She slid the knife slowly across her shaking wrist. The blade was dull; she had to push down hard. The lone girl watched in fascination as the crimson liquid spilled to the dirty floor.
The dusty windows and old walls of the abandoned warehouse would make a perfect place for her death. As her blood continued to run, some familiar words began to tumble out of her mouth.
"Rock-a-by baby, on the treetops.
"When the wind blows the cradle will rock…"
The song was so familiar to her. It was a memory of the childhood she never had.
The door swung open and she jumped and looked only for a moment. It was Raymond, the one who claimed to be her best friend.
"Hey Ray," she said emotionlessly before turning back to her bleeding wrist. She moved to slash the other one.
"Kasi!" Ray cried. He dashed to her side and grabbed her arm. "Not again Kasi, what are you thinking?"
Kasi didn't answer. "How's it goin' Ray?" she asked as he wrapped her wrist tightly and ordered her to hold it above her head.
"Jesus, Kasi…" He ran his fingers through his long hair. He looked silly with long hair. "We should have never left."
"It wouldn't make a difference." She replied bitterly. "I'd still be dead."
"Listen to me, Kasi. We're not going to be like this forever. We're going to get out, I promise."
She didn't believe him, and he knew it. He wanted to cry, and she knew it too. But he never cried. He didn't even cry when his beloved mother died, and he certainly wouldn't do it now. She couldn't figure out if she admired or pitied that about him.
"We're never going to get out." She whimpered, "We're going to die like this. As a couple of bums on the street!"
Ray scowled; he couldn't say anything to that. He sat down on the ground beside her and pulled her close. He gently rocked her back and forth and pushed back the tears that threatened to fall. He heard Kasi as she began to sing.
"Rock-a-by baby, on the treetops.
"When the wind blows the cradle will rock.
"When the bow breaks the cradle will fall.
"And down will come baby, cradle and all."
She fell asleep.
Kasi spent her days begging on the street corner and thinking about everything that had happened to get her into this situation.
Her stepfather used to beat her, badly. She still carried the scars that he had caused her. Ray was going to be her way out. And she stupidly went along with his crazy plan. He offered her a sense of false hope, and she eagerly accepted it. Now she was stuck out on the streets as a runaway.
She watched as an older man passed by and gave her a dirty look as he dropped a quarter into her hat. He muttered something rude as he disappeared.
"Thanks a lot buddy!" She screamed. "Thanks for your lousy, useless quarter!" She clenched her hands into fists as she dropped back down to the ground. "What a jerk," She muttered.
"Hey Kasi, you okay over there?" Ray called.
"Peachy," She looked back across the street and her eyes caught on a young mother and her two children. Particularly, she saw a little blonde boy with bright blue eyes and Osh Kosh overalls over a blue T-shirt. The boy was smiling broadly and laughing while his mother pushed a stroller with another child inside.
"Enjoy it while it lasts, kid." She grumbled. But still, she found herself infatuated with the little boy. He looked so happy. She could never remember being happy, not even at that age.
There was something about him that she noticed. Perhaps it was that he had hope, potential, and he had a future. He wasn't destined to sit on the street and die at the age of sixteen.
The boy in the Osh Kosh overalls grabbed a ball from his mother's purse and began to run around with it, as if it were the greatest thing in the world. But then the boy dropped it and it rolled out onto the road. Laughing, he ran to get it, but his mother didn't notice the truck coming. No one did except for Kasi.
Without thinking, Kasi jumped up from her place on the ground and ran for him.
She dodged cars and ignored the angry comments of the drivers. She knew Ray had seen her. She heard him screaming after her.
Ray watched as Kasi dashed out onto the road. He saw the boy, and he saw the truck. He knew what she was doing immediately.
"No Kasi!" He cried and started to run after her, but he wasn't quick enough.
Kasi was in time to push the boy out of the way, but she wasn't fast enough to save herself.
Ray watched in horror as Kasi's body crumbled under the truck and fell to the ground. He bit his lip as he ran out onto the road and looked at her body. He knew her fate instantly.
Shaking and numb, he knelt down next to her and scooped her up in his arms. "Kasi, Kasi please wake up." He begged. He rocked her gently and brushed the bloodstained hair from her face.
Kasi slowly opened her eyes and took one last, long look at him.
"You're crying…" She mumbled.
Ray wiped his eyes and nodded. "I'm crying for you," He whispered. "These tears are all for you." Kasi smiled, for the first time in a long time, and closed her eyes again.
"No Kasi! Don't go yet!" Ray said frantically. "You can't leave me…" But her breathing was slowing, and her body went limp. She was gone. Ray couldn't hold back any more. He broke down completely and wept. He could hear the whine of sirens in the background, but they were already too late. Kasi was gone.
It was always noisy in the shelter. Even in the dead of night he could he the shuffling and coughing of the others there.
Ray tried to cover his head with the paper-thin pillow to dull the sound, but nothing would help. In his alert state, he could do nothing but allow his mind to wander back to her.
"Kasi…" He whispered it so softly. By now the name was almost foreign on his lips. He hadn't spoken it aloud since it happened. And that was two months ago. He shut his eyes tightly and shed a single tear. Every time he remembered it, he wanted to break down. He wanted to join her in the grave.
He remembered how the little boy had screamed when her blood splattered on his face. And how his mother had cried and dragged him away from the body. She'd glared at Ray, like he'd done something wrong. And then she looked at Kasi, and it was the same look.
He lay there, trembling, and he found himself singing quietly, even below a whisper. He didn't realize what he was saying at first, for the familiar tune triggered his memory. He could smell her now, see her shining dark hair, remember the light that had once been in her eyes. He heard the words of the song all around him; it was her song.
Rock-a-by baby,
On the treetop.
When the wind blows,
The cradle will rock.
When the bow breaks,
The cradle will fall.
And down will come baby,
Cradle and all…
