My parents’ 19th attempt at a business failed. They were scammed out of two hundred thousand dollars. The night before school started, my mother brought me a glass of warm milk. I drank it, stunned by the rare show of affection. The last thing I heard before I passed out was my mother’s choked whisper: “Penny, Mom and Dad have to go.” “Your sister is too little. We can’t leave her all by herself.” “You be a good girl and stay here. As soon as we make enough money, we’ll come back for you…” When I opened my eyes, my parents and my sister were gone. 1 The room was pitch-black. I stood on a stool, stretching to reach the light switch. I flicked it again and again, but nothing happened. Then I remembered what Mom had said. We didn't have money to pay the electric bill. My lip trembled. I felt around on the floor for my slippers and carefully put them on. Then, I pushed open the storage closet door and called out, my voice small and wavering, "Mommy? Mommy?" No one was in my parents’ room. Not in the living room. Not in the kitchen. And not in my sister Rosie’s sweet-smelling bedroom. A wave of panic washed over me. I scurried back to my own room like a frightened mouse. Back to the tiny little storage closet. My sister’s room had a big, beautiful princess bed. But Mom said I thrashed around in my sleep and she was afraid I’d fall off. So, instead of a bed, they just laid a threadbare blanket on the floor for me. I curled up on the blanket, my ears pricked, listening for any sound from outside. Maybe… maybe Mom and Dad just took Rosie to the morning market? They did that a lot. They would take Rosie out to play, out to eat, out to the park. They said Rosie was still little, so she didn't need a ticket. I was too big; my ticket would cost extra. They said they used to take me to the park all the time when I was Rosie’s age. I felt a pang of regret. Why couldn't I remember any of it? I wanted so badly to know what it was like to go to the park with Mom and Dad… I balled up my little fist and tapped it against my head. It’s okay, Penny. They just took Rosie out to play. They’ll be back soon. 2 I drifted off to sleep, curled on the floor. When I woke up again, the living room was bright with daylight. My stomach rumbled loudly. But Mom and Dad had forgotten to leave me breakfast. I stared at the big refrigerator, swallowing hard. I couldn't open it. The fridge was for Dad's beer, Mom's face masks, and Rosie's expensive imported fruit. There was no food in there for me. I patted my empty tummy, stood on my tiptoes, and filled a cup with water from the tap. I gulped it down. But that only made me feel hungrier. I wandered around the apartment. I still had the five-dollar bill I’d found on the street in my little backpack. I wanted to go outside. There was a bakery at the entrance of our complex. Five dollars could buy a lot of bread rolls. But I didn't have a key. If I left, I’d never be able to get back in. 3 The lady next door started cooking. I stood on a stool on the balcony, greedily inhaling the scent of food wafting through the air. Today she was making barbecue ribs and my favorite—shrimp! Well, I’d never actually eaten shrimp, but I’d seen Mom make them for Rosie. They were bigger than my hand, with bright red shells. They looked so delicious. The cooking smells faded. I swallowed again and climbed down from the stool, disappointed. Suddenly, I spotted something under the living room curtains. A package of rice crackers! The ones Rosie had thrown away! I scampered over and snatched them up. It was a whole bag! The seal was broken and the crackers inside were a little soft, but I treasured them, eating every last one, bite by bite. Outside, the sky slowly began to darken. When were Mom and Dad coming home? Would they bring me leftovers from the restaurant? 4 Night fell completely. The power was still out. The apartment was dark, stuffy, and hot. No electricity meant no fan. Besides, Mom always said I was a kid and didn't feel the heat, and that fans were dangerous anyway. I was never allowed to turn one on when she wasn't home. I fanned myself furiously with a plastic advertisement fan Mom had brought back from the town square. Sweat poured out of me like rain. I fumbled my way to the bathroom and smacked my forehead on the edge of the sink. The pain brought tears to my eyes. Mommy, Daddy, where are you? Crying, I found my little washcloth, turned on the tap just a little, and wet it. I greedily pressed the cool cloth to my face. The relief on my burning skin was instant. The tiles below the sink were so cool. I lay down, pressing as much of my body as I could against them, and drifted into a hazy sleep. A sharp, urgent knocking at the door startled me awake. "Daddy! Mommy!" They must have forgotten their keys! That's why they didn't come home all night! I scrambled up and stumbled to the door. When I opened it, my parents weren't there. Just a few men in black shirts with thick gold chains around their necks. One of them, a big man with a dragon tattoo on his arm, grabbed me by the shoulders and lifted me up. "Kid, where are your folks?" 5 I burst into tears, shaking my head frantically. "I don't know! They took my sister out to play!" "Mommy said I have to be a good girl and wait at home. She said they’ll come back for me after they make a lot of money…" A skinny man crouched down, his eyes crinkling into a smile I didn't understand. "They're not coming back for you, kid…" "Your mommy and daddy don't want you anymore." I froze, tears welling in my eyes. The big man carried me inside and tossed me onto the sofa. The men in black shirts stormed through my parents’ room, Rosie’s room, and finally, my little storage closet. The skinny man spat on the floor in disgust. "They took everything valuable. All that's left is this worthless brat!" "Hey boss, what if we sell the kid?" 6 The big man with the dragon tattoo slapped the skinny man hard across the face. "I told you, we're professional collectors, not damn kidnappers!" "Ask the kid if she has any other relatives. We'll drop her off with them and seize the apartment." A bald man knelt