Reflections Of Angels

The Best Made Plans

Lila was hopping down the stairs, jumping them two at a time when she peeped over the bannister and saw Billy sitting in the hall at the bottom, toy swords beside him, Nibs on the other side, surrounded by paper that he was drawing on with brightly coloured crayons.

"What are you doing?" Lila quirked her head.

"Makin' a plan." Billy said seriously.

Lila hopped down the last few lots of steps and swung around the end post. "A plan for what?"

Billy's face was set into a deep frown, his ashy cheeks smeared with drying, cried-in-secret tears. "A plaaan... to find mummy, den go rescue my baby sister, den rescue my daddy an' den everyone lives happ'ly eva afta'."

Set in his plan, Billy nodded to himself then took hold of his swords and began stuffing his items inside a black kit bag he'd had stashed behind him. Intrigued, Lila wandered over to look. "Nuh-uh, you can't go, you're little!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Yah-uh! You should wait for my Daddy!"

"Look," Billy huffed. "Nobody else is doin' it, so I'm gonna do it. An' then it will not be sad anymore and everyfink will be fixed."

He stood, struggling to haul the enormous bag over his shoulder. Lila watched on, gobsmacked, before reaching out to grab his arm. "You can't go!"

"I can!"

"No, no, no, you can't go! You have to stay here, Daddy said!" They were playing tug of war with Billy's arm, Lila surprisingly strong for her age and particularly good at hooking her fingers unmovingly around things. Finally, Billy managed to twist himself loose, the two kids parting with a forceful jolt.

Immediately, Lila turned and raced off towards the kitchen, yelling urgently at the top of her lungs. "Miiina! Billy's running away!"

Hoisting his bag firmly on his shoulder, Billy turned resolutely towards the door.