"Why
would you leave heaven just to go to hell?"
The streets
of Midgar can be a dark and scary place. The permanent darkness gave the
city a doomed feel, as if one day all of it would go to hell in a hand
basket. Nevertheless, thousands of families settled there- or, rather,
were forced into the poverty of the slums. And yet nobody hears of the
wealthy heirs that lived on the upper plate. One such family was that of
the Burch faction. Alexander Burch and his young wife Lucinda had both
lived in the upper crust of Midgar their entire lives. After bearing two
girls, Lucinda and Alexander divorced and she left the children's father
to care for them.
The
youngest of the two was Elena. She was three and a half years younger than
her older sister, Penelope, or Penny for short. When Elena was young, the
adults said that they could tell she was going to continue the trend of
wealth in the family; perhaps be a lawyer or doctor or businesswoman. But
Elena just wanted to be happy.
Childhood
was advanced for the two girls. They went to an affluent private institution,
and had all of the advantages needed to be raised "properly".
Elena
didn't gain her sense of independence until she was 17. It came about so
suddenly that it surprised the people around her.
"Penny,"
she mumbled on one particular day, "what do you think of moving off of
the plate?"
Penny
laughed and curled a lock of her sister's hair around her own finger. "Why
would you wanna do that? It's all slums and dirty business. Only people
who are desperate for a start go there."
"But
think of all the excitement down there," Elena argued. "It's so colorful.
And think of all the things down there that we don't have here-"
"What,
filth?"
"At
least it's not as stuffy!" she burst. Penny looked surprised. Her normally
quiet sister was being unusually boisterous lately.
"Sorry,"
Elena muttered meekly.
"Listen,
Nell," Penny addressed, using the nickname she had so fondly created. "One
day you and I will move out of here and do something exciting. I want to
work for Shin'ra, and I want you to come with me."
It was
Elena's turn to be surprised. "Shin'ra? The Mako company?"
"You
know it's more than that," Penny scolded. "I want to make something of
myself there. I want to break into a new industry. I hear that there are
positions available in some departments. I'd take anything just to get
in."
"I don't
want to work for Shin'ra."
"Nobody's
making you."
"I want
to be happy."
"You've
said that countless times lately. What is with you, Nell?"
"Nothing."
"Stop
acting like a child and tell me."
"I'm
not a child! I'm almost an adult like you."
"Alright."
For a
little while Penny never mentioned anything about moving to anyone. But
one night, when it was quite starry out, the earth seemed to shatter. Penny
had mentioned her plans to her father, and an argument erupted.
"I'd
like to go to work for Shin'ra, but I need to move off of the plate to
start! How can I get any connections up here? It's all old money, nobody's
involved in something as new age as Mako."
"This
old money got you where you are today!" their father yelled back.
Elena
sat at the edge of the stairs and listened. Sometimes her father could
be so blind. She rested her head against the cold wooden spindles underneath
the banister as the yelling warred on.
"I am
old enough to lead my own life, and I want to make my own decisions! It
isn't right to keep me locked up in this house all the time!"
"You're
not wise enough to make your own decisions."
"That's
because you won't let me be! You don't have any more control over me, and
I'm going. You always told me to persue my dreams. Well this is my dream!"
"That
is a poor argument, Penelope. I will not support such a foolish and whimsical
decision. Understand that if you leave now you are disowned."
Penny
said nothing more. But with a straight face, she turned on her heel and
closed the glass doors behind her.
A look
of defeat and frustration crossed the aging man's face. Elena stood to
comfort her father.
"She'll
be back in a few minutes, when she realizes her mistake," he told his youngest.
Elena
doubted it, but dared not say so. "When will she come back?"
"Tomorrow."
The next
day came and went. It melted into a breathless two days, then three, and
eventually it blurred into a week. Weeks were months, as it usually is
when time is a painful blur, and finally months turned into four years.