in front of me. "Kid, where do your grandparents live?" I shook my head. The bald man clicked his tongue. "Any other family? Aunts? Uncles?" I kept shaking my head. The skinny man sneered. "What, is she stupid or something? Why else would her parents ditch her when they ran?" I glared at him. "I'm not stupid! And my mommy and daddy said they would come back for me!" The skinny man laughed, a cruel, mocking sound. He leaned in close, his eyes glinting. "You don't get it, do you, kid? Your parents owe us a lot of money." "They took your sister and skipped town yesterday!" "See? I was right. Your mommy and daddy really don't want you anymore." The bald man shoved him aside. "Kid, that guy's right," he said impatiently. "Your parents owe us money, and they took off with your sister. You get what 'took off' means? It means they abandoned you! Now think hard. Any relatives? Our boss is a nice guy; he'll give you a free ride to their place. Otherwise, when we clear this place out, you'll be sleeping on the street." I sobbed, shaking my head. "I-I don't know any relatives! Please, don't kick me out!" "Mommy said to wait for her here! She promised she'd come back for me…" But tears and begging were useless. The skinny man grabbed me by the arms, lifted me up, and tossed me into the elevator. When it reached the ground floor, he dragged me out like a sack of potatoes and dumped me outside the building's main entrance. I tried to run back inside, but the glass doors wouldn't open. I remembered how Mom and Dad always had to scan their phones to get in. I didn't have a phone. I was locked out. 7 I crouched by the door and cried for a long, long time. The sun was scorching, and I hadn't eaten in over a day. My stomach ached with a sharp, stabbing pain. Suddenly, the bald man came out. He was carrying a big plastic bag. "Kid, you really don't have any other family?" I shook my head, dazed. I didn't know if we had relatives. I grew up in the mountains with my grandma. After she died, my parents brought me to the city and locked me away in that boxy apartment. The farthest I'd ever been was the bakery at the entrance of the complex. The bald man sighed and set the bag down in front of me. "See that security guard over there?" he asked, pointing. "Go ask him to call 911 for you. The police will take you somewhere you can get a hot meal." He paused, a strange look on his face. "It's a pretty good place. I grew up in one, too." A place with food? That sounded wonderful. I grabbed the bag and stumbled towards the security booth. But when the guard with the little mustache heard my parents were gone, he reached out and pinched my bottom. In that instant, I remembered the old man who lived next door back home. He used to promise me candy and lure me into his house, where his stubble would scratch my face. Grandma saw him one day and chased him with a kitchen knife, screaming curses. That night, she scrubbed me in a big tub for what felt like hours, her voice rough. "Penny, from now on, if anyone tries to kiss you or touch you, you bite them! Bite them hard! You hear me?" I snapped back to the present. In the cramped, closet-like security booth, the guard was lifting up my little dress. 8 I opened my mouth and bit down as hard as I could. He howled in pain and let go. I shoved the door open and ran. I ran until my lungs burned. It was only then that I realized the plastic bag the bald man had given me was gone. The sun beat down relentlessly. I’d lost a shoe, and the black asphalt seared the sole of my bare foot. I saw a stray cat lounging in the shade of a bush. It looked so cool there. "Kitty, can I stay at your house for a little while?" The orange cat tilted its head, as if to ask, Don't you have a home of your own? Tears streamed down my face. "I-I used to," I sobbed. "But not anymore." The men in black shirts said my parents owed a lot of money, and the apartment had to be used to pay the debt. I didn't know what that meant, but the bald man had said our home belonged to them now. Seeing me crying like a mess, the orange cat disdainfully climbed a tree. I sat down in the shade, and soon, mosquitoes swarmed me. I'd swat one away, and another would land. I was hot, tired, and covered in itchy bites. I don't know when I fell asleep. 9 As evening fell, people came out to walk their dogs and take out their trash. I saw bags filled with leftovers—half-eaten bread rolls and discarded crusts! I scrambled over and grabbed half a roll and two pieces of crust. Then I saw it: half an apple in the bin. The other half was still good! I had always wanted to eat an apple, but Mom only ever bought two. One for Rosie, and one for her and Dad to share. I'd secretly gnawed on the core once. It was so sweet! The bread was a little stale, but I wolfed it down, alternating bites of bread and apple. The food from the trash was so good, even better than Rosie's old crackers. But a little while later, my stomach started to hurt. A lot. I looked everywhere, but I couldn't find a bathroom. I squatted behind some bushes and carefully pulled down my underwear. Suddenly, a cleaning lady charged at me, waving her broom. "Whose kid is this? Old enough to know better and still pooping in public! Are you an idiot?" She grabbed my arm and yanked me to my feet. I didn't have time to pull my clothes back up, and my underwear fell into the messy puddle on the ground. Tears streamed down my face. The lady threw me to the ground, pinching her nose and pointing at me with her broom. "Which building do you live in? Go get your parents! Public defecation is a fifty-dollar fine!" I clutched my dress, sobbing. "M-my parents are gone. The uncles took our apartment. I-I don't have a home…" Her eyes widened. "Well, what do you know. An unwanted little stray! And you dare make a mess here? You're going to eat it!" I struggled, but she was too strong. She grabbed my neck and started shoving my face towards the mess. I screamed. Suddenly, a familiar voice cut through my terror. "Kid? Why didn't you go to the police station?" It was the bald man!
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