Silent and experienced footsteps carried Lisa toward her destination.
There it was!
Lisa could see her mother's silhouette lying on the sofa, those thin yet powerful arms clutching at the beer bottle with everything the older woman had.
The money was nowhere to be seen, but Lisa had expected it. She knew about her mother's paranoia about being thieved and how her mother likes to hoard her money and belongings.
Experienced hands reached out to turn the older lady around until Lisa could grab the hidden money beneath the couch cushion.
Lisa had gotten extremely lucky tonight. She managed to hold on to the money without getting into trouble.
The female pulled her hand back, counting her breath to run away as fast as possible from this situation. She was meticulous.
But Lisa's luck decided to dive suddenly toward the other side. A hand grabbed her retreating hand, and Lisa was pulled toward the couch.
A familiar face loomed before Lisa's eyes, making her breath hitch and her heart cold in fear.
"M-Mother, can I get you anything? Did you wake up because you feel tristy? Here, let me grab you some water-"
A warm hand grabbed Lisa's hair, and her head exploded in pain as her hair was pulled up.
It was a familiar gesture, but the pain never lessened when her mother got into this mood. All Lisa was left behind was disappointment and resentment, which she could not act upon.
"You-! It's all your fault! My brother told me you were bad news when my boyfriend disappeared out of the blue! You ruined my chances of marriage, and now you are ruining my sleep as well. You little shit-"
The pair of scalding hands warped around Lisa's throat and tightened just enough to the point where it became impossible for her to breathe. But those hands did not have enough power to crush Lisa's throat completely.
Despite the pain and humiliation Lisa felt, she held on to her consciousness and waited for her mother to fall back asleep.
The influence of alcohol and sleep turned out to be too alluring for her mother to stay awake for much longer.
Lisa felt winded as soon as the heavy body of her mother collapsed on top of it.
Her head felt dizzy, and the sudden oxygen rush made Lisa lightheaded. But despite these challenges, Lisa knew she needed to keep moving!
*cough*
Pushing the heavy body off her chest was challenging, but Lisa managed to do that because of her extensive practice.
Her mother was out like a light; it was a miracle that nothing had happened that night.
Lisa dragged her body through the hallway. Her body felt heavier with each step, and her way felt cold.
It was a familiar position for Lisa, and she felt relaxed walking in the middle of a silent night. Her mind could find solace in this quietness, and the flash of red outside Lisa's window begged her attention….
'Is someone looking at me right now? No way! I locked all the doors and pulled all the curtains up when I turned in for the night. There should be no way anyone can see me!'
Lise looked at the window where she had previously noticed that flash of red, but the curtain covered it. The Curtain was made of thick black material, blocking all the incoming light during the night.
That curtain was necessary for living in run-down parts of town where privacy was a forgone concept.
"Huh? There is no flash of red anywhere. I must be seeing things because it's late, and I am tired. Some sleep will do me good."
Lisa tried to force her eyes away from the window, but some unnatural force seemed to hold her attention and make her look at that thick black clothing.
Luckily, she caught her hand before she could pull the curtain back and take a look outside.
'I should go to sleep. I will need all my brain power tomorrow. I wish I could save up enough and leave this place behind.'
People might call Lisa a heartless person for making this decision, but Lisa did not think her decision to leave this place would change.
As for her mother?
Lisa was already treated as if she did not exist. Her mother would not miss Lisa even if she were to disappear.
After all, if her mother did not look for her when Lisa went missing at 12, what were the chances that her mother would look for her now that she was an adult?
...
*Crash*
*Beep*
*Thud*
"Ugh, it's morning already? How many hours did I sleep for last night? I don't want to get up."
Lisa was awakened by all the morning noise surrounding her house ten minutes before her alarm went off.
Those ten minutes felt like an eternity, and Lisa did not move her body until her alarm went off.
Once she felt she could do nothing else but get up and force herself into her morning routine, she got up and started going through the well-practiced motions.
The breakfast was dry but edible. It was more than Lisa had eaten for the past couple of breakfasts.
The food was not tasty, but it was savory, which made Lisa's mood peak.
So it was a given that her moment of happiness needed to be tarnished, and her mother's cold and uncaring voice was the one to do it.
"Hey, you! Have you seen my money? I swear I put it around somewhere safe, but knowing your grubby hands, I don't trust your innocence."
The older female walked closer, and each step made Lisa's heart beat more painfully.
Even though Lisa was no longer a child, and her mother could not make any noticeable marks on her body and justify it as 'playing,' her body felt conditioned to look up and fear her mother.
Even that hand reaching for Lisa's shoulder felt like a claw of pain.
"So, did you take my money or not? I want a truthful answer from you, girl! And if you lie to me, your end won't be pretty."