Listen,

Little lady, this is just the worst way to spend your birthday

It's 30 degrees, Thursday

The sun battered down on Levi's raven hair. His eyes shone with a diminished curiosity- the leftovers of a short-lasting childhood. It was the evening, already, and he was waiting for his next client. He wished he could have stayed at home but he had no choice. His Uncle had sent him into the dangerous streets of Trost alone to fend for himself.

You work late, you was with a perv making dirty fake love in his Mercedes

Lady the word 'rape' sums up events that take place every night

You wanna get up but you know your legs will ache if you try

Memories of the morning flashed before his eyes, the aching legs and the customer who had never left. He was on the streets, cold and hungry. He had limped home only for his Uncle to be gone and the fridge to be empty. He did not have the energy to buy anything nor did he have the money. Despite being the only one who worked in the household, he was the only one who didn't get the money.

And you remember that your punter went crazy last night

You drag yourself to the mirror to check your face then you cry

Finally, Levi reached his destination and he began to wait, staring into the shop window beside him- his reflection barely noticeable under the grime of the glass. Before he knew it, a tear was rolling down his cheek- hastily wiped away by his grubby hands. He was filthy and his previous cleaning obsession had come to none as he went for days without a warm shoulder, having to deal with the buckets of ice cold water his Uncle threw at him.

Forget the visit to the clinic you were booked in for

You'll make a trip to the Whittington where they'll look at your jaw

They'll be inquisitive and ask about your business for sure

They'll know your fibbing if you tell them you got hit by a door

Levi checked his phone. It alerted him of his supposed doctor's appointment. He would never turn up. He had booked it only for his Uncle to strike him again. That explained the yellowing mark on his cheek. 

But young woman

The pimp sees you as nothing but a dumb hooker

Medical attention could be fatal

'Cause the cunt wouldn't ever let a doctor near someone that's getting dough for him

'Cause next you got poxy authorities sticking their noses in

Levi pulled out his phone again, only a few more minutes. The screen was cracked and the price was low but it would do to get in touch with his few contacts. Not many wanted a man and business was running low yet his Uncle continued. He couldn't stop his Uncle, he was too scared. His Uncle could kill him, that much was clear, it had been done before.

She's just under the upper hand

And goes mad for a couple grams

Levi wished for a high again. It had been days since he could afford anything to take the pain away. He was in a cycle of sin. His life was inescapable so he dealt with it in the ways he could. The ways that would kill him. He wished for death. He wished for death by his own hands, though. He wouldn't let his Uncle had the upper hand- he wouldn't and he couldn't.

And she don't wanna go outside, tonight.

The sun set and the customer pulled up and rushed out. The alleyway next to them soon became a crime area. Not seen by the police but stained nonetheless. Levi barely made his escape this time. He had fled, running for his life- it happened on many nights.

'Cause in the pipe she'll fly to the motherland and

Sell love to another man

It's too cold outside, for angels to fly.

For angels to fly.

By the time he was near home, the sun had left the night sky a disdainful black. Levi brought his eyes to the stars and couldn't find the beauty in them. He saw masses of red-hot flames that could burn him alive at a touch. He didn't see the gentle light they emitted on the dim streets, he didn't see the meaning behind each and every one of them. He saw the evil and the cruel, whether it was human or an object.

Little lady, your mind you've made up

Your injuries you can't hide with make-up

You need some medical advice, you make up

In the time it took Levi to get home, his injuries were too much. His continued stream of beatings were turning him into a painting- a mix of different shades, mostly purple and black. The cheap makeup couldn't cover them anymore. They were scars. Bruises were supposed to fade, his didn't. With his heart skipping a beat, he headed towards the hospital, clutching his side.

A little lie to say just

In case the doc opens his eyes and don't decide to play dumb

With any luck you'll see the same dude who stitched your top lip

Last year when your pimp just lost it

He wouldn't recognise you if you stared him in the face anyway

The hospital came into a view a few minutes later and as Levi entered, he hoped he could find the same doctor as he always did. The one who didn't say a word- Dr Smith, that was it. Erwin Smith.

'Cause all the heroin is making you age

Levi took a glance in the window as he walked through the doors. His face was sunken, a cake never risen. His eyes were bloodshot- stained with red. It was the drugs, he knew that and despite the short-lasting forgetfulness they gave him, it was having its toll on his body. He had become a shadow of his former self- unrecognisable. 

