Behind the popular coffee shops, crowded sidewalks, and entertainment of bustling 9th Street in Columbia, Missouri, lives a family stuck in the shadows of society.

Over the past three years, Sheena Marie Andrews has overcome drug addictions and struggled with emotional depression while living on the streets. She was kicked out of her father’s house at 17 for her drug use and turned to her street family, which offered money, alcohol, tobacco, and companionship for the high school dropout.

At 20, Sheena is one of the youngest women sleeping in the alleys of downtown Columbia. She has quickly grown tired of the city, but not the lifestyle, and is looking for a way to escape before her next court date. Sheena struggles to come to grips with reality, but confusion over love, family, and identity has clouded her future.

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In The Fray Contributor