TUESDAY TALES - PICTURE PROMPT - MIDNIGHT IN CENTRAL PARK

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Welcome! This week we have a picture prompt and we can only post 300 words. My urban fantasy, MIDNIGHT IN CENTRAL PARK, a YA story continues. Scroll down to return to Tuesday Tales.  Thank you for stopping by.

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I tucked the package from Mrs. Hernandez into my backpack and headed for the park.

“Meet you at Balto,” Taylor said.

I nodded. Balto is the statue of a dog who trekked like 600 miles through a blizzard to get some medicine to kids in Alaska one helluva long time ago. He’s my hero.

The statue stood on some rocks near the underpass to the zoo. Taylor, Abby and I hung out there sometimes. I’d always wanted a dog, but dad refused and after he left, we barely had enough food for mom and me. He’s made of metal, not warm and fuzzy, but it’s better than nothing.

Today was a perfect day. Not too hot or cold. It was June. The best month in the park. I was weird, maybe, but I felt safe there. Especially at night. There are lots of places to hide, I never got mugged. It’s safer than that rat-trap I’d called home.

Mom’s had mean friends. They’d hang out, drink, do drugs. I left whenever they showed up. When I got back, usually Mom wasn’t there and I’d have to clean up their mess. She never told me where she went, and I never asked.

If my teachers knew, they’d think I do drugs, too. Drugs mess up my mother, why would I do it, too? I hate her high. She’d get sentimental, weepy, and disgusting. She’d apologize and stuff. I’d go spend the night in the park.

It was a long walk, but when it was nice out, I didn’t mind. There were lots of places to sleep that the cops didn’t check. Hell, they mostly stuck to the paths, looking for muggers. Sleeping by a flower bed was nice. It smelled so damn good. A lot better than home.

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