But your a heroine for taking the strain of being a prostitute and punching bag

The funds you have left go where your from using Moneygram

Mother had to get you out the motherland to study

That was all she struggled to have a single daughter with the upper hand

Little does she know your never coming back

Levi scanned the room and stumbled to a chair, sitting down on a chair. A certain person in the corner of the room caught his eyes. 'Mum?' He whispered, not loud enough for anyone to hear. But, of course, it wasn't his mum. She was dead. She had been for a very long time.

She put you in her brother's hand only for him to formulate another plan

He's the fucking cause of your appalling state this summer

Fancy that, you came to London to get pimped by your Uncle, damn.

Trost Hospital became a blur around him as he made no attempts to check in and waited for Dr Smith to take a break and notice him, dragging him to an empty room and giving him an examination. It was all the same for the sake of silence.

She's just under the upper hand

Goes mad for a couple grams

And she don't wanna go outside, tonight.

Levi peered out into the blackened sky, losing his own mind in the shape of it all. Despite its lack of beauty for him, he couldn't help but look at the stars and wish to be up there- to be with his mum. His life had reached bedrock and there was no lower now. If he died, he would die miserable but if he lived, he would live miserably.

'Cause in the pipe she'll fly to the motherland and

Sell love to another man

It's too cold outside, for angels to fly

Now an angel will die, covered in white

With closed eyes and hoping for a better life

This time, we'll fade out tonight,

Straight down the line.

The doctor finally appeared and, as I had said, Levi was dragged off to an empty room and his injuries were treated. Not well but as much as the doctor could do to conceal his secret. Erwin knew it all yet he never told a soul. Levi sometimes wished he did but he had made Erwin promise. Erwin did not turn back on promises.

Little lady, you're trembling with fear

Levi had been let out a few minutes later by a jolly-looking nurse who asked too many questions for her own good- Hanji. Levi sent her a disapproving look but his short stature didn't make much of an impression on her.

Your skinny frame kinda resembles a deer

Levi never thought that he would end up in the police station that night. He never thought this would have happened. He was stood in front of the headlights that were ready to hit and run. He couldn't stand it, he wanted to go. A tear was already rolling down his cheek. There was nothing he could do now. That light that had shone dimly in his eyes had diminished leaving a blank canvas, an empty canvas. Levi had nothing anymore.

You're sitting facing the detective, oh dear

The detective sat across from him, his beautiful eyes staring Levi down. The man wasn't tall but he was still taller than Levi; his brown hair flopped across his face in a tangled mess. Levi didn't care, though, the man was beautiful. More than anyone he had ever seen in his life.

The meddling nurse couldn't just leave it,

This was Hanji's fault, she had come per Erwin's request. He had promised never to tell a soul but Hanji already knew so that only caused him to ask her to do it for him- he never had to break the promise. Unfortunately, he didn't know the contract he was signing- the one with death sentence underlined at the top.

She's only gone and made it much worse calling police in

She'll never know the gravity of the damage she's caused

Levi never saw Hanji after that day nor did he see Erwin. They didn't know what happened. Maybe Levi had just moved. Maybe the boy's Uncle finally freed him out of guilt. He didn't.

You're causing scandal going mad in the ward now

The cop is trying to calm you, telling you he won't let no one harm you

Levi shook as the man with the ocean eyes sat across from him. His name was Eren Jaeger, that was what he said. It didn't stop Levi's shaking. The man's beauty didn't distract him from the fear looming over him. Levi had found something beautiful for the first time in years, he hadn't had the time to even think about it.

The same question he keeps trying to ask you, who you working for?

Uncle Kenny, he wanted to answer as the man sent soothing words his way. He never did say a word. He was known as the silent case. Although, the case was closed less than a week later. They knew what had happened but they had no proof. No prosecutions could follow through.

He's talking to like your worth more than a dirty whore

Eren sent him a heart-warming smile, one which he wished to return. He couldn't. He looked at Levi liked he was something more. He wasn't. Eren could see so much in Levi just by a glance, this was a man he wanted to make a friend of. It was impossible.

