The Fox & The Crow

Chapter Fourteen *not edited*

The humming of bombers comes from far above us. All of London lays quiet, waiting, before a bomb will come whistling from the heavens and explode over buildings, killing hundreds.

¨We can't stay here, Elaine.¨

I look to where Violet is crouched. She and I had been rummaging through charred buildings, looking for any scraps of food or clothing to bring back to Mrs. Rufis. Her cheeks are covered in ashes and her fingernails are almost the color of coal, except for a hint of pink from old scrapes. Her clothes are much looser on her than they were a month ago and I have begun sneaking some of my own food onto her plate hoping that it will help nourish her, but it never does.

I look to my side and spot my reflection in a broken mirror. My light hair has darkened slightly and become more of a dim brown color. I can barely see my freckles and my skin is ashen grey. I touch my face, feeling as if I might disappear into small particles of dust if I'm not gentle, and my dirty fingers leave behind a small trail of dirt. I look away from the mirror quickly, worried that the face I saw might replace the one I can just barely remember.

¨Come on then, Violet. We should have enough scraps of fabric for Mrs. Rufis to stitch up some socks for you.¨

She takes my hand and we carefully walk out of the building. Once we have passed into the safer part of the exterior structure, I peek my head out to make sure there are no low flying planes before gripping tighter to Violet's hand and running with her to the alley across from us.

We creep around wooden crates that hold dead rats and rotting vegetables. Not even the beggars will sort through them. I hold my breath as we pass, although the stench is still strong enough to burn my nose.

A small group of people have gathered together around a fire made from old newspaper scraps and for a moment I want to stop and join them in keeping warm, but the safest place to be is Mrs. Rufis's house and poor Violet needs to sleep. I push past the crowd still holding onto the small girl's hand.

¨I heard a whisperin' that there's ta be anotha bombin' tonight.¨

¨They've already blown 'way mosta the south end, but they musta found that most of it's been evacuated.¨

¨Thank God for that! Last time was a massacre! They started bombin' right when the people were leavin'.¨

I swallow quickly and continue to walk, hoping that the Germans decide not to waste their resources on our end of the city. We're like rats. They can peel away the surface of our city, but we'll just bury ourselves deeper within. They won't ever be able to get rid of us.

Violet and I cross over to the other side of the city in fifteen minutes. At the very end of an empty street is a large purple house with a beautiful porch with a swing in the front. The plants have all withered and died, the purple paint has become duller, and the smell is horrible. Inside is the better part. A large crystal chandelier that has lost its shine always greets us when we first walk in. Mrs. Rufis will not allow for any light, electricity is forbidden. ¨Do you want the Germans to blow your heads off? No lights mean no easy targets.¨ We walk through her house using candles. Each day we're sent out to collect more food or clothing, whatever we can find. She won't let us out when the German bombers have been sighted close to our side of town though. We call this place The Last Standing Home. I'm sure it isn't the last home, but Mrs. Rufis is a bit of a romantic and will always be that way even through a war.

I'm getting ready to cross the street when I hear voices and immediately back behind the house that Violet and I have just come from. They are too far away to make out any real dialect so I am forced to peek around the side of the house to make sure that there isn't a threat of being mugged.