Four years ago on Elena's 21st birthday, Penny had walked out on her sister
and father and never was seen again.
It was
indeed a black birthday for Elena. She woke up early morning, fully aware
at the time that had passed. She knew that her father was aware of it too.
So she decided to leave him alone for the day.
Around
noon, when Alexander hadn't come downstairs at all, Elena decided to fix
him a nice lunch and get him out of bed. She crept upstairs and opened
the blinds in his room, letting thin streams of sunlight drape across the
room.
Alexander's
motionless form was buried under a mass of covers on the bed. Elena eyed
the figure for a moment, then lifted the covers from her father's head.
The air and sound caught in her throat. He was wan and not breathing. His
pulse was nonexistent. His face was set in a hard, angered expression.
Death had claimed the life of a man whose riches obviously could not save
him from this untimely fate.
It was
an early death of course. Elena's thoughts ran around in her mind, but
could only settle on one thing.
News
quickly spread within hours of the coroner's arrival. "Friends" came to
the house to shower Elena with pity. With nowhere to go, they offered to
take the "poor naïve girl" in. She mentally scoffed at them. She wasn't
poor and she wasn't naïve. One woman, after a trail of false remorse,
asked, "Will you speak your father's eulogy?"
Elena
stopped dead. Her heart froze and her skin iced over.
"No."
There
was only one option left- to seek out her lost sister and continue the
lives they had once planned.
With
nothing but a wad of cash and an old picture, Elena determined her own
future.
The
fuel dripped down the sides of the house and a trail of it made a circle
around the outer walls. With a quick flick of the match, Elena set ablaze
the baneful house and it's empty memories. The orange flames licked around
the roof and sides, making ash of the architectural wonder.
And
into the night ran the fugitive girl, now a woman, to lead the life she
knew was not there.
Upon
reaching the bottom sectors, she saw just what Penny meant. Even for early
morning- around 3:00- there were many older people out. The ramshackle
houses, if you could even call them that, lined the streets and alleys,
as if whoever built them was desperate for a foundation. Across the roads,
streetwalkers and drunks lingered under the streetlights. They cast an
eerie orange glow around the area; in a sense it was beautiful to her.
Men
catcalled with slurred speech. She chose to ignore it until finally it
became so intense that she couldn't take it. Her stomach turned as she
quickened her pace. One man stepped in front of her and she skidded to
a halt.
"Oh,
sorry," he said without looking up. Elena stood and tried to rise to his
height. He was slightly taller than she was.
"Yes,
excuse me," she muttered back.
He grabbed
her arm. With an alarming cry and a flash of impulse, she slapped his left
cheek.
"Ah,
sorry!" he yelped. He examined her. She shifted under his prying eyes.
He shrugged. She sighed. Then he spoke. "Ever think of working at the Honeybee
Inn? It's in Wall Market, Sector 6. You look like one of the girls who
works there-well, used to. Later." He walked off in the opposite direction.
Elena
looked back. Such a non-base person in such a "dirty" place, as it was
so often mentioned to her.
She
looked around once more. She needed to start searching somewhere. She also
needed sleep and food. Which first?
Sleep
and food would have to come first. Her head spun as she dizzily stumbled
down the alleyways toward the general direction of Sector 6 and Wall Market.
Dawn
was barely breaking, if you could even tell under the Midgar plate. According
to a small clock in a random spot on the streets, it was 6:24, exactly
the minute that the sun's rays broke across the horizon. A beautiful splash
of pale blue lit the sky, but to everyone in the lower sectors, gray and
black seemed to envelop everyone and everything.
Elena's
dizzying condition only worsened as she finally collapsed in a playground
in where she could only hope was in or around Sector 6. Whatever cold metal
underneath her was soothing and yet kept her mind alert. Nobody was around
as the streets emptied of all life. Should she get up and go on, or stay
and take whatever came along?
Yet
another decision she was forced into. But this one didn't have a definite
answer.