You're having a conversation you could be murdered for

Levi knew where this would put him but he continued to listen to Eren speak, his smooth voice comforting. It felt like a drug in itself. It was just them in the room now, he could allow himself to get lost in his voice. Eren, no matter how many questions he asked, didn't expect answers.

You're learning more about exactly why you need to help bring him or her to court

It's kicking knowledge you ain't ever heard before

Just before he leaves, he reassures you that he knows that it's hard

'I know it's hard.' He smiled that painful smile and Levi felt the tears streak down his cheeks, creating a shine under the harsh lighting. Eren fished through his pockets, pulling out a small piece of paper. After finding a pen, he began to write: 'Eren Jaeger, Trost Police Departement.' Then, he put his number in bold.

He underlines a mobile number you can phone on his card

He underlined the number and pressed his fingers against the card, sliding it across the table carefully, watching to see if Levi would take it. He did. He would never deny Eren anything but answers. He would never give Eren answers.

Begs you to use it

'Use it.' His speech was like an order. It wasn't forceful nor was it harsh- but it was an order nonetheless. Levi nodded uselessly. Useless. The perfect way to describe him.

He's useless if your gonna be stupid

'Cause an answer hasn't come from your bruised lips, your on your own

You've gotta go and give your pimp what you owe

You reach your door and then it dawns that you've been followed home

Levi had left the police department quickly, the boy- Eren -still on his mind. The boy was beautiful and he knew he would forget his face. Then, turning his head around, he spotted a shadow in the alleyway. He was being followed. He gulped and pushed his key into the lock, the door to his 'home' just in front of him.

Before you turn around you feel a cold blade on your throat

Before he could twist it, there was a knife on his throat, blood trickling down to his feet.

And then a voice says 'where you been, bitch? I wanna know.'

'Where you been, bitch? I want to know.' His Uncle Kenny spat. His face was flushed and his cheek was bruised. Drunk and beaten, not far from his own nephew then. 

No prizes for guessing who it is, resistance would be foolishness

You open the front door, he boots you in

The key turned in the lock, turned by trembling hands. The knife left Levi's throat as a boot collided with his back, pushing him to the stained floor of the house. His face caught the edge of a broken glass bottle, the shard digging into his cheek.

There's something new in him, he's silent now that fills you with terror

This was different to the other times, Levi knew that. Levi knew that Kenny knew. They both knew that the other knew. Neither of them were stupid, though neither of them were particularly bright either. They each were as dim as the other, though in ways of their own.

Get your alibi straight, you could be killed for an error

Levi watched his blood pool on the floor, joining the red stains from yesterday's beating. He scavenged his mind for an alibi. He had none. He would be killed for this error.

He towers over you, the 6-inch knife catches the sunlight

Kenny towered over him, the blade caught in between his fingers. The starlight shone through the window and as the light reflected off the blade, Levi finally saw the beauty of it. It was too late now.

At this point, your life flashes before your eyes

Levi had heard that before you die, you're supposed to see your life. He didn't. He saw one thing and one thing only. He saw those ocean eyes he had seen the hour before. He saw the eyes that had been ingrained in his mind since he first set eyes on them. His life had changed just from a stranger passing by. A stranger that had cost him his life.

Your handbags dropped and all the contents are all over the floor

Despite the mess, there's only one thing that's caught his eye

As Levi had fallen, the contents of his pockets had fallen to the floor- his card. That was what had caught his Uncle's eye- the card. The car with a policeman's number on it.

And in the moment of rage, he brutally murders his niece

Levi was dead. He had met his soulmate an hour before but it was too late to chase him, he was dead. 

And dumps her body in the boot of his Merc in the street.

His body lay in a car, never buried. He had been flung into a tip, his body never found. His Uncle was lucky, the body should have been found.

Little lady left this earth in the worst way

All because she got a card on her 13th birthday

The day he died, Christmas Day- his birthday. His thirteenth birthday.

And we're all under the upper hand

And go mad for a couple grams

And we don't wanna go outside, tonight.

'Cause in the pipe she'll fly to the motherland and

Sell love to another man.

It's too cold outside, for angels to fly, for angels to fly, and fly, fly,

For angels to fly, to fly, to fly, angels to die

-

word count: 2977

published: 12.03.17

edit 1 - 18.04.17 - new word count - 3201

edit 2 - 14.09.17 - new word count - 2895