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Being orphaned is never easy; but being orphaned and taking care of another is a whole different level of not easy.

As Crip made his way around the 'shelter', Jabbs came up following from behind holding a bag. Each orphan placed their coins in the bag, and Jabbs gave a mocking smile to each one.

Finally, he reached Tyler, and Tyler dropped his two copper coins into the bag.

Jabbs made to move on, but stumbled into Crip.

"Ahem. I think you're forgetting something."

Crips raised an eyebrow in the girl's direction.

Fuck.

"What?"

"Well well my dear Tyler, who's going to take care of our poor little friend there?"

The girl sat, cowering in the corner hugging her knees behind Tyler.

"How would I know, I've paid my dues. Ask her for hers."

Although Tyler couldn't hear it, she let out a small whimper.

Crip smirked, then spoke to the orphans, "We all know this is a cruel, dangerous world. All I ask from you is a simple token of your gratitude to me, for providing you with somewhere you can rest your head, a safe refuge after everyone you loved abandoned you. Is that not fair?"

He stared intensely at one of the boys, causing him to tumble back, and continued, "Now if she can't pay... what ever will we do? This shelter isn't free my dear friends! Who knows what could happen to our poor little angel here, out in this big wide world?"

He turned to face Tyler, and Tyler clenched his fists in frustration. "Will no one stand up for this poor child?" All the orphans shuffled back, or found the floorboards suddenly very interesting.

Useless fucks.

Tyler looked back at the girl, and caught her pleading eyes. Those big, pleading eyes.

Fuck.

"I'll have your money Crip. You useless swine." Jabbs immediately stepped forward and gave Tyler a kick, causing him to fall back beside her.

Looking down on Tyler, Crip replied, "Very well. Tomorrow," he paused then continued, "Or its your finger."

He smiled to himself and left with Jabbs following behind counting the days takings.

Tyler cursed and dusted himself down.

She tentatively reached a hand out to him, but he quickly swatted it away. She cowered back.

"Don't touch me. Look what you got us into. Now I'll have to pay for your share as well. Do you understand? I'll probably have to put in twice the effort, sweat twice the amount and perhaps maybe it all won't be enough and I'll have to lose a finger, and I can't even choose which one, I've grown quite comfortable to my ten little friends her."

She continued looking at him with downcast eyes, but he didn't give up. "DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING?"

She just continued staring at him.

"FOR FUCK'S SAKE!" Tyler got up and stormed off, with all the other orphans clearing the way.

Quietly, so that no one would notice, she started sobbing.

---

They called her Barbie, cause when Crip brought her in she was holding a doll.

"Now she won't be old enough to work, but she will be. Until then, one of you will have to pay for her rent."

Everyone shuffled back into the darkness, and Tyler in his infinite wisdom decided to stay rooted to the spot.

"Ah Tyler! Very well. You'll start paying tomorrow."

He turned and left, and the girl stood in the middle of the room holding the doll.

The gravity of the situation struck Tyler, and he mumbled softly, "Fuck."

She looked around shyly, then walked over to Tyler unsurely.

She sat down next to him, and he looked at her with disdain.

He managed a few instances of anger, before he was caught staring into her eyes.

Her big, enchanting eyes. It felt like he could get lost...

Fuck.

Shaking his head back to reality, he asked her, "You got a name?"

She continued looking at him, dumbfounded.

"Didn't you hear me? You got a name?"

She hesitated, looked at her doll and looked back at him.

"Great. You can't speak can you? Just great. My life just keeps getting better."

She tilted her head, and looked at the doll in her hands. She handed it over to him.

It was plastic, with long blonde hair and unnaturally large brown eyes. Just like hers.

There was a tag attached, and it read "BARBIE".

"Barbie huh. I guess that's a good a name as any."

He gave it back to her, and said, "Just catch some sleep now. I don't know where or how Crip got you, but you're probably going to need your energy."

---

Tyler got back later that night, drenched in rain. He was in a foul mood, and no one relished the thought of getting in his way.

Grumbling, he sat next to Barbie to let the rain dry off.

She looked at him, and he snapped, "What are you looking at!"

She gave a small gasp and backed away, taken aback by his anger.

Tyler sighed, then took out two copper coins from his pockets.

"Look, if you don't start working soon, you're going to have to get out of here. I'm never going to be able to steal enough for the both of us."

She turned to look at him blankly; albeit sadly, before he sighed again. "I hope you understand; I can't keep this up. Sooner or later someone is going to catch me, and then what for you?"

She just kept staring at him with her head low, and he sighed.

"Don't worry about that for now. Let's just go to sleep."

He lay down and faced the other way, while she held the coins close to her chest.

---

He didn't believe it at first. He had stolen a train ticket that night, and even the burden of Barbie couldn't dampen his spirits.

"With this, I can leave this place! I can travel to a whole different place, maybe where children like me will not need to steal. Do you have any idea what this means, Barbie? I'm going to be free!"

She looked at him, and for a moment he thought she seemed a bit sadder.

Probably just me putting emotions to her face.

He shrugged, then continued, "I can't wait for this! I'm going to leave tonight, when Crip lets us out for our rounds today! Then I won't have to see his bastard face anymore, and I won't have to pay his stinking tax!"

She looked away absent-mindedly, and looked back at him, seemingly sadder than before.

"Don't worry, with me gone, one of these other boys will be forced to take care of you. These fuckers can't keep relying on me!" Deep in his heart he knew it would be hard for the rest of them. But holding that ticket in his hand, he felt a new surge of hope.

Nothing would stop him from his freedom.

She looked around, and the rest of the orphans seemed defeated; tired. She looked back at him, and Tyler thought he saw fear in her eyes.

Her damn eyes...

His gaze was interrupted by the doors slamming open, and he jerked to face Crip.

"Alright boys, let's head out!"

The rest of the boys shuffled forward, exhausted of their life already.

Contrastingly, Tyler jumped up and stood in the middle of the shelter. He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath; the smell of sweat, the stale underdraft of urine, and the creaking floorboards he could hear; he sucked them all in and breathed them out, as if expelling them forever.

He smiled.

"Well, what you waiting for Tyler? Hurry the fuck up, you have to work twice as hard anyway!" Crips laughed.

He looked back at her, then back at Crip.

"For sure! I'll see you when I get back!"

Crips was puzzled by his sudden enthusiasm, and Tyler walked confidently to the door, savouring every step, knowing once he stepped out he would be free to run straight to the trains and get out of here.

To freedom; to a new life he would discover!

He stopped at the door again, and breathed in the air of the outside. The world that would soon be his, no more locking up in this shit hole and being sent out to work; he would be his own man and his own person.

He savoured the moment, and let all his dreams wash over him.

Maybe I'll own a huge house with a servant. Or maybe ten thousand servants!

Euphoria struck him, and he giggled quietly.

Crips raised his eyebrow quizzically, and said, "Well get going you dumb fuck."

He was mid-step before he felt something grab his elbow.

He turned to face Barbie, and she started tearing up.

As the drops trickled from her beautiful eyes down her perfectly formed cheeks that Tyler had just noticed, she whimpered quietly.

"Please don't go."

Fuck.

He sighed, and suddenly all he could smell was the 4 copper coins.