I had been driving for several hours and was taking what I hoped would be a s shortcut to get to the interstate. It was a damp cool gloomy day in late November. All the leaves were gone from the trees now and the promise of an early winter was evident. Most of the houses on this road seemed to be neglected and there was a dismal mood to the entire area.

As i negotiated a sharp curve I was caught of guard by a large dog. It had probably chased hundreds of cars but today was not its lucky dad. The right front of my car got a direct hit and rolled the dog of into the ditch. As I slowed down the dog actually got up and ran for a brushy area near the only house that I had passed for awhile. It was obviously hurt but still able to run for cover.

I looked around and decided I should stop at the house and tell them I had hit their dog so they could try to help it.

I pulled into the driveway and shut of my engine. Typical of the others in the area this was a rundown home and it looked almost deserted. The two cars in the drive looked like they had not moved in some time.

Two mangy kittens were foraging for food from a selection of dirty feeding bowls on the front porch as i prepared to knock on the door.

"My Mom is not here, she is gone til tomorrow." I turned to see where the voice had came from. A young girl had just stepped from the open door of an unattached garage.

"Do you have a dog, a large black and white one?" I didn't want to tell a kid that I had hit their dog.

Yeah, why did you run over him?" she didn't seem very concerned.

"I think he might not be hurt to badly, he ran off into those bushes."

"Thats where he usually goes when he gets hit." She shrugged and walked toward the house.

"Well, i just wanted to tell you so you could get him to the vet to get checked out." She turned slowly and looked at me, there was contempt in her eyes. She looked at my expensive car and then back at me.

"I ain't got money to buy food for me and my sister. Does it look to you lake we got money to pay some vet to patch up that stupid dog?" She shook her head and turned back toward the house.

"I'm sorry about your dog, maybe i could give you some money to pay for it." I was starting to feel guilty now.

Up until now i had not noticed that she was quite pretty. She was just starting to develop a figure which was partially concealed by her lose fitting clothes. Her sandy hair was wavy and she kept pushing it back from her eyes. I guessed her to be 12 or 13 years old.

"How much money you got?" she had turned and approached me.

"I, well I don't know how much a vet bill would be. Its hard to say how badly he is hurt."

"Would you forget about that stupid dog. One of my mom's boyfriends left it here." She was standing close to me now. "I'm talking about something different."

I was starting to feel uncomfortable now. I was not sure what this young beauty was getting at.

"Some guys like young girls, you might be one of those guys i think."

I started to look around. "Ain't nobody else around, don't worry"

"What are you offering?" I looked at her and could see a sense of desperation, she needed money.

"Give me $200 and you will have a good time, i never done nothin like this before, but ain' t never been this hard up before."

With my $200 in her hand she led me into the house. The kitchen looked as bad as the outside.

She looked at me, her eyes seemed sad. "What you like best 13 years old or 10 years old?"

I could here sounds from the other room. "Hey Mandy get in here!"

To be continued, very soon...