There are times when I look at other people and can't believe how wonderful their lives are. They have parents that love them, a good home and maybe even pets. And do you know what bothers me, they still complain. You can't talk to a normal teen without them mentioning how mean their parents are or how they can't get a new designer set of clothes. I would give everything to be in their situation.

"Chandra!" A voice sharply sounded in my ear. I turned around to see Kyra (my best friend) staring at me. "Pay attention for once in your life, will ya? Five bucks says you were day-dreaming again."

"Sorry." I weakly muttered, and turned my head to the front of the classroom. Mr. Burne was in the middle of explaining about the Pythagorean theorem. Which, in case you didn't know, has something to do with math(Don't worry, at first I was confused too.).

Anyway, he was just starting something about a hypotenuse (or a hippo, I can't really remember) when the bell sounded. I grabbed my text-book and raced out of school.

I walked up the sidewalk for a while and passed some really old houses that were most likely haunted. Once I can to corner, I stopped and looked over my shoulder. No one was near by so I run down the street and ducked into a hedge. Twigs pierced my hands and knees as I crawled through.

Once I wrestled the hedge, I found myself in the "poor" neighborhood. Graffiti and dirt clung to the old run down buildings that lined the streets. Small clusters of people hid, their faces covered, in the small, dark alleyways. I walked along, quietly, without looking up.

Before long I came to an old, pretty much junkish building. I opened the door and walked in.

"Brat! Is that you!" A voice yelled from another room.

"Yeah, mom." I replied coldly.

"What did I tell you about calling me mom?! I may have given birth to you, but I didn't want you, so you're not my kid." My grumbling mom yelled.

"Sorry...um...Suzette." I mumbled as I threw my books down on a small, dirty table.

"That's better. Now, get me some more rum!" Mom/Suzette ordered from her bug infested bed.

I walked to the kitchen, opened one of the cabinets and pulled out two giant bottles of beer. I carefully transported them to my "mother's" already shaky hands.

"Here." I looked at my "mom". She was a mess. Her thick black hair stuck out everywhere, she looked as if she hadn't had a bath in years and was about 50 lbs overweight. In one of her grubby hands she held a remote for the little T.V that stood on a dresser at the other end of the room. I shook my head and went to my room, anticipating the fun I would have later.



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            "BRAT!" A drunken woman, called from the doorway. It took a moment to register that it was my "mom". "Git up, ya little slacker!" She threw an empty bottle of beer at me. It crashed against the wall, a few inches from my head.

            "Why you!" My "mom" raced across the room, punching and kicking me. I crawled to the corner of the room and held my hands up, trying to block the blows. Tears ran down my, now bleeding, cheeks. Pain gripped me, all over. It wasn't the first time my mom had beat me, and if it was her way it wouldn't be the last. She had beat me everyday since my dad died, and that was over two years ago.

            I usually just let her beat me, I didn't want to hurt my own mom, but today was different. Today, I'd had enough. I brought back my fist and swung it forward, hitting my mom square in the face. She backed away, stunned.

            I took her surprise with force, racing past her like a cheetah. I ran out the house and down the streets. I ran and ran and ran until I could run no more. I gasped for breath, pausing to look where I was. Brightly colored tents stood on one side to the road. "A circus!" I thought gleefully.

I remembered what Kyra had told me about the circus. About the elephants, clowns and acrobats. And the horses. "All that other stuff is just fine." Kyra had told me long ago. "But the horses, you should see them Chandra, are absolutely beautiful!" She told me about the riders that balanced upon the horse backs, while doing flips and jumps. About the clicking sound the horses hooves made when they touched the ground and the way their fur shinned like polished jewels.

I walked beside the tents, looking for the beautiful horses Kyra loved. Blood ran down my cheeks, arms and legs. I knew I needed to go to the hospital, but that was expensive and I didn't have any money. My last wish, my very last wish, was to see the horses. A soft snorting sound, broke the quiet of the air. I turned to the small tent beside me, and limped inside.

A steel fence circled the tent and I had to drag my broken and battered body over it. When I finally got a chance to look around, I saw something I had always dreamed of seeing. Six pure white horses stood at the other end of the circled in area. Their silky manes and tails seemed to glimmer from the moonlight. Kyra had not done these marvelous beasts justice in her description, my heart caught in my throat.

Then I noticed something. Shaded by darkness an old, grey horse lay, breathing his last. I hobbled over to it, feeling something connect. At first I thought it was the fact that both of us where pretty much done for good, but then I noticed the angry red lines that crossed along its back. It too had been beaten. Tears welled up in my eyes, why was it that this beautiful creature had gotten beaten.

I lay down beside it, resting my head in it's silky mane. It looked at me strangely at first than it lay it's giant head upon my shoulders and there we lay, two beaten, dying creatures until the merciful death sleep over came us.