Aren’t the poor ones the easiest ones to lure away from their safety? All you have to do is promise them materialistic items and they follow. All the warnings, and lectures their Mother’s have given them regarding going with people they do not know just leaves their tiny little brains.
The one who you saw peaked your interest right away. She was in the store with her Mom asking her for everything and anything. The Mother sadly told her that she was sorry but they just could not get anything this time, that maybe next time they would have more money. Then she leaned down and gave her daughter a hug. The girl walked behind her Mom slowly and you heard her mutter, “We never have any money.”
Keeping a good distance between yourself and them, you follow. Eventually they walk up to a run down apartment building. You hear the little girl ask if she can play on the playground. The Mother gently touches her daughter’s shoulder and tells her okay but not too long because they have to go to the food bank because she couldn’t get everything at the store.
The Mother disappears into the building and the little one takes off running toward the swing sets. You pull out your cell phone and start to talk loudly on it as you make your way toward her. Not even looking at her you start your pretend call saying that you cannot believe that your daughter didn’t like her birthday present. You make yourself sound upset and act as though you have no clue what to do with your daughter’s ungrateful behavior. Then you say, “You know what? If she is going to act that way, I’ll just give that bike away to someone else!” You hold the phone to your chest, turn around and shout, “Hey, little girl? Do you want a brand new bike? My daughter is being a brat and I don’t think she deserves it!”
The little girl knew exactly all about how your daughter was being a brat, because you made sure to speak loudly enough for her to hear everything. She excitedly shook her head yes. Her soft curls bobbing up and down on her shoulders. You tell her that you just have to walk down to the place where you were having the party to get it for her. You ask her if she wants to go along so she can just ride the bike back to her apartment building so you won’t have to walk all the way back. She smiles and says yes.
As soon as you closed that door, she knew something was wrong. Maybe it was the smell, maybe it was all dust floating in the air, maybe it was the half blacked out windows, perhaps it was all the other little girl clothing scattered along the floor leading to a dirty mattress in the corner, or perhaps it was the other little girl in the dog crate in the corner whimpering in the pale defused light. What ever it was didn’t really matter because she was the one who chose to follow.