I don't remember a lot of my early days. I guess.. I locked up all my memories and threw the key away. But I'll try telling everything that pops up.

I was born in New York, to Joanna Levine. The date? August the 6th, 1913. A sunny day, but I would live in the shadows for years. The reason I didn't mention my father is that I don't know him. I've only seen him twice, from a distance. I haven't heard from him since. My mother's family renounced her because of me, and when she passed away, the streets became my home, the stars my roof. I guess I was around 9 or 10 years old at that time.
I lived together for maybe 2 years with a few other kids. I can't remember what we did to survive, but it can't be good. Let's say necessity knows no law.
In a certain night, I couldn't sleep and as always, I climbed a big old tree and watched the stars. I remember they were bright that night.
I felt like nothing was left for me in New York. Next day, I visited my mom's grave once more and then traveled to a city that turned out being New Orleans later.
I don't know how long it took me to get there, but it was almost autumn when I arrived. I just turned 15 by then.

New Orleans is where I started a new life. I lived in the streets again, but determined to be somebody.
What I didn't know at that time, was that someone watched me from the day I first gazed upon the magnificent skyline that covered New Orleans.

A few years later I made some cash by pickpocketing New Orleans' citizens. That day I woke up, snached some bread from the bakery and wandered off.
Soon I saw my first target for that day. A man with a fat purse, just asking for it to be stolen. I approached him, but just a few seconds before I reached out my hand, someone grabbed me and pulled me away from him.
The next moment, I found myself in an alley I never noticed before. "Back off girl" the voice said. "That would have been your death. First get yourself into a good family. Talking about that, I know who you are, I know who your father was. I know you can become as great as he ever was." A few seconds I couldn't hear anything but my heartbeat. "Join my family and I'll teach you how to become great." "W-who are you?" I whispered "I-i.." My breath stuck.

After 16 years the shadow I had been living in stepped in the light.

It was Lorrie.

Thank you for taking part in our competition, I really enjoed reading it, especially since english is not your first language, well done.