It was cold outside I put on my light black zip up jacket and I let my hair down. I wasn't even wearing shoes. People stared. I had no money, nothing worth stealing or anything. so I knew what I had to do. I had to walk to my sisters apartment.

It wasn't far from where I just left. But it wasn't just a few blocks. I had a huge treck to make and I was so nervous.

My work was before my sisters place. I decided to just head there.

My feet were frozen to the bone once I got to my work place.
The venue wasn't packed but there were already people waiting to get into the show tonight.

Slipknot was a new band. Fresh stuff that these people wanted to hear. I actually was excited for it.

"Hey!" The security guy said to me.

"Hey Raul. How are you?" I smiled.

"Better than you apparently. Get kicked out?" He looked at me.

"Broke up with Ron." I said as he opened the door for me into the venue.

"Did he do that?" He pointed at his own eye and his mouth.
I shrugged. He nodded to me shutting the door after me.

"Shoes?" My manager greeted me, and said looking down at my feet.

"I don't have.."

"Pen. Do you need me to let you go home."

"Can I borrow the phone?" I bit my busted lip. Tasting the dry blood.

"Yeah of course sweetie." He nodded. He went backstage and I presume he'd be back.

I called my sister.
She answered on the 4th ring.

"Hello?"

"Peyton?" I said

"Penelope? Hey how are you?"

"I'm okay." I said sucking at my swollen lip "been better but.. I have to ask something of you."

"Anything for my little sis. What's going on?"

"I moved out. I'm at work right now. I'm working the bar tonight. But I need a place to go.. I hate asking you because-"
She cut me off.

"Wait you what? Are you okay? Is Ronnie okay?"

"No. I'm okay."

"I'm coming to see you. Okay?"

"Okay.. hey one quick question."

"What's up?"

"I need a pair of shoes."

"I'll be right there."
She hung up and I felt my eyes water up.

"Hey Pops!" My co worker Daniel ran up to hug me. Before he stopped in front of me. "What's going in with you Penelope?"

"I'm okay." I was already tired of explaining to everyone what was wrong with me.
Peyton would be here soon. And she would help me cover some of these bruises up.

"You don't look okay." He said frowning.

"Danny. I'm fine." I nodded to him.

"A black eye. Swollen lip. And not to mention you don't have shoes, your own shirt is soaked."
I didn't even notice when he said that. I was wearing a light blue top under my ripped blue jean overalls. I gasped. My nipples were clear as day.

"Fuck." I said folding my arm around my chest clutching the duffle bag closer.

"It's not raining either. So you can't lie and say the rain did that." He was just as concerned as everyone else who worked with me.

"I'll be alright." I smiled at him.

"You're tooth Pen." He said pointed at his.

"Fuck." I sighed and ran to the tiny girls bathroom in the venue.
The mirror was clean but it ead surrounded by stickers of various kinds. The walls were the same. There wasn't a window in the bathroom either it was a tiny box, with a toilet and a sink.

I looked at myself. I was a wreck. Messy hair, black swollen eye. My lips were similar to my eye in color. Swollen. Busted open to the point where they were blood red.
I last looked at my teeth. My front tooth was broken. A large chip on the side of it.

I was crying. I looked so used, and broken. My shirt was completely see through. I lifted it up over my head. Looking at my ribs which were a dark blue color. This past weekend, when Ronnie kicked me because I forgot to buy beer at the store.
I pulled my overalls off. Revealing my legs. They were bruised in places. And my back was yellowish, it was healing.
It was quite often he would hit me. Slam me into Things. Sex was off the table. If I told you I never had it with anyone you'd say I lied. But that's the truth. I avoided it with him because of his addiction. It grew so much to where he wasn't home or he was always passed out.
I was lucky.

"Penny?" I heard a knock on the door.

"Peyton!" Said trying to cover my breasts.

"Hey." She said coming into the bathroom. She has a bag with her and smiled at me "oh little sis, you always find the worst situations to get into."

"Look at these huge.. bruises on you." She looked in my duffle bag.
"Here." She pulled out black cargo pants and a long sleeve flannel.
I pulled on my black bra I packed and pulled the shirt on and then my pants.

"I brought these." She handed me black converse. "I never wear them anyways. Too dark for my taste." I laughed at Her.

"I didn't bring a brush.." I said frowning "I feel like a loser."

"Don't. It'll be okay. You'll come home with me and stay in the guest room until you get back on your feet. we need the extra help with the boys anyways."

"Oh right! My nephews."

"They are turning 3 this year already.." she said pulling a brush out handing it to me.
She was 22, two years older than me, and she was married to her Highschool sweet heart, Wesley. He was good to her. They were match made in heaven.

I brushed my hair and eventually put it up in a messy bun. Peyton helped me touch up my black eye and she cleaned my open wounds on my bottom lip.
"You're tooth is going to need fillings to fix that." She frowned "how long did this go on?"

I felt so numb, so useless, like me telling her was a death card or something. It made me nervous to say anything to her.

"If you don't want to tell me it's okay but it's over now Penny. You've got you're family here." She smiled at me "im going to guess you don't have any cash or anything on you. So here, these are the keys to my Camry outside. Wes is picking me up in 30 minutes, so keep the keys and drive it home tonight.

--
After Peyton left. My shift was starting. The crowd was already growing inside the venue. Firewater, was the exact name. Slipknot's fan base were clearly dedicated to wait 3 hours before even the opening act came on stage.
Danny was already at the bar opposite from my side.
"Looking better Pen." He said smirking. "Dude this band tonight. They are fucking awesome. You're going to probably piss yourself of how exciting it is. Their all backstage at the moment, getting ready. I met them. They are fucking great."

"Is it safe?" I asked tapping on the bar table

"Totally. They are fucking great."
He nodded "hot too."

I laughed. Deep down I wasn't in the mood to joke about anything. I was so stressed out.

"Okay I'll go." I nodded to him putting my hands in my pockets.

"Have fun." He smirked pouring a couple Budweisers into two glasses for a kid with red hair and his I assume girlfriend.
The place was packing in. But I still had enough room to walk backstage.
There weren't too many people roaming around.

--
Music played loudly at the Firewater. It was Metallica's Wherever I may Roam first. Then I realized Phil Collin's You Can't Hurry Love.

The band was 8 people. They were scattered everywhere in these red jump suits that looked like prison uniforms. Some masked, some un masked.

I walked towards the one in a clown mask. I was intrigued but as I headed that way I tripped and fell on my ass in a puddle of what smelt like beer.

"Oh fuck. Sorry." A guy rushed to me. He helped me up. It shocked me how he actually cared. He pulled me up. He was a few inches taller than me but I couldn't see his face under the grey colored mask. There were blonde dreads at every top inch of the mask.
He was still holding my waist once I was stable on the ground.

"Thanks." I smile at him

"Of course. What did you think, that I'd just leave you on the ground?" I watched the man laugh under the mask. It was strange because he was still holding me up

"You could say that." I smile at the masked man.
Two others came to shake my head as the dread head let me go.

"I'm Corey Taylor by the way. Or Eight." He pointed to the eight on his jump suit.

"Sid Wilson. I'm number 0. The one with the gas mask style said offering a hand to me.

"Shawn.. or clown I'm 6."

"Jim Root. 4."

"Joey! I'm 1."

"Paul Grey, nice to meet you. I'm 2."

"Chris. I'm 3."

"I'm 5.. or Craig."

"Mick. Or 7."

"And who are you?" Corey asked me

"I'm Penelope Mullens. Or Poppy for short."
I was surrounded by 9 men in masks, and red prison jump suits and couldn't feel more at home. And I just met them.

This was going to be a hell of a night.