"Quick get back here girl!"

A local shop keeper was yelling at Mercina as she laughed and danced through the crowd. On nimble feet she swerved around the vast amount of people that walked along the street daily looking for work. The newly plucked apple gripped in her hand as she giggled.

The shop keeper would be mad for a few days but it was rare that anyone maintained anger at the girl with flowers in her hair. She was always causing a little bit of mayhem among the city. Toronto was still growing, but, Mercina had taken it upon herself to hone her mischievous ways starting with apple stealing.

A few years later Mercina was still running around the city of Toronto. Her mother had taken off to live in the United States while her dad was busy putting food on the table. She had started taking it upon herself to take an interest in bringing money in. She had walked through the streets looking for a job but no one would hire a young woman.

After a few tries, she began to look in another direction. Eventually she had been taken in by an unruly crowd. Soon she was making money by stealing from other people. She'd bump into them and suddenly their wallets would be missing. Or she'd distract people at the gambling tables while her new friends were betting.

As the money came in, she would leave unsealed envelopes of money for her dad in their mail box. She didn't want him to know it was her but she wanted to contribute and lift some of the burden from her father. It was one of these envelope days when she was having dinner with her father. He had come home early and caught her unaware.

Mercina had just finished doing her make up. The eyeliner was dark around her eyes and her hair had been done with lilacs. The dress was lacy and very light for the summer weather. She glanced up as her dad walked through the door. He merely stared at her as his face began to turn red.

"What are you doing young lady?" He yelled.

Mercina cringed inwardly. She knew that if he ever saw her dressed like this it would never go well, which is why she tried to be out of the house earlier on in the day. Today she was running late and this was the consequence.

"I am going dancing with some friends."

"Not looking like that you are not."

Mercina glared at him and stomped back toward her room. Grabbing her suitcase she began to mutter as she packed up her suitcase.

"Such an ungrateful dickhead. How would he know what I should or shouldn't wear?... Screw him I will just go live with my mother.. She'd never treat me like this.."

Storming around the room she gathered up everything, even the tiny bit of money she had stashed away for herself. She would be better off somewhere else. As she headed for the door she took one last glance at her dad and headed to the train station.

Days later she  got off the train and made her way to Detroit.

She had gotten herself settled into a sketchy motel room as she went about in search of her mother.