A Day in the Life of Amber
Amber walked into the rundown cottage she called home and sighed. She had just finished a 12 hour shift at the diner and her feet were killing her. She was grateful that the long black pants and blouse covered her scars and bruises, that were currently prominent on her body. She glanced around the one bedroom cottage and wrinkled her nose in disgust.
Beer bottles littered the floor and the smell of cigarettes wafted heavily in the air. Rubbish overflowed from the bin and clothes randomly littered the floor. A new hole had been punched into the loungeroom wall, and plaster and wallpaper piled on the floor underneath it. Dishes were piled in the sink, and half eaten food left on a plate on the old dining table. A note had been left beside it.
She read it out loud. Amber, this has to be all cleaned up before I get home in the morning or else. She wanted to cry. Her muscles ached and her body hurt all over. This was the 6th day that she had worked 12 hours in a row and all she wanted, was to pass out on the couch she was forced to sleep on. She slowly gathered up some grey sweatpants and a plain black t-shirt with underwear, before heading to the bathroom.
As she she turned on the water and climbed into the shower she gave a loud shout. The water was freezing and there was no heat. Amber had given her father money to pay the bill, but she was willing to bet it had gone to alcohol and cigarettes instead. Shivering, she quickly cleaned herself and dressed trying to get warm. As she glanced at herself in the mirror her heart sank. She looked so different from a year ago and it showed. Her long wavy brown hair was dirty and matted as it fell down loosely to her backside. Her brown eyes were dull and looked as if they had seen things to horrible to imagine. Her face was gaunt and her skin pale from being indoors all the time. The sweatpants and shirt she wore hung loosely on her as she had lost a lot of weight from barely eating. The reflection was so different to the vivacious, bubbly girl she had once been, and now she felt old and had the weight of the world on her shoulders.
Amber put her hair up in a messy bun and slowly walked out of the bathroom. She piled clothes into the washing machine and started it running. The dishes were tackled next and scrubbed until they shone. She gathered up all the beer bottles and placed them in the recycling bin. It was dark now and she forced herself outside in the cold to hang out the washing. The plaster and wallpaper were thrown into the bin as they were of no use now, and she had no idea how to fix the hole. After Amber swept and mopped the floors, she sat down to catch her breath, and as she sat, her stomach growled loudly, reminding her that she hadn't eaten dinner.
As she opened the fridge she felt tears well in her eyes and wiped them away impatiently. There was absolutely no food in the fridge but plenty of beer. The cupboards were bare and she wanted to scream in frustration. She was too exhausted to go out for food and reluctantly climbed onto the couch. Wiggling around to avoid the springs poking up, she pulled the threadbare blanket she owned over herself and began to close her eyes. Soon enough Amber was sound asleep, grateful she wasn't working tomorrow.
