<p class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; color: #000000;"><span class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">***Present***</span></p>
<p class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; color: #000000;"></p>
<p class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; color: #000000;"></p>
<p class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; color: #000000;"></p>
<p class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; color: #000000;"><span class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">   Carly sits alone at the top of the ramp in the underfunded neighborhood skate park, where she has resided all evening. <span class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4Apple-converted-space"> </span>The bright red bomber jacket is the only thing separating her bare skin from the brisk cold Louisiana night. <span class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4Apple-converted-space"> </span>Other than her bag, she had nothing but the thin shredded, baggy jeans and a tight little guinea-tee that she adorned.  </span></p>
<p class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px; color: #000000;"></p>
<p class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; color: #000000;"><span class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">   Constricted hazel eyes stare up north, toward where the horizon broke through the urban city structures. <span class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4Apple-converted-space"> </span>She remains like this for the duration of the evening, unwavering as she remain captivated by her own thoughts.</span></p>
<p class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px; color: #000000;"></p>
<p class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; color: #000000;"><span class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">   “What happened ta’ me…?”</span></p>
<p class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px; color: #000000;"></p>
<p class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; color: #000000;"><span class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">   Only the silence responds.</span></p>
<p class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px; color: #000000;"></p>
<p class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; color: #000000;"><span class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">   Eventually, it’s the crack of dawn, and Carly still hasn’t slept. <span class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4Apple-converted-space"> </span>This would be her third day of zero sleep.  </span></p>
<p class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px; color: #000000;"></p>
<p class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; color: #000000;"><span class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">   The lack of sleep leaves her irritable with her persistent thoughts. <span class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4Apple-converted-space"> </span>Without knowing any other way to silence them, Carly turns to her newfound habit for some relief - in the form of a little plastic baggie of white crumbs and powder. <span class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4Apple-converted-space"> </span>Automatically, two fingers pinch at the opening, and with precision, she manages to tap out a perfect bump onto the side of her bare wrist.  </span></p>
<p class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px; color: #000000;"></p>
<p class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; color: #000000;"><span class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">   Carly exhales, lifts her wrist up and lines the little white pile beneath her nose.  </span></p>
<p class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px; color: #000000;"></p>
<p class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; color: #000000;"><span class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">   SNIFF!</span></p>
<p class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px; color: #000000;"></p>
<p class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; color: #000000;"><span class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">   In one sharp pull, she completely inhales the substance. <span class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4Apple-converted-space"> </span>She’d carelessly wipe her nose with her arm like a child and collect the residue of snot and cocaine on the sleeve of her jacket.   Immediately, she felt its effects.  In the calm of dawn, Carly appears relaxed, but contrary, her heart is pounding vigorously.</span></p>
<p class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; color: #000000;"><span class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"> </span></p>
<p class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; color: #000000;"><span class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">   The woman had spent her entire life around such a potent poison in which much of her former street glory derives from.  The irony of succumbing to that in which she’d used to subdue the city into developing an addiction and buying from her to further profit her endeavors is one that she remains blind to, much like everything else that blows straight past oblivious Carly.
</span></p>
<p class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; color: #000000;"></p>
<p class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; color: #000000;">   <span class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">After tossing some messy brunette strands of hair past her shoulders, Carly swings herself back down against her large backpack, lifting the rim of her red baseball cap ever so slightly to view the impending new morning arise.  </span></p>
<p class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; color: #000000;"></p>
<p class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; color: #000000;"><span class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">   The drug had managed to calm her, but one prominent thought just couldn't be erased from her mind no matter how coked up she'd become...</span></p>
<p class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; color: #000000;"></p>
<p class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; color: #000000;"><span class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">   "I miss you's, Desi Martini..."  </span></p>
<p class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; color: #000000;"></p>
<p class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; color: #000000;"><span class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">   Carly sighs, pulling the rim of her cap to mask her eyes in case anyone were to visit the park.  </span></p>
<p class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; color: #000000;"></p>
<p class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; color: #000000;"><span class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">   "Why'd you's gotta die?"  </span></p>
<p class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; color: #000000;"></p>
<p class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; color: #000000;"><span class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">   But Carly knew that answer.  </span></p>
<p class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; color: #000000;"></p>
<p class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; color: #000000;"><span class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">   Gritting a row of dull white teeth as the horrific memory plays itself once more, she still had to ask, </span></p>
<p class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; color: #000000;"></p>
<p class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; color: #000000;"><span class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">   "Why'd you's gotta die...?"    </span></p>
<p class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4p3" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; color: #000000;"><span class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"> </span></p>
<p class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px; color: #000000;"><span class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">   What little humanity she had left wouldn't last for long, for Carly's turmoil would manifest quite fast into a familiar need...</span></p>
<p class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px; color: #000000;"></p>
<p class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 22px; color: #000000;">   <span class="yiv4917221224ydpec9b7bf4s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Vengeance.</span></p>