The Death of Sadie Marcus

one

Sometimes moving to a better place is not a good move. For example, if you live in a cold wasteland and move to a desert, that's not a good move because you've just gone from freezing to burning. Or from on top of a mountain to a farmland near sea-level, then you're going to have the worst headache for a few days, like if it rained really hard in a place that never got rain. Or in mine and my sister's case, our move to Salem, Massachusetts. That was a move for the better, but turned out to be the absolute worst case scenario. 

To go into depth, my name is Charles Marcus. However, everyone calls me Charlie because Charles doesn't match my face. I have a little sister named Sadie, though her real name is Sarah. She's younger than me by a few years, but not by so much that I behave more like her father than her brother.

Speaking of our parents, we don't have any. Our mom, Fiona Marcus, died after she gave birth to Sadie. Our father, Patrick Marcus, drank himself to death just a few years ago. Our mother's death didn't effect him immediately, but it hit about a decade later, when he began gambling and selling our land to pay for his whiskey. He was never foul to Sadie or I, although it may seem that way based on how I painted him. He was never with another woman after our mother, and even though he spent his waking days placing bets, he prioritized Sadie and I. But, man, this is a hell of a way to learn that he didn't leave us anything, right?

"Charlie, look." Sadie said, sprawling our map on the forest floor. She was wearing a dark brown dress and worn out traveler's boots. "We're almost there!"

For the past few days, we had been walking toward a small town called Salem. Our old town had very little opportunity for the two of us, whereas Salem seemed to be the golden land of opportunity.

Our plan for Salem was almost simple: Sadie and I would figure out our lodging and I would get a job. Best case scenario, I make enough money for the two of us until she's of a good age to marry. But if I can't find us a place to stay, we'll have to work indentured.

"Hey, Charlie," Sadie said as we trekked on our way to Salem. "What would you do if I got a cat?"

"Get rid of it." I said without much hesitation.

"What if you don't know about it?" She pressed.

"You're not getting a cat." I shook my head. "If you do, I'm cooking it."

"Like, in a fire?" 

"No." I rolled my eyes. "How else would I cook it?"

We arrived in Salem, Massachusetts when it was nearing the afternoon. Salem was a decently sized town. It was right on the edge of the ocean, so there were docks with small boats. 

"Okay, here's the plan." I said, turning to Sadie. "We're going to see if there's an inn we can stay at."

"That's it?" Sadie gaped.

"What do you mean?" My brows furrowed.

"Aren't we getting jobs or something?" She asked.

"I'm going to find a job." I said with a nod. Sadie agreed and we set on our way. For the next while, the two of us went door to door along the beachline, asking if they were in need of fishing or boating assistance. Every house we visited declined us, up until the final one at the very corner of Salem.

"Assistance?" The old man echoed. His elderly wife had been the one to answer the door, but she fetched him.

"Yes, sir." I nodded. "All we ask is food and a place to stay." 

"For how long?" He asked, blue eyes looking back and forth between Sadie and I.

"Not long, we just need to establish ourselves in Salem." I said, gaining some hope. The man zoned out in a moment of thought before coming back to Earth and looking back at me.

"Fine." He said stiffly. "You slack and you're out. You," the man said, turning to Sadie. "You can help my wife around the house."

"Okay!" She smiled. 

"Okay." He said, leading the two of us inside. "Anne!" The man called. The old woman that had answered the door shuffled over in response. "These kids are going to give us a hand."

"Welcome, then. I'm Anne." She said, motioning for the two of us to shake her frail hand.

"I'm Charlie, and this is Sadie." I introduced the both of to the elderly couple. 

The man's name ended up being Henry. Sadie and I learned quite a bit about the two of them. They have two daughters, Edith and Jane, although their husbands moved them both out of Salem years ago. Henry used to make his living in the market, but had to retire due to his age. Anne used to live in Plymouth, where her family owned a farmland, Therier Ranch. The two of them had lived in Salem longer than I've been alive, but based on their stories, it felt like they had only been here for just a few years.