Reaching into her traveling gown pocket, Suzy pulled out a single gold coin, "Here you go, sir."
She handed the payment to a man behind a fruit stand in the town of Preston, Idaho.
"Mhm." The seller took the coin and handed her a dewey, bright orange.
In her hold, the fruit felt bumpy against her skin and wafted off a delicious fragrance.
The group of three left the stand and Su gave Gale the orange, "You may eat it whenever you'd like. It's yours."
Gale's face glowed, she showed the fruit off to Eugene, who, rolled his grey eyes.
Eugene came to walk beside Suzy, "Do you really think giving something to a street orphan is a good idea? You'll spoil her, and soon," He warned, "She'll become greedy and want more and more. That's how rats like her do things." His warm smile from earlier had faded.
Suzy shook her head, "The less fortunate aren't greedy. We are. Those who have less, never expect more."
Eugene grunted. He didn't reply.
Suddenly she became aware of Gale's presence missing. Panic filled her. "Where is she?" She grabbed Eugene's shirt, "Please tell me you saw where she went?"
He shook his head and shrugged.
Suzy's throat felt dry, "Gale?!" She screamed, not caring that everyone looked at them oddly.
Eugene called too, "Gale! Come back here right away! Gale!?" His voice began to get more and more worried even when he attempted not to let it sound that way, as minutes passed by with no sign of the girl.
Crying came from around the corner in the center of town and Suzy and Eugene bolted on fast legs.
By the orphanage, "Brickstone Manor," an older woman with a stern face held Gale tightly in her arms. Gale was wailing.
"Let her go!" Suzy demanded.
The old woman squinted, "On whose authority?"
Su was taken aback, "What authority do you think have over her?"
"She's a runaway child. This is where she belongs." The older woman pointed to the painted sign, directly at the words, "orphanage".
"She belongs with me actually." Suzy retorted, walking up to the other woman.
Eugene stayed hushed but continued to be by Su's side.
Gale managed to break free from the woman's imprisonment and she stumbled over to Suzy, clasping madly for her hand.
The older woman looked harshly at Eugene, dusting off her hands, almost as if the girl got her dirty, "Is she telling the truth, sir? Does this worm, belong to her?"
Eugene's eyes darted left and right, "Well..."
Suzy butted in, "She belongs to us." She scooted closer to Eugene and smiled.
Gale seemed content to nuzzle into both of them, Eugene didn't like either of their proximities.
The woman huffed, gave them an annoyed glower, and then she opened the doors to the horrid orphanage, children screaming and yelling inside, and hurried in.
Gale shuddered and looked away, "Suzy, please don't make me go there! I've seen how awful it is! If the children don't do as they're told," she grew quieter, almost afraid someone else would hear, "If they don't do as they're told, they get hit, or worse... the belt!"
YOU ARE READING
Fall Through
Romance"She was logical... he was myth..." Suzy O'connel is an A+ student at Beaver Dam College and she's very, very logical. She moved away from home at a young age desperate to get the best schooling and separating herself from the rest of her family. Af...
