Mascara, Heels and Heroin

(Trigger Warning: Strong language, Drug use, Abuse)

Five-inch-high stiletto boots, bright white, over the knee, click clacked shamelessly. The shapely legs that filled them belonged to Maryann. She spilled out of the dressing room into the dimly lit club like she owned it. Her outfit left little to the imagination. A halter top that accentuated her cleavage while showing off her belly was black, shiny, and appeared to be painted on her. Her skirt followed suit with just enough fabric to barely cover her curvy, muscular behind. The black lights of the club made her boots glow, emphasizing the outfit that clung to her hourglass figure.

She walked tall and confidently towards her first target of the night. At the bar, she put her arm around the broad shoulders of the man in the suit and let her fingers slowly slide down his arm.

“Hey, big fella, how's your night going?” Maryann purred into his ear.

He turned to face her, frowning, seeming annoyed at first, and then quickly a smile washed over his face. He took in her perfectly made-up face and gazed into her dark eyes, made darker with kohl eyeliner, fake eyelashes coated with black mascara and accentuated with sparkly purple eye shadow that made her green eyes pop. He was mesmerized.

“W.... w....w… would you like a drink?” he stuttered, reaching for his wallet. She ran her fingers through his hair and said, “I'd love one baby. Double vodka and cranberry. Have another for yourself too. I hate to drink alone.”

As he paid the bartender, she kept an eye on his open wallet. It was stuffed full of bills. Just the way she liked it. He seemed to appreciate her curvaceous figure, and there was an easy banter between them. She had her first victim under her wildly feminine allure. Within minutes of silly small talk, she had lured him into the VIP rooms where his wallet of bills would become hers. Soon she'd have the money and the chance to spend time with her true love... Heroin.

***

“OK, guys, dinners ready.” Nine-year-old Sandy had made dinner as usual for her two younger siblings. Jenna is six and Noreen is four. They were a handful for Sandy to take responsibility for. But she loved her little sisters. With her Mom always working, she had to make sure someone was there for them.

“Ah.... Chicken Nuggets again?” Jenna flopped down at the table complaining.

“It's OK, Sandy, I love chicken nuggets.” Little Noreen piped in with her usual positive attitude.

“Eat up, guys. It's all that's there until Mom comes home with groceries.”

Jenna huffed and puffed with a big frown and announced. “Mom never comes home with groceries. She always makes you do it!! She's never here, and when she does come home, she's in the room with her friends and won't let us in. Why doesn't Mommy love us? Other kids I know have Moms that stay home and take care of them. It's not fair!”

“Mommy loves us!!” Noreen piped up in a confident voice.

Sandy's job was now to reassure.

“Of course, Mommy loves us. She's just very busy with work. If she didn't work, we wouldn't eat or have clothes. Now eat your dinner, because we still have homework to finish, and you need a bath, Noreen. Maybe you could help me with the dishes tonight, Jenna? I'm pretty tired from cleaning the house.”

“Fine. OK.” Jenna sighed at the task she didn't want to do, but knew she had to help.

After dinner cleanup and bathing, Sandy put her sisters to bed and read them some books. Their favorite was Nando the bull. She read that one twice. Sandy kissed her little sisters’ foreheads with such gentle love, it was as though a leaf was kissing the wind. Luckily the girls fell asleep quickly. Sandy could now do her homework. She always missed her Mom the most when the girls were tucked in. She was loneliest then and longed to have someone read her a story. She vaguely remembered her Mom singing lullabies before but couldn't remember the words. She was in Grade Five now and her homework was getting harder. Taking care of everything was becoming more challenging. Taking care of her Mom was always hardest on her. She loved her Mommy so much; she didn't understand why she was always away from them. She tried so hard to do everything right so her mommy would spend time with her. Above all else, she hoped her Mom came home alone. If not, the kids might get woken up when her friends started to get loud. They had school in the morning. They needed sleep.

***

It was 2:50 AM and Maryann was giving her last lap dance of the night. She was tired and needed a shot. But she smiled at him like he was the only man in the world. Her feet and calves hurt from her fabulous footwear, but she stood tall and steady as she gyrated and swayed her hips to the music, occasionally sliding her body down his eager frame to continue exciting him.

He was very pleased with her performance and showed his appreciation with a monetary gift of three hundred dollars. Maryann was in the best dressing room stall to privately count her money made. Nine hundred. Seven hundred would get her high and two hundred she would give to Earl for his protection.

Earl was Maryann’s on again, off again boyfriend and he protected her from the weirdos and stalkers she had. He also made Maryann’s best friend Claire pay $200 for protection even though she didn't want to. But Ray was tough. Even tougher with Maryann but she just wished he didn't hit her as much as he did. She thought she deserved it. She knew she screwed up a lot and was just a sleazy drug addict stripper. That's what Earl always reminded her anyway.

