Lana Rhoades
-------------------------------
"Lana stepped over the cracked linoleum,her eyes scanning the cramped, cluttered space she called home.The air reeked of stale cigarettes and yesterday's Chinese takeout , the smell clinging to her skin like a bad habit . She sighed, her shoulders sagging beneath the weight of another dismal day.
The faded wallpaper seemed to close in around her, its peeling edges a constant reminder of the decay that surrounded her.
This was her life:a dingy apartment in a rundown building, no money or hopes for college and a future that seemed as bleak as the grey skies outside .
Lana's gaze drifted to the kitchenette, where a pile of unpaid bills teetered on the edge of the counter .
As she began to clear the cluttered sink, Lana's mind wandered to her mother , who's been bed-ridden with a chronic illness for months . The medical bills had piled up , threatening to engulf them both.Lana's heart ached with evey scrub of the greasy pots and pans.
Just then, the doorbell shrilled, jolting Lana back to reality . She hesitated, wondering who could be visiting at this ungodly hour . The bell rang again, more insistently this time .
Lana wiped her hands on a stained towel and made her way to the door . her senses on high alert .
"Who could it be?"