Coming
out of a huge metal gate just across from the lot was a carriage with a
man holding onto the back. He seemed around Elena's age, with nothing but
some tattered, dirty clothes to cover his body. He jumped off beside the
small metal gate that ran around the perimeter of the park and stood for
a few moments- however long that might've been. Elena could barely get
a good look at him, but he was relatively handsome from what she could
see. His hair was dark, contrasting to the light features he otherwise
possessed. His skin was pale and covered with a fine layer of dirt. But
his eyes were what really captivated the sheltered girl. They were an icy,
pale blue, only describable as incredibly beautiful. They reminded her
of the sky during winter months, just the palest shade of blue possible,
yet so full of life…
He caught
her staring as she quickly turned her gaze away. She could feel the blood
rush into her cheeks. She didn't know what had come over her, but she liked
it. He noticed it too, and went over to where she lay on the slide.
"Are
you lost?" he asked.
She
was taken aback by the question. She sat up straight and turned over. Then
looked into those captivating eyes and completely lost hope.
"Well,
are ya?"
"No,"
she said meekly.
"Well
you don't look like you belong in a wretched place like this."
She
looked down, realizing what he meant. She had only been in the area a few
hours, and her clothing and makeup still portrayed her rich and sheltered
lifestyle. "I suppose you're right. I don't live around here. In fact,
I don't think I live anywhere."
"Well
obviously you live on the upper plate."
"Not
anymore."
He too
was taken aback. "Well why would you leave heaven just to go to hell?"
She
shook her head. "It's not heaven. I'm here looking for somebody. My sister."
He took
a few steps back and stopped leaning over her. "Who's your sister? Obviously
somebody important if she lives here."
"Her
name is Penelope Burch. Have you heard of her?" There was a glimmer of
hope in her voice.
He thought
a moment, then shook his head with a blank expression. "Nope, sorry. I
guess she's not as infamous as I thought. So who might you be?"
"My
name's Elena." She looked at him to signify that she needed his name.
"The
name's Alexander Buyer here." He grabbed her hand and gave it a firm shake.
She wobbled unexpectedly and fell over. "Pleased to meetcha."
Alexander…her
father's name…
She
shook her head and looked up as he started to walk away.
"C'mon,
then."
"Where
are we going?"
"To
my place. Figure you could use a warm meal and a nice place to sleep 'til
you figure out what you're gonna do."
She
pulled herself to her feet and tripped after his form as Alexander strolled
away, back through the way he had come, to Sector 7.
Alexander's
"house" wasn't much, just a two room shack with enough light to at least
see where you were. The first room was a kitchen and dining room, although
really it was just a small stove, icebox, and chair. The other room was
tiny, just a small bedroom with a twin bed and another chair. Outside there
was a bucket and water tap. Other than that, the place was bare.
"Sorry
it isn't much," he sympathized. "Definitely not what you're used to."
"It's
perfect." She loved the rugged, utilitarian unit. It gave her a sense of
reality.
"Well,
as long as you're comfortable." Alexander walked over to the stove and
lit it, putting a small makeshift kettle on to boil water. "Some tea and
a sandwich will do you some good."
She
was puzzled as to how he came across what was a feast in the slums. "I
thought people in poverty were starving," she blurted.
He turned
around, seemingly pale. "I'm not exactly poor. More like I just don't have
a lot. But the little I do have suits me just fine."
She
smiled towards the ground and turned away, a little embarrassed by her
naïve honesty. She just wasn't used to…this. Not the poor conditions,
but the presence of a stranger, and her trusting feeling.
He definitely
noticed her expression and lifted her chin. She looked into those icy blue
eyes and found herself standing completely stiff and still.
"Tomorrow,"
he murmured, "We're gonna go look for a job for you. I already got one
workin' for the Don. Alright?"
She
nodded and he stepped back.
