Act 2, scene 2
{The sun had barely risen when Mercy slipped out of the house. The world was still quiet, the streets mostly empty. Her small bag bounced lightly against her back, she took each step both in relief and terror—relief that she had escaped her father's reach, fear of the unknown that lay ahead. She kept her head low, avoiding any curious eyes. Her heart pounded like a drum against her chest}
Mercy (inner monologue)
No one can see me… not Mama,not the nosy neighbours,not anyone.If they spot me, they'll stop me…and might even take me back to mama and they the so called father's family will have an excuse to take me....I..I...I can't… I have to disappear.
{She moved swiftly down the empty street, her bare feet brushing against the cold, rough pavement,she had ran and hid when she thought someone saw her leaving the house loosing her slippers in the process. She bit her lip to stop herself from crying. Her small frame carried the weight of guilt, fear, and determination all at once}
Mercy (thinking aloud)
Okay… breathe…breathe mercy...breathe you can do this(tears welled uo in her eyes)one step at a time. I can do this. I have to do this. For Mama… for Rebecca… for me(she sniffs back her tears)
{A bus rumbled around the corner, coming to a slow stop. Mercy's heart leapt. She didn't know where the bus went, but it didn't matter. Anywhere was better than here. She slipped in quietly, choosing a seat at the back}
Mercy (inner monologue)
Please… please don't notice me. Don't let anyone see me… just let me disappear,be invincible,anything
Stranger
Can you please adjust for me(she asks mercy kindly)i come with a lot to me(smiles softly)
(Mercy's heart lept forward, beating hard against her rib cage,she thought the woman had recognised her,she looked at the woman to see her with a little baby on her back and a young boy who seem like her sister's age,the instant guilt tug at her heart which made her miss Rebecca even more,she adjusted quickly for the woman.The bus lurched forward, carrying her further from everything familiar. She pressed her small forehead to the window. The streets of her neighborhood vanished quickly, replaced by new roads, unfamiliar buildings, and people she had never seen before. Her fingers gripped the strap of her bag so tightly it left red marks}
Mercy (thinking aloud, frightened)
Maybe… maybe I'll get lost or Maybe someone will notice me… Maybe I'm not ready for this…can i even do this?
{Her stomach knotted, and her feet ached. She bit her lip to keep from sobbing. For a moment, doubt overwhelmed her. She almost whispered for her mother}
Mercy (inner monologue)
No. I can't. I won't turn back. Mama and Rebecca… I have to keep going. I have to be strong.I can't fail. I won't.
{Hours passed. The bus slowed near a part of the city completely foreign to her. She stepped down, overwhelmed by the noise, the unfamiliar faces, and the crushing size of everything around her. She hugged her bag tightly, her young mind racing with fear and terror,she felt lost,lost in the city,lost in her mind but there was still a tiny little excitement bubbling in her}
Mercy (inner monologue)
Here… here is my chance. No one knows me. I can start… i can start over..I can be anyone… I can be everything I need to be.
{A stranger noticed her hesitation, a man in his thirties, neatly dressed, sitting on a bench nearby. He watched her clutch her bag, small and tense, looking around like a child looking for it mother}
Stranger
Hey, little girl… where are you going all alone? where are your parents?
{Mercy's heart skipped a beat. She stepped back instinctively, ready to flee, but her legs felt weak. She swallowed, voice barely a whisper}
Mercy
I… I'm… I'm just going… somewhere
Stranger
Somewhere? You look like you need help. Your bag… you've been walking a while, haven't you?are you lost?
{Mercy shook her head rapidly, tears threatening to spill, she was visibly scared}
Mercy
No… I'm fine. Really… I just… I'm okay.
{The man frowned but didn't push further. He nodded slowly, giving her a small, cautious smile}
Stranger
Alright… be careful, okay?
{Mercy didn't reply. She darted away before he could ask more questions. She kept walking, every corner a potential threat. Her legs ached, and hunger gnawed at her stomach. By the time night began to fall, she had no money, no plan, just her bag and her resolve}
Mercy (inner monologue)
Where… where will I sleep tonight? I can't go back. Mama… Rebecca… I can't…
{She found herself in a narrow alley, shadows deep and cold. She sat against a wall, hugging her knees. Her small hands trembled. She took out a scrap of papers she had tucked in her bag—her little family pictures She viewed them quietly, stroking it softly and delicately, letting them remind her of why she had to keep going}
Mercy (whispering, almost to herself)
I'll make it, Mama… I'll make it for you. I'll be strong. I'll…
{Her words faltered. Exhaustion overcame her. She curled up on the hard pavement, trying to make herself as small as possible, as if shrinking would hide her from the dangers of the world. She closed her eyes, but sleep was fitful. Every sound—the distant dog barking, the clatter of late-night carts, the hum of faraway cars—made her flinch.}
Mercy (inner monologue)
I'm so small… so alone… so lost....I don't even know if I'll succeed. But I have to… I have to survive. I'll make them pay… everyone who thought they could control us… they'll see… they'll all see…but my poor mother...what if she starts suffering more because of me?what if that cursed family decides to be more mean to my mother?
{She squeezed her bag to her chest, her heart hammering, tears spilling quietly onto the pavement.she pats herself softly on the back rocking herself back and forth.For the first time in her life, Mercy felt completely alone but the fire in her chest refused to die.}
Mercy (thinking aloud)
I can't look back… not now… not ever. I'll survive… and one day… I'll make them all pay for underestimating me.
{The city slept around her, unaware of the small, determined figure curled in the shadows. Her journey had just begun, fraught with danger, hunger, and uncertainty. But in her chest, a stubborn spark refused to die}
{Scene ends with Mercy lying on the cold street, a fifteen-year-old girl stepping into the unknown, her eyes half-closed in exhaustion but burning with resolve}