English essay invisible people
Hiding under a cold bridge stomach empty, no family, no enemies just the cold. The cold and the hunger my only friends. I clasped the hole filled bin bag tighter around me. I could feel the wind licking my legs and arms but I manage to sleep. Sirens in the distance wake me striking me with terror. Not tonight they cant find me tonight I’m so close. Bursting free from the black bag around me I gathered the tattered papers I used as a pillow and any other objects of use I found around me and took off into the night. The icy wind stabbed me like daggers. I could feel it penetrating my loose clothes.
Darkness lay before me and behind me. I wandered into an ally following the dirty flickering light of a street lamp. I kept counting the papers insuring they were all there, that my lifeline was safe. I was falling asleep on my feet. I almost bumped into a wall but heard a noise in the distance that snapped me awake. “Probably a cat” I mumbled to myself but again a noise of a can falling or being kicked. I leaped behind a bin franticly counting the papers to put my mind at ease. Then shouting, no rather a loud drunken slur.
A moment later three men staggered through the ally. They were wearing white tracksuit bottoms and matching jackets. Gold chains hung around there necks. Their faces were scared and bruised like they were recently in a fight, the sirens earlier were probably stooping a brawl they were in. They walked tall, almost a strut, looking for a fight.
I pushed my back harder into the wall praying they wouldn’t see me, wouldn’t ruin the bundle of paper I was clutching to my chest.
My prayer was answered. The men just walked passed me as if I was invisible. One threw an empty beer bottle at me over their shoulder. It smashed and glass showered me. The glass tore a hole in my trousers, that is the rags covering my legs, and made a deep cut. Blood seeped from the wound trickling down my leg.
This happened a few times before but tonight I was too cold to feel the pain and too tiered to seal the gash but it had to be done. I rummaged around in the bins looking for something to tie my leg with. I found a bundle of tissues and a pair of socks with a hole in the toe. I pushed the tissue hard over the cut the blood still flowing freely. Then I tightly rapped a sock around my leg tying the two ends together. I lay there looking at the pool of crimson liquid that obscured the floor and slept.
A woman dropping a plastic bag from the window above my head woke me. I got up limping on my bad leg. I gathered the papers. I read the front page. It consisted of three names Paul O’Grady, Diane O’Grady and Gregg O’Grady, so long since I heard that last name. The name Gregg had Red writing over it that read, “Missing. Presumed dead”’. They thought I was dead. I hope they will be pleased when I return. I had spent three years acquiring these papers so I could find my family and be happy once more.
My heart filled with joy as I read the pages finding out what they had done since I was taken. I was twelve when it happened three men bundled me into a van and stole my life from me. Two months after that I had been sold to a strange man who hardly ever fed me ever since I was haunted by hunger. About a year later I escaped him and tried to find my family while living off the streets. For six years my family had been trying to find me but they never looked in the gutters, never saw my new home and if I ever tried to find them no one would help a homeless child. There is a gap of four years that seemed to be missing from the papers instead there was a brief family history. I got to the last page I could only read an address everything else was too dirt covered or torn to read. I can feel my life getting closer to me.
I stumbled through the ally catching my reflection in the window of a house. I looked sickly and pale from the blood loss. My thick wire like beard was filled with dirt and my hair greasy and disgusting. I must look my best for the reunion. I limped back to the broken glass and picked up a shard then shuffled back to the window my heart filling with excitement. I took a try at shaving off my beard but I had never before shaved and kept cutting my face. The slashes in my face caused me grate pain. Doesn’t matter my parents will give me soap to clean the cuts. I will never cut myself again. I will be safe.
I followed the address every step, though painful on my wounded leg, filled me with glee. There was a sent of roast chicken in the distance. The hunger that always followed me was worse than ever before but my family will give me food. I’ll be fine.
The streets were empty, noiseless but that only increased my joy making it feel as if only my family and I were left in the world. I walked through a dirty ally to see what I was leaving behind. There was a man sleeping on bin bags. I saw how pathetic it looked and realised why people just ignored the homeless, pretend they don't exist. Looking over my shoulder as to see one last time what I was leaving a dog with grey fur and black patches over its body lay down beside the man. I wonder weather my family have a pet if they don't I will get one it will add to our happiness.
Almost skipping along with a slight limp I felt at last happy. My heart leaped “I am here” I squeaked to myself. Almost running with the excitement. I came the door of number 27 my life was within touching distance. I knocked. A man badly dresses about the age of thirty with blond hair, a plain shirt and jeans answered the door. “Mr O'Grady?” I inquired. “Who are you?” the man replied his voice disgusted and confused. “Gregg, Gregg O'Grady” “Oh” the man said his voice sombre “The missing son. I'm sorry. Your parents don't live here any more. I can take you to them if you want” Once again my heart leaped but I was slightly confused by his sad tone. “Yes, yes take me to them I must meet them at once we have so much to catch up on.” The man grabbed a set of keys from the inside of the door, locked the door then got into his car. I got in the other door it confused me that a stranger would be so kind to a random homeless person I wanted to probe him for information about my family but we both remained silent.
The car stopped outside the large cold black gates to a graveyard. Thick low clouds were hanging in the distance. The man told me he could go no further but to keep going till I reach the end of the path. I think it is rather strange them living in a graveyard surrounded by sorrow but I don't care where we are as long as I get to be near them. I kicked stones along the path still no sine of a house was there a gate on the other side leading to their house. Maybe the man just wanted to be rid of me so sent me to any old place. The path lead up a flower covered hill. I picked some flowers to give to them when we meet. The path stopped at a tree with three head stones underneath. I read them the first said “In loving memory of Paul O'Grady 1951-2006”. The second read the same the only difference was the name, Diane. The third read, “In loving memory of Gregg O'Grady. The son that never came home”. The realisation hit me like a bullet shattering the happiness and excitement that had hung with me all day. I picked up a rock and carved 2010 underneath my head stone. Grey clouds rolled in almost instantly. I felt the first raindrops splashed on my back. Then I slept wit my parents never to wake again.
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