Charlyce

TUMB 06/3 Charlyce comes upon the four-yearold, Dina, the morning after Dina's dad was killed by Red Eye. Calls police, so dina is picked up by CPS, and Charlyce watches over her from the street as best she can. Dina see's video of Brownstone on TV while in CPS office, tells Charlyce that's who they need to take out Red Eyes.

TUMB06/7 Charlyce calls her nephew, Trey, to help her get in touch with Brownstone.

Homeless, but with a phone (Priorities! This phone is what’s gonna let me get a job and get back into regular society. You ain’t nothing without the internet. I need this phone for my future.”) Nana told me you disappeared. I figured she was just being nice and didn’t want to tell me you drank yourself to death.” “I ain’t proud of who I was, and I ain’t proud of who I fell in with. Not only the booze took me. The Devil’s needle also took me for a while, and I lost myself. I don’t blame anyone but myself for that. I wasn’t strong enough, and I hurt you and everyone. I found forgiveness. I found Jesus, and I quit the drugs and the booze. I’m clean and sober, I swear. “Clean and sober for how long? Since you saw me on TV last night?” The woman sighed over the line. “A month. I’m saving up money, trying to get back on my feet—I swear to the Lord in heaven. I’m not proud of what I’ve become, but I know now that part of helping myself means helping others. When I ran to drugs, it was because I didn’t care about no one but myself. Now I have a chance to really help someone else.”

TUMB 06/10 It started that way, but the problem was a boyfriend I was dating at the time. He convinced me of a lot of lies, like that he’d amount to something and that I should go with him. He’s the one who introduced me to heroin.” “This guy still around? I’d like to have a conversation with him.” His hands tightened into fists. “Maybe. I don’t know. Lost contact with him years ago, but it doesn’t matter. One thing I’ve learned is that I have to forgive others. He might be the one who introduced me to drugs, but I’m the one who kept taking them. The years passed in a haze until eighteen months ago when I realized I needed to stop or I’d end up dead or with some disease. It took me a while to fight it, but now I’m clean. Been trying to save and looking into a job, but I know it’s gonna take a while. Not like people are eager to hire ex-addicts who still live on the street.” Trey placed his hand on her shoulder. “Like I said, you’re coming back to LA with me. I know Nana will be happy to see you. Even though she told me you disappeared, I always knew she was sad and wanted to see you again.”“But I failed her. I failed you. I failed everyone.” Trey snorted. “Because you did some things you ain’t proud of? I bet you’d need to be on the streets for another seven years to catch up to me when it comes to that. It don’t matter. Family is family, and we’re gonna make sure you get back on your feet. I’ve got a good honest job now, where I help protect people. So I’m gonna help protect my auntie.”