The Cruelties of Humanity(marked by nyx and courtney only)

The life that one lives should be long and fruitful, right? Well mine has not. I got the wrong side of the lollipop. I have plain Jane looks with dark green eyes. Men never notice abused, raped, and oppressed women like me. The truth is I'd rather be six feet under ground. That's how I feel on a day to day basis and yet I don't end it. I don't end it because I try very hard to look on the bright side and yet in my twenty years of life nothing good has happened to me. Not even a stable relationship with a man who cares about me....its quite a sad life I live and I keep living it..trying to catch the one dream I have. The one I'll never taste because no man will look at me with a gaze full of love and want.

I walked down the strip of town where the clubs are with my head down. I didn't really want to see the looks of disappointment that I wasn't dressed up or had cosmetics on my skin. I despise that men only think women are good looking with cosmetics on. It makes me sick to the pit of my stomach. But I have to go through here to go to my crappy job at a crappy family owned dinner where I get verbally abused every night. Also doesn't pay much. $4.50 an hour plus tips if I get any. So I work two jobs during the week and one on the weekends to pay for my rent and the low grade food I eat.

I walked over to table six where a man had just sat down. "Good evening. My name is Lizbet. I'll be your server tonight. What can I get you for a drink?" I asked him. My sweedish accent was in my voice thickly tonight. I had no idea why though. But it happened every now and then.

I smiled at the woman. Lizbet. I've heard that name only once or twice before when I was in Sweden. "Good afternoon Lizbet," I said. "I would like a Strawberry malt and the bacon cheeseburger please. On the rare side." I liked strawberry malt because I could slip my blood power in it without anyone really noticing and the bloody burger was obvious. I looked up at the woman carefully. She was... beautiful to say the least. To untrained eyes she might appear plain or ordinary but it was the little things that made her stand out to me.

I nodded as I wrote down his order. "Will that be all for you, Sir?" I asked.

"I might order something for desert," I said. "But I'm not sure if I'll be hungry yet, Lizbet. When's your break?" I smiled at her softly. "Oh," I said. "I also have to put this," I showed her a powder that was silver and bright, "in my drink. It's on the doctor's order that I put this in my drink whenever I have my meals to help prevent a blood clot in my brain from forming. Some places see me do this and think it's a drug of some sort and kick me out. I don't know your policies on it but I can show you the doctor's note if you need to." It was all lies except for people seeing me put it in my drinks and thinking it's a drug. Honestly Americans think the worst of everyone.

"I believe you and I won't kick you out." I said regaurding the powder. "And I don't get breaks. I work until midnight." I walked away to go make his malt and place his meal order.

I nodded. Then I'd probably stay until meal time. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my nook. I would probably read "Dracula" again and possible "Hamlet". I loved Dracula because of it's irony and my name. Alucard Draculana. Perfect name for a vampire don't you think? That's why i chose it after all.

I made his malt and also grabbed his meal because it didn't take long for our cook to make it. I walked to his table and set both in front of him. I then walked away to tend my other other tables.

I sighed and watched her walk away. I ate my burger slowly as I read the virtual book. The burger was good. A little on the greasy side for my tastes but as far as burger joints in Hollywood went this was pretty good. I pulled the stopper out of my blood powder and put it into my drink. It gave me that extra push so I wouldn't have to drink real, human blood.

I walked back over to his table. "Mind if I sit down for a minute?" I asked him. I for once was going to sit down for a minute to give my aching feet a break...If he said I could.

I smiled at her and nodded. "I don't see why not Lizbet," I said. I shifted my plate so that the burger was in between us. "I would offer you some of my shake but I've already drugged it."

"It's fine. I just want to sit down for a minute so my feet can have a break for once." I said as I sat down in the other side of the booth.

I smiled. "If you're feet hurt you so much then why would a pretty thing like you work here?" I asked. "You seem smart. Get a better job that doesn't involve walking around with little to no breaks at all."

"I have a GED. I highly doubt I could get one job thats better than all three jobs I work at."

"All three?" I asked. "Where else do you work?" She was an interesting person.

"I work two jobs during the week and one on the weekend. From 7AM till I have to come here I work at the bookstore on main street. On weekends I usually end up working at the Mexican place downtown and then work here until midnight." I told him.

"That must suck," I said. "Why so many and so late?"

I crossed my legs under the table. "Even though my apartment is the crappiest one in the universe my land lord still expects us to pay a high amount for the apartments themselves plus utilities and etc. Plus I have to eat....I don't own a TV and I wouldn't watch it anyways...Too tired when I get home...sometimes I'm so tired I don't even eat before I pass out on my couch that serves as my bed." I said starting to ramble.

I frowned. "Well no offense but that sounds like a crappy way to live," I said. "Sorry but it's true." I thought about it for a second before I said, "Are you saving up for anything in particular?"

"No. Not really. I just try to live off my paychecks so I have somewhere to live and put food in my stomach. And I know it's a crappy way to live....but I've been an orphan since I was ten. My parents and I came back to the states when I was nine and then a year later they died in a plane crash. They worked at the same place and were sent on the same business trip...I was left with my older brother who died two years ago...he was sick of this life and just one day walked in front of a city bus..." I didn't notice I had been twisting a napkin in my hands. "I'm sorry....I should get back to work.." I whispered..But for some reason my body didn't want me to get up yet.

I sighed. "Alright," I said pulling out my wallet. "How much for the food and a your phone number?"

"$15 for your meal and why would you want my number?" I had a curious look on my face.

I pulled out a twenty and three hundred dollar bills. "Because you're going to use that money to buy yourself a mattress tomorrow and I want to help you pick it out." I smiled at her kindly.

"I-I-I can't take all of that from you......And if I bought a bed my land lord would up my rent and....." He would rape me more often even if I did have the cash for my rent...