“ You only know the worth of a thing when you lose it. ”
***
— Joel —
It was Friday night and I knew without any ounce of doubt what that meant. I’d known since I was a child, forced to know if I was being totally honest. 
   I arrived at the house just in time to watch my Aunt stagger into the apartment. “ She’s drunk. ” My subconscious screamed at me. 
   While I stood there, A memory flashed right before my eyes. 
I was a five-year-old champ filled with so many dreams and aspirations until that very day when my aunt staggered to my front door. 
I’d never been so scared until I saw her. 
“ Young boy. ” Her voice sounded slurry and very drunk, the way I believed she was. 
“ Who are you? ” I stared at the seemingly mad woman who looked so familiar yet unfamiliar to me. 
I didn’t think I had ever met any of my parents’ relatives until then, we’d lived a quiet secluded life in Alaska, far away from the big city.
Though I didn’t know why my parents had chosen that kind of life for us, I sought to find beauty in every moment and I never regretted my decision. 
As an only child, I have been ever used to my parent’s love and attention. They gave me all I needed and were always there for me in ways I didn’t know the importance of until that dreadful day when the clouds refused to disperse. 
 My parents had gone to the city for work, as always while I prepared for school. 
It was more like usual, but on this particular day, I had a bad premonition. But I waved it off after a simple prayer. “ Jesus, protect my parents and keep them from danger. ” 
I had always been a faith-filled child growing up, my parents particularly made sure of it but… that was until that day when I waited for hours and hours with no sign of them.
  Minutes turned into hours and before long, it was midnight and I was in my bedroom shaking in fear. 
I have always heard of people disappearing and not being seen again, but I had never actually thought that it could ever happen to my parents. “ How can It? We are Christians and my parents love you so much, don’t they, God? ”
  I stared with dread as dawn came with no sign of my parents, by morning I knew something had happened. 
And that was only confirmed with a truck housing my drunk Aunt. She’d got a scar on the side of her face. That itself scared the hell out of me at the sight of her as I had somehow believed that those with scars are very evil, maybe I was right. 
 She’d come over to our small usually cozy cottage that dreadful Friday evening.
Friday.
Why do I feel this day had a lot to do with my misfortunes? 
Mom had had a miscarriage two years ago on a Friday, hadn’t she? 
I’d been super ecstatic about having a little brother or sister to run along the house with me, but my dream was never realized as I lost them before they could breathe the air of life. 
“ Young boy, Come out. ” Coming to think of it now, I figured that the next thing that frightened me and gave me chills about her was her voice and how rash and vulgar it sounded, which was a contrast to my mom’s which was filled with so much warmth and love. 
   I did as I was told and came in contact with a young woman in an all-black outfit; a Black top Black Neglige and black boots. 
    “ Wooo… you are a very pretty champ, I see. ” Her chuckle didn’t make me feel any better than I have been. 
“ Where are my parents? ” I’d asked before I could stop myself, I was not interested in whatever comments coming from a seemingly drunk woman. 
“ Your parents? ” She stared at me with surprise, it was almost as if she’d been expecting me to already know the answer to this question and not bother her about it. “ Gone. ” She waved her hand and demonstrated being wasted as a chuckle proceeded out of her lips. 
“ No, that’s not true! ” I Screamed, obviously trying not to believe her. 
“ Not another word. ” Perhaps it was the way she said it or her expression, but it had forced my unruly five-year-old self to calm down. 
  “ You are coming with me. ” She dashed into the house before I could react and made her way into my bedroom before I could stop her. 
Coming to think of it now, how had she known that was my bedroom? 
“ I’m not coming with you. ” I stood my ground, sternly. 
“ Oh, you won’t? ” Her tone held a hint of malice in it which I didn’t think existed until then. 
“ I am not. ” I shook my head with protest. 
“ Then stay here and get eaten by wild animals! ” The very thought of that frightened me, I’d always heard about the wild animals here in Alaska and how vicious they could be, but I‘d never actually believed in that possibility until then. 
  With that fear, I allowed my bags to be packed and went away with the woman who later introduced herself as my Aunt. 
Looking back, I wondered if I had made the right decision. 
Probably not,
But what other option did I have than to leave with a woman who resembled my Dad a tidbit or starve to death in the upcoming cold summer months which were quite vicious. 
Even with my parents, I'd felt the impact of it. What would I have done alone? Especially with the scarcity of food at that time. 
I knew without a doubt that I would have died, but I have died a thousand times ever since then hadn’t I? 
“ Joelene. ” I stared at the woman who seemed to know me better than myself with no emotion on my face. “ Aunt… ”
“ Don’t you dare call me… that. ” Her expression changes from normal to vicious in a matter of moments. 
“ You disobeyed my orders despite knowing what today is. ” Her words were filled with malice.
How could I forget? It was Friday which meant more than a lot. 
“ I’m sorry, I didn't mean to… ” I was on my knees in no time, begging and pleading to see if that would remedy the situation. It didn’t.
“ You are grounded for three days. ” 
“ No, you can’t — ”
“ Oh really? ” Her words were vicious and filled with hate. “ You would defy me after it all? ” I froze when her hands touched my face. 
“ Remember, your parents put you in my care till you turn twenty-one, Baby boy. ” I still frowned whenever I thought about that, how naive could my parents have been to have done that? Or were they deceived too? 
I stared at my Aunt and the answer to that wasn’t so far-fetched. 
“ Besides, we’ve got a deal to remember. ” My bones ran cold at the very reminder of that.  
“ You wouldn’t defy me, would you? ”
“ No. ” I picked up my bags and ran upstairs to my room. 
In my room, I thought about it, and of all things, I was worried about one thing, oh Cecile Grayson. 
What would she think of this?
How would she react to it? 
….
A/N: What do you think, guys?