"Roses do not bloom hurriedly;
For beauty, like any masterpiece,
Takes time to blossom."
-Matshona Dhliwayo

"We are here Ms Pavlova." Igor called out.

Turning to the side, I looked outside of the car window and noticed that we were parked in front of a small house. At least a 2- bedroom apartment from the looks of things.

The whole area was deserted. The glasses from the streetlights were shattered and scattered on the dirty pavements filled with dead leaves.

The patio was full of overgrown weeds and bushes, blocking the windows in front. The lights were still beaming through, streaking against the night sky, meaning that the family were probably awake.

"I'll be back in a bit, Igor." I announced as I opened the door and stepped out, taking the lavender rose with me.

I don't normally do house visits. I wouldn't jeopardize my identity to be uncovered like this.

But from the background information, this family sure has it tough.

Married to a rich businessman, his own family doesn't even get to see the benefits; instead they're stuck in a deprived house with limited resources, ruled over a selfish man who keeps them as pets.

I've got nothing to lose anyways. All eyes would be on me once I'm a stripper, I wouldn't be able to afford the luxury of wasting time targeting people.

Since starting my adventures of Reaper, my body count stands at 164, plus 1 for todays piggy. It was an activity i indulged in weekly for the past 3 years and I've never been caught.

With more free time on my hands, I guess I should be taking the title more seriously and turn it into a full-time gig. But despite already getting a lot of clout, the name Reaper still hasn't reached the Mob. As I've not done anything to jeopardize the Mob, it's not of any importance to the Pakhan. And I need it to stay that way.

So I guess the title has to be on hiatus until I properly get situated into my new title as a struggling stripper.

The closer I walked towards the house, the louder the screams rupturing out of what seems of a baby, grew.

The rustling of trees danced along with the wind as I carried myself up the filthy stairs.

I knocked several times against the door and waited patiently.

"Just a minute!" A disembodied voice alerted.

Moments later, the door creaked open, revealing a little girl.

Her big green eyes looked up at me yonderly. But they held no emotion; hardened by the hardship of survival, her darkened eyes glossed with austerity.

She wore ragged clothes; a loose, patchy dress cascading all the way down from her petite frame to her bare feet.

I bent myself down to her level, my eyes mirroring her own as I began to study her discreetly.

"Hello. Is your mum home?" I asked in a friendly tone.

Her tense body froze in position as she nodded her head subtly.

I began to examine her;
her impassive face held no emotions as her lips pursed into a straight line. Her hollow cheeks and deathly pale skin a manifestation of her deprivation; whilst the blemished darkness tainting her lower eyelids projected her eyes, holding the remaining warmth available.

"May I speak with her?"

She begins to shake her head.

"Why not?" I frowned.

"She's looking after the baby." The little girl answered tediously with a slight lisp to her words.

"Oh. What's your name?" I tilted my head slightly to allow her the chance to warm up to me.

"Kelsey." She answered.

"Now that's a pretty name for a pretty girl." I gushed, but her face still held a stern guise.
"Well I've got a present for you, Kelsey." I proclaimed after a moment of silence.

Her thin eyebrows twitched as her eyes followed down to my hand.

Lifting the flower, I held it against her as I watched glints of excitement flash in her eyes. Electrifying her jaded orbs, the cold mask began to melt away, revealing her precious emerald jewels.

Seeping through, her glowing soul shined through the hues of rich green; embedded with the flecks of golden rays, her gaze punctured through my heart.

Engulfed into my own fantasy, I watched as a never ending mirage flashed before my eyes. Wrapping around my heartstrings, she evoked a deep sensation to rise from the pits of my stomach as they churned at the view.

The corners of her mouth began to upturn as she reached for the flower, revealing a deep dimple on her right cheek that resembled my own.

It was a beautiful sight. As though watching my past catching up to me, the little girl lifted the petals up to her nose as she began to breath it in.

Her frame instantly relaxing, a toothy grin made its way to her face. A few gaps were noticeable in between her teeth, but nevertheless, her smile brightened up her dull face.

Her smile seared through the darkness. Choking and encroaching, the murky depths of blackness held her prisoner within the four corners of her mind.

Clenching my heart with her admirable eyes, I was taken aback when she wrapped her frail arms around my neck.

"Thank you. I never had a present before." She whispered softly into my ear.

My tense shoulders dropped as I began to smile. I lifted my arms and slithered it around her small body. My hands sinked through her thin clothing, feeling the delineation of her skeletal structure.

A soft gasp escaped from my throat as I felt her delicacy; pulling her away gently, I then stared into her smiling eyes.

My throat began to feel dry at the sight.

I was never one to express emotions; but this little girl had taken such a toll on me, it was hard not to.

Her vivacious smile sparkles her eyes, glints of adoration dancing off of them as she looked deeply into my own.

This girl still had the ability to smile. Seeing the limited good in this world, she smiled. Despite the misfortune weighing down her small body, she smiled.

They smiled at the discovery of beauty within the darkest of times. A reminder of hope.

My heart began to race, the crippling nerves pricking my skin with goosebumps the longer I looked at her as panic overtakes. As though looking into the mirror, she was an exact replica of the little girl that once hid in the backyard.

Digging into my pockets, I took out a stack of notes that I kept tucked away in case of a money emergency.

"Here darling. Give this to your mum, okay?"

Pushing the money softly against her chest, her small hands wrapped around the stack.

"What is it?" She looked down inquisitively with a frown etched on her face.

"Another present for you." I gave her a tight- lipped smile before picking myself up.

I can't afford to wear my heart on my sleeve.
Not now. Not ever.

I turned around and quickly paced my way towards the car, being sure not to look back for a last glance at the girl that used to haunt my dreams.

Not sparing another second, I hastily opened the door and closed it behind me.

Exhaling deeply, I struggled with my subconscious and turned to look through the tinted windows.

The lone girl stood with a dark shadow looming over her.

Her small hands clutched a wilted rose and a stack of money by her side as her meek smile began to fade away.

Moments later a woman comes by her side.

An exhausted woman with a small, sleeping baby latched on her side looked down at the little girl. Her eyes then followed towards the car, where I notice the similar pairs of dead green penetrating through.

"Drive." I commanded; the word came out bitterly from my sore throat, causing me to swallow down the build of emotions starting to leak through.

With a last look, I averted my attention on the back of the driver's seat as Igor began to drive.

Sterling my nerves, the two silhouettes slowly disappeared into the horizon, fading away into an abyss of gloom.

Lost. But never forgotten.

I reached for my phone that I keep only inside of this car and use only for emergencies.

Speed dialing Ruslan, I held the phone to my ear.

"Bina? Is everything alright?" Immediately Ruslan's voice echoed through, the same music as before vibrating in the background.

Clearing my throat, I replied in a serious tone.
"Wire money to the O'Brian family,
anonymously every week."

A sigh could be heard through the phone.
"You got it. You okay?" He rushed out.

"I'm fine."

Fine. A four letter word that holds more meaning than can be comprehended. Overused and yet undervalued, the true meaning can only be unleashed in your own head.

Unable to be heard by others, we live a life having to block out our personal thoughts and beliefs until the day we die; carrying our secrets until our very last breath.

And secrets, are the essence of life.