Claire worked with Maryann and was already outside waiting for her. Claire was the one person she could count on to be there for her no matter what.

Earl was waiting outside to drive them back to Maryann's so they could all get high. He was a pusher, so not only did he collect his fake “protection money” off Maryann and Claire, but he also got the rest of their money after their shifts because he sold them the drugs. He didn’t give a fuck about protecting the girls, he just conned them. He cared only about protecting himself and his bankroll. The street hustler that he was, created this so-called protection money ruse to fatten his own pockets. In his eyes there was no protection, just money.

Their favorite poison was Heroin. This meant Earl could do shots for free using their hard-earned money. He didn't make much profit despite the money he collected from them because his drug use took away his profit but got him high for free instead. Sellers who are users, don’t go far up the ladder.

Earl blasted the music as he pulled into Maryann's driveway with no regard for the late hour and the neighbors and kids. They had done a shot in the club parking lot, so they were all flying high and oblivious to anything but the drug coursing through their veins. All three were talking excitedly as they knew they were moments away from doing more shots inside.

“Hurry up and open the God damn door,” Earl snarled to Maryann, who was searching through her purse for the keys. Earl continued, “You're useless Maryann, I don't know why I put up with you.”

“I'm sorry, Earl, I didn't mean to keep you waiting.” Maryann trailed off.

Claire piped up. “She is not useless, Earl. Stop talking to her like that.”

“She's my bitch, I'll talk to her how I like. Or I could leave, and you ladies won’t get to enjoy my primo heroin.

Maryann finally found her keys, and Earl was the last one inside, still talking loudly about how he was the man, and those bitches better smarten up before he leaves them high and dry. In Maryann’s bedroom, he blasts the stereo and dances around the room while Maryann and Claire beg for a shot. He laughs and says they both have to suck him off first.

“Fuck you, Earl,” Claire hissed, “I paid for my stuff fair and square, and I won't go near my friend’s man. Now stop fucking around and give me my stuff.”

“Fine, you little bitch, be like that” and he hurled a tight baggie of heroin right at her head and laughed.

Claire quickly set about getting it ready for the needle. At the same time, Earl had given Maryann a shot in her arm, and she lost her balance, knocking over a glass lamp with a heavy crash. There was debris everywhere. Sandy suddenly appeared in the doorway.

“What's going on, Mommy? I heard a loud noise. I got scared.”

In a stupor, Maryann tripped over herself, bruising her knees to get to her daughter. She gathered Sandy up into a big hug.

“Everything is ok my baby, Mommy just broke a lamp by accident.”

“The babies are asleep, Mom. Can you be quiet so they can rest for school?”

“Yes, my baby, Mommy will....” she was cut-off mid sentence by Earl. Earl pushed Maryann out of the way and grabbed little Sandy by the shoulders. He was shaking her something fierce as he growled at her.

“You stupid little bitch, this is your Moms house and it's not your place to give commands. I should tan your hide for being so mouthy. Little brat. Keep your mouth shut and go back to bed.”

Maryann and Claire were both yelling. “No, no, let her go!” And grabbing at him to release her when Jenna appeared at the door with Noreen in her arms, crying. Earl pushed Sandy out of his grasp so roughly. She was as light as a fluffy pillow. The force of his push ripped apart the drywall with her head and the dust filled the hallway. Her head was spinning painfully. But she was OK.

Earl turned to Maryann and snarled, “See what you did, all your little sluts are awake now. Making a racket. Shut up.!” He screamed at the girls.

Sandy grabbed her sisters and hid in their usual spot in the closet. She covered Noreen’s ears and sang softly to Jenna as she listened to the muffled yelling, the sound of things breaking, skin slapping and her mom crying.

Claire was screaming, “Leave her alone and let's get outta here before the cops are called.”

Sandy kept listening until eventually it sounded like the front door opened and closed. Everything was quiet then, except for the soft sobs of Maryann.

The three young girls ran to her, yelling, “Mama? Mama, are you OK? Is he gone? Are we safe?”

Maryann sniffled and pulled herself together as best she could. “Claire took Earl home. Don't worry, baby. I'm fine and he won't come back to hurt you. Back to bed now, schools in the morning, my angels.”

Jenna and Noreen took awhile to comfort, but Sandy managed to do it. Her Mom couldn't because she had to do that thing in her bedroom, where she gives herself medicine with a needle. Sandy wished her Mama didn't need so much medicine.

