BENNY'S HEART

to the loud, angry

BAM

er ribs as she got up from

wasn't even fully up yet, and alre

I KNOW YOU'

ndlord

hed from another sleepless night of studying, looking fo

bare feet freezing against the wooden floor. Mayb

N'T OPEN THIS DOOR,

d. This man

locked the door. It swung ope

orway, his face twisted with anger. His oversized belly stretched his faded gra

he said, forcin

landing on the unwashed dishes in the sink, the stack of law textbooks on the t

her fists. Sh

more time sir, she sa

said last month! If I don't see my mone

dropped. S

m tired of sto

d down the hallway, his boots t

pressing her forehead agai

ed to get that kind

hone

. It was h

knew what her mom would say she needed money for groc

so depressed,

weak as she sa

dn't cry

d to f

her laptop. Maybe

-

nt of her laptop, her fingers

lts had just

ned as she click

ssed. Then the n

h twisted

ed.

o, n

, her hands shaking. Her half

more course, she

bills, school fees, school pressu

uzzed again

her eyes an

re, and hopelessness pressed

face in her h

cracked. I work so hard

yanked her b

re you i

ommate

d her face and tri

l skin and a sharp tongue, stepped inside

stole your last slic

t a hollow l

e laptop screen. The red

l, Tasha

ore scholarship, no more school, no more dreams. Just

Okay, first, you are N

need a real

ied everywhere fast food joints, online gigs, even

head. You ever tr

wned. Gho

eople and companies hire writers to writ

hem pay c

g? For

too good

int, she had n

id online ghostwriting courses to study and tau

ing hours searching for

company was looking f

y than she had eve

art po

could

she spent hours craf

, pouring her heart an

t a job. It was

hit

at the screen. Now, all she

-

days

exhausted and frustrated from another g

nown n

lse qu

d before ans

e filled the line. Is t

about the tone sent s

ho's

pa

hat would change

ter position, your skills stated on your application matched what we were looking for

ght. Was she i

ling

elite publishing e

felt like she was halluc

an on the phone, was the ruthless

t to become her