"To
be honest with you, there's only one choice you have. And that's to work
at the Honeybee Inn." He grimaced and looked away.
"What's
that?" she cautiously asked.
Alexander
did a bit of a doubletake. "Aw c'mon, everyone knows what the Honeybee
Inn is, even the upper-plate rich guys!"
She
shook her head "no" and felt a bit foolish that she was so out of it.
He looked
away for a moment and thought, running a hand through his hair. After a
moment he looked back at her and opened his mouth. "It's a bordello that
caters to the high-class in Midgar. Even executives of Shin'ra go there
for a break, so if you're lucky you might land a job with them. That is,
if they like you."
"Shin'ra?
Really?" Elena loved the idea already.
"Yeah,"
he continued. "I know a girl who worked there for about two years before
landing a job as a secretary there. Her name was Crystal- a real doll,
smart too. I don't hear from her much anymore, but I know she's livin'
it up above us."
"I've
always dreamed of working for Shin'ra…"
"Well
then there's your place to start. Tomorrow I'll take ya down there and
you can interview, alright?"
She
sighed and nodded, her eyes already star-filled. Sure, it wasn't exactly
the ideal way in, but she would do anything to work for the greatest company
on the planet.
When
the next morning rolled around, Alexander wasted no time preparing her
for her task.
He rolled
her out of bed and started undressing her. Elena let him slip her out of
her clothes and into a red lace dress that was the most form-fitting thing
that she had ever worn. He even went so far as to do her hair and makeup.
"I'm
capable of doing this myself," she muttered as he poked her repeatedly
with eyeliner. "Ow…"
"Sorry!…I
gotta make you look just right for your interview, or you won't stand a
chance. You're a very pretty girl, Elena, so every feature has to be enhanced.
She
shut her mouth until he was finished. "Done," he muttered.
He handed
her a small mirror and she looked into it. Through the thin layer of grime
she could see that the cake of particles wasn't only on the mirror.
"I look
like a whore," she muttered. An uncomfortable shift caused Alexander to
poke her once more.
He said
nothing about her comment, but his eyes hardened and he kept working.
"Are
you almost done?"
After
a few more moments, he sighed and put the makeup away. "Yes, I'm done.
You look appropriate."
"Let
me see." She grabbed for the mirror, but it was pulled away.
"Don't
jinx it! You look fine, now let's go."
He roughly
grabbed her hand and pulled her out along the streets.
The
looks she got were so memorable; they never faded in her mind, even when
she endured the years ahead. The women scowled at her in abhorrence, some
men turned their heads away, others howled drunkenly. She didn't understand
the effect that took place around her until they arrived at the Honeybee
Inn.
Outside
of the massive neon entrance, Elena was instructed to stand there patiently
and wait until Alexander came back out.
While
waiting, a pair of equally smutty women sauntered up to her. The taller,
brown-haired one gave her a once-over and smiled.
"You
must be the new girl they're interviewing today," she observed.
Elena
nodded uncertainly. The girl's eyes were so gray and cold, as if they were
looking through her. She felt almost transparent.
The
tall woman smiled once more. "My name is Crystal. I'm kind of the head
around here."
Elena
saw no hand offered, so she just smiled back. "I'm Elena."
"Not
for long," the girl seemed to warn before the two entered the building,
leaving Elena alone once more.
The
men standing at the base of the steps kept giving her these looks of lust,
licking their lips and winking at her every five seconds.
Alexander,
now beside Elena for what would be the last time, motioned for her to go
in.
She
took a step forward and, realizing he wasn't following, asked, "Aren't
you coming?"
She
shook his head. "I'm outta here. I've got other callings. Take care, kid."
"Alright…bye…"
With
that, the mysterious man left as quickly as he had appeared, and Elena
faced the dull ache in her heart and what was going to be her life for
an indefinite period of time.
Crystal
was sitting inside with a skinny man beside her.
"Welcome,
cupcake," She greeted with a puff of cigarette smoke.