Sandy was just about finished washing the blood off her mommy and had her comfy in bed when the front door slammed open so hard, it was left hanging off the top hinges. Earl was there, back again, and just as angry and irrational as before.

“I couldn't stop him from coming back” Claire announced with trepidation in her voice.

Earl grabbed Maryann by the neck and started to choke her, calling her a “No good beat down ‘ho.” Then when he punched her in the face, blood splattered everywhere. Claire couldn't pull him off, and Sandy was left watching. Getting more and more scared. She quickly turned up the TV so Jenna and Noreen wouldn't hear. She then locked their door by tightening the rope around the knob and pulling it so tautly by affixing the other end around the knob to her bedroom. Sandy had often done this before.

When Mommy had too much medicine and got mad easily. Or when she had another man friend over who got too friendly. Sandy would never let her babies be touched the way she had been when her mom fell asleep, but the mean men were still awake. And they promised they wouldn't hurt her. They said she would like it. But she never did. She was nine now and almost ten. She wouldn't let anymore men hurt her Mom or herself again. She had a plan now. She told herself again, almost ten. Almost an adult. She was big enough to stop these mean men.

Earl was as high as a kite, and with all that heroin coursing through his veins, no one knew what he would do. He seemed ready to kill. But in the blink of an eye, Sandy was on his back with a knife from the kitchen. She couldn't watch her mom bleed in front of her anymore or risk her baby sisters getting hurt. She gasped in horror as she fell off Earl and watching him flailing about, trying to get the knife out. It was only a matter of minutes and Earl was dead with a knife stuck in his back. There was blood everywhere. Especially on sandy.

Maryann was hysterical. “Claire, Claire, look what's been done. No Sandy, NO!”

“It’s ok Mommy, he can’t hurt us anymore now. It’s ok. It’s okay right Claire? Cuz I’m almost ten so I’m big and strong now. I was able to help Mommy this time. It’s ok, Mama, he won’t make you bleed anymore. It was time for him to bleed. He was a bad man; I did a good thing right Claire? Right Mommy?”

Maryann and Claire looked at each other and both hugged Sandy in a tight little group hug. The love they felt for her was indescribable. This little waif of a girl who day after day took care of herself and her sisters without complaining. Immediately both women agreed that this man's death was only to make the world a better place. And poor little Sandy just trying to protect her mother and her sisters. But what of Sandy? What would happen if the police were involved?? It was all self defense, but she would be marked for life. They couldn't let that happen to her. They decided to take matters into their own hands.

Both Maryann and Claire immediately came to the decision to bury Earl in the forest behind the house. They had to move quick, it would be daylight before they knew it. They went through all his pockets and found his bankroll which they split between them. They also stripped him of his drugs which was almost better than the money. They needed a shot and did a big one each. The task that lay before them was daunting. Sandy was stuck to her Moms side, not knowing how to let go.

“It's gonna be ok my baby. Just don't tell anyone what happened here tonight.” Maryann nuzzled her daughter into a big hug once again. She kissed her forehead and said, “now it's time for bed, sweetheart. You've got school in the morning, and you need your rest. Just promise me, don't tell anybody what happened.”

“I promise I won't, Mommy.” Sandy was doing everything she could to keep her big girl pants on and not pee like a baby. She was still so scared even though she was mostly proud of herself for saving her Mama. She was also so relieved that her baby sisters were still in bed and hadn't seen anything. She went to bed, too, hoping she could fall asleep and hoping she wouldn't have nightmares. Sandy was glad Claire was here. She was too tired to keep watching her Mommy.

Claire and Maryann dug that hole, and they dug it deep. Then, with all the energy they could muster and all the strength, they lifted Earl out of the house from that blood-stained bedroom and dragged him right into that hole. His body was contorted in a ghastly position. They covered him up really good. He was down deep and was covered with lots of dirt. And then moss on top to make it seem like nothing had been upturned in the forest. They were scared to death doing it, but they did it. They did it for Sandy.

“What are we at?” Maryann asked Claire, needing reassurance from her best friend that this was the right thing to do instead of calling the police like some kind of upstanding, morally in tuned, socially adept citizen.

“He nearly beat you to death! It was self defense. Self defense by your little daughter. And what do you want to happen to her? Nothing, right? You wanna keep her out of the police, out of the limelight? You wanna keep this a secret? We're doing the right thing.” Claire was saying all the right things. Everything they both needed to hear to ease the guilt of burying a man.

Finally, the job was done, and Earl was gone. As they cleaned up the wounds Maryann had on her body, along with the blood on the floor, they knew one thing was right. Words spoken like gospel from their favorite band, The Chicks, “Earl had to die.” And that he did.