<span style="font-style: italic">Run</span>.<br/><br/>That's all she could think: run. But she couldn't. They had her hair, and, if she ran, she would risk losing it, as well as all the dignity the gang had taken. She felt in her pocket for her zippo, but then realized that her pants were being ripped off, and she couldn't get it. She looked over, and saw her sister. She was crying, but was forced to watch, her hair clamped in a hard fist, several strands already ripped out, the man's arms rippling with extreme strength.<br/><br/>It was terrible.<br/><br/>The girl couldn't stop them. She wanted to, but she couldn't. She was being raped, she realized, and tears began to stream her face. They began to take off her shirt, when someone shouted, in a burly, unfamiliar voice, "Police!" and they dropped her to the ground, naked and quaking. She curled up, and watched as they took the girl, her sister, with them, probably to be raped and then killed. She felt her arm shoot out, into her pocket, and wrapped her fingers around her zippo. She lit it up and began burning the skin on the tips of her fingers.<br/><br/>The pain was, at first, unbearable as the flame cut into her skinny fingers. Then, it stopped, as quickly as it started, and she sat up, gasping. She looked around, her breathing hollow, and met the eyes of the large gang member who had raped her.<br/><br/>She screamed.<br/>--<br/><br/>"Jeremy."<br/><br/>The male opened his bright blue eyes, looking around for the one who said his name. It was a wispy voice, almost ghost-like, very young and feminine.<br/><br/>"Jeremy."<br/><br/>It came again. He sat up, wiping his eyes. A weight lifted off his chest, and a hand connected with his cheek, in a slight slap. It hurt, at first, but then his body let him realize that it was nothing, and the pain dissipated.<br/><br/>"Jeremy."<br/><br/>His eyes scanned the room, looking for the person who had slapped him. His eyes trained on a slim figure, with long, flowing hair.<br/><br/>"Jessie?"<br/><br/>"Jeremy. Time to get up."<br/><br/>"What time is it?" He felt his body being lifted out of bed, and he stood on his own, brushing his sister's hands away.<br/><br/>"Seven thirty."<br/><br/>"Last night was Saturday..It's Sunday. I don't have to be in until ten, tonight."<br/><br/>"Well, that doesn't mean you can't get up on time," she spoke, her eyes flicking from her brother, to the alarm by his bed.<br/><br/>"I don't want to get up. I need sleep; I have third shift," Jeremy said, lowering back to the bed.<br/><br/>"Fine. Tell you what; I'll let you sleep in until ten. Then, you will get your lazy ass out of--"<br/><br/>"Where'd you learn that?" Jeremy asked, suddenly aware of what his sister had said.<br/><br/>"What?" Jessica asked, shrugging her shoulders.<br/><br/>"Ass," Jeremy replied.<br/><br/>"I follow you around every day; I pick up on the things that you say."<br/><br/>"Ah. Well." He lowered his head to the pillow, and closed his eyes. "Good night, Jessie."<br/><br/>"Night, Jer." The girl dissappeared into thin air, to return when his alarm rang.<br/>--<br/><br/>There was a knock at the door. Isabella peered at her clock; eight nineteen. She didn't have to be in until nine. She set down her purse, and  pulled open her door.<br/><br/>"Hi. Are you Isabella?"<br/><br/>"Yeah, that's me."<br/><br/>"I've been hearing screams from your apartment; know anything about that?"<br/><br/>"Yeah. Sorry, I've been having bad dreams. Nightmares." Isabella nodded her head.<br/><br/>"Can you please just go see a doctor or something?"<br/><br/>"Why, does it bother you?"<br/><br/>The woman nodded.<br/><br/>"Oh, well. I can't afford a psychiatrist right now; I'm a student."<br/><br/>"Don't you have a job?" the lady leered, adjusting her glasses on her nose.<br/><br/>"Yes, I work at Dick's," Isabella replied, grabbing her purse. "And, I'm going to be late, unless you let me go--"<br/><br/>"I'll report you to the Super, if you don't quit," the lady said. "In fact, I'll file a complaint right now." She sneered at Isabella. "Good bye, young lady." The woman trotted down the hall, to the elevator. She went to the lobby, and filed a complaint with the superintendent, Chase. She taped the form onto the door of his office, and left.<br/><br/>"Gosh, am I not allowed to be a human being?" Isabella muttered, slamming her door behind her.