!" she shouted, joy trembling through every synombl. Weak kneed, she ran to her mother across the rubbish, tripping often.

    Her mother looked up with the same deep brown eyes, doubt and neverousness filling them. then they flickered to the glittering braclet in her daughters hand. "Oh!" She cryed, her expression matching her daughters. Taylor grinned happily as she thought of the fact that she would be able to eat actual food tonight. Yes, she thought, tonight would be a good one.
    ***

    Taylor sat, curled up in a ball, inside the tent that her mother and her owned. they had found it in the dumps a few months ago and it was workign nicely.

    Taylor's mother was nowhere insight. She had told her daughter that she would be off getting food. Although the smile from the previous joy from earlier was still painted on taylors face, worry was tinting her eyes. Her mother was late, very late.

    She had been curled up like that for at least an hour, yet she knew the nearest food supply was only five minutes away. Being thirteen taylor was sure she could manage being on her own for a while, but she worried desperatly that her mother wouldn't come back. what if the police had found her, What if she'd been kidnapped...or worse?

    A sound of footsteps outside the tent caused Taylor to sit bolt upright, but they carried on past her, leaving the tense, wriggling feeling in her stomach to only increase. Mr. Paws, a tattered and torn teddy bear, lay next to Taylor. She picked up his half-stuffed stomach and hugged him close to her chest. she closed her eyes and rolled onto her back, praying that sleep would in close her.

    She concentrated on the warm smell of the ending day, clung to the warm touch that still remained on her skin.she began to drift, she could feel her mind passing into sleep. Yet her stomach had diffrent ideas. It let out a loud rumbling, dragging back Taylor's consousness. She couldn't sleep when she was this hungry.

    Heavy breathing and a starnge smeel alearted her to the fact that someone was in the tent. "Mother! Where were you I was so..." Taylors excited voice trailed off as she noticed the smell remenating off her mother. Achohol.

    "Have you been drinking mum?" she asked in a trembling voice as she pulled her self backwards, away from her mother. Her mother raised her face towards her and it became clear. Yes, she had.

    "Darling I can do what i like! anyway i only had one or two glasses." Mandy hiccuped and then she began swaying. "here's your dinner." She said chucking taylor a folded up napkin. egarly, taylor unfloded the napkin to find it was...empty. Great, she thought. "Eat up honey, i had a great night I-" another hiccup inturppted her though, and then, in one sudden movement, Mandy collapsed onto the floor.

    In the candlelight Taylor put her head on her knees and cryed.