The
man stood and placed his hands on Elena's hips, thighs, and about every
other curve on her body. "She's got good measurements," he commented. With
a few more grunts, he sat back down and introduced himself. "The name is
Wiggly. I run this little joint for the Don."
Elena
nodded uncertainly once more. "Hello."
"No
need to be so uncomfortable, darlin'," Crystal drawled. "You're family
now."
"You've
now got a job here," Wiggly informed. "Startin' today. From now on you
sleep here, eat here, and breathe here. And you've also got a new alias;
Elena just won't do."
Elena
was so confused that she fainted.
"Oh
dear!" Crystal jumped up and knelt next to her new friend. "Are you okay?"
"Yes.
But I'm a little confused…"
"Alright,
let me explain. Your new name around here will be Heady, because Elena
just doesn't suit you," Wiggly informed.
"Why
do I have to change my name?"
"It's
for business reasons," Crystal elaborated. "More customers will come here
for business if the girls have provocative names."
"What
business is this again?"
It was
apparent that Crystal was becoming a little annoyed. "It's clear that you
really don't understand our business. I understand, you're young, you're
innocent. So how about you watch me tonight and learn, okay?"
"Alright,"
Elena agreed. After all, what could be so bad about that?
Wiggly
looked her over once more. "Hey, you kind of remind me of a girl who used
to work here about three years ago…Oh well." He shrugged. "I'm off. See
you tomorrow, girls."
He stumbled
off through the doors. Elena, now left with her superior, felt so cheerless
that she wanted the nightmare to be over. She squeezed her eyes shut.
"Relax
hon," Crystal soothed. "Come on now, we've gotta get you changed."
The night
hours were growing longer and later. It was already 10:00 before the doors
to the Inn even opened.
"Where
is everyone?" Elena asked Crystal.
"They're
coming very soon."
Elena
adjusted her tight bee costume. What a cute catch.
A young,
handsome, even rich-looking man sauntered through the doors of the Inn
and winked at Crystal.
With
a smile and the wink returned, she whispered to Elena, "We have a customer,
follow me."
Elena
nodded and followed Crystal and the man into a lavish bedroom, one of many.
The
man followed them in, holding Crystal's hand. He gave Elena a glance every
now and then, studying her. He was fairly handsome, she supposed, with
a medium build. He sat on the edge of the bed with Crystal sitting in his
lap and began sucking at her neck.
She
moaned with fake pleasure. "By the way, Ryan, this is our newest Honeybee,
Heady."
He smiled
and waved to her. "Will she be joining in?"
"I'm
afraid not tonight," Crystal answered. "Perhaps another time. Tonight she
is merely observing our pleasurable business."
With
that the pair started. Elena sat across from them in a chair, studying
Crystal's every move. Her eyes widened with every piece of clothing that
was stripped off. Her heart beat a little faster with every motion of the
hips. Elena couldn't tear her eyes away from the spectacle, although it
was definitely something she had never seen before. After Crystal collapsed
against her temporary lover, the two fell asleep, leaving Elena all alone
with her head spinning and her once clean mind now tainted.
By morning,
the exhausted couple had fallen asleep in the bed, and Elena drifted off
quietly in the uncomfortable chair after a long and equally laborious night.
The
man exited the Inn quietly into the cloudy morning, and Elena was sitting
in the dressing room with Crystal.
"That
was…amazing," She said breathlessly.
Crystal
gave a small laugh and commented, "You don't know the half of it."
"I've
never seen anything like that before."
"I
figured as much. You're young and innocent. I've been working here for
six years. When I started here I was just like you. But things changed
so quickly. I rocketed up in self-confidence, and I appeared glamorous
and rich."
"And
what happened?" Elena asked after hearing the story.
"I lost
the one thing that is most important in life. You will too, and you won't
even realize it."
"I don't
want that to happen."
"Get
used to it, honey. You work here now."