Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
—————————————————————
Birmingham, 1917
Small Heath was engulfed in fog and shadows, its population asleep in their homes. No one were walking around outside, not one soul. The usual drunks who would stumble around, weren't. The prostitutes who would usually pry on the drunks, weren't. The orphans looking to steal from the drunks, weren't.
No one were around to see the young, bloodied girl. The young girl who had just mere hours ago celebrated her fourteenth birthday. The young girl who was finally happy after months of pure despair. The young girl who had only wished for a day of happiness.
If anyone were to see her, they would, without a doubt, run away terrified. She was a sight to see. Covered in her own blood. Littered with cuts and bruises. Clothes ripped to pieces, barely covering her body.
Isabella Shelby was leaning onto walls and trees, as she tried to walk. She was barely able to keep herself standing upright. She could barely see, blood dripping from her head and getting in her eyes. She couldn't call for help, she had previously screamed her throat raw. Her pained moans causing blood to pool in her mouth.
She couldn't fathom how she was still alive. She could barely breathe. Her whole body hurt. She was bleeding from cuts all over her body. She had countless bruises covering her body.
Isabella didn't want to be alive, not any longer. After everything she had been through, everything she had been put through, she deserved to die. To finally be able to rest. She had earned peace. She craved death. Why wouldn't she just die?
"Whoever's walking there, I have a gun."
Without Isabella realizing, her feet had led her to Charlie's yard. She was still unable to see and walk, but she tried moving towards her uncle's familiar voice. She tried calling out to him, but the pain consuming her didn't allow any sound other than pained moans to leave her throat.
It's me, uncle, it's Isabella!
"I'm warning you." Charlie warned the figure he saw moving towards him. As the small figure kept stumbling closer to him, he started noticing familiar features. The small shape's height resembled his niece's height. The brunette locks covered in blood looked a great deal like his niece's hair.
Once the small intruder's bruised and bloodied face revealed itself to him, he couldn't help but let out a startled gasp. "Isabella?!"
Charlie was quick to take off his coat as he rushed to her stumbling being, carefully placing his coat around her when he reached her. Isabella let out another pained moan when she felt the added weight around herself. She let her body fall against her uncle's when she couldn't keep her body upright any longer.
