Stuff Of Legend

Chapter 1

          For the most part, there was nothing different on the streets of King's Valley. It wasn't a small town, but it wasn't a large city either. Everything was how it normally is on an October's night; nothing was out of place, except for Piper Scott.

Piper Scott in general is out of the ordinary. It's not because she's homeless, or because she was working at the city's best Italian restaurant tonight; it's because she was robbing the place without anyone knowing. She doesn't actually work there, but no one ever pays attention to a street rat. The restaurant is large enough for someone to get lost in the crowd, but Piper needed to get lost for a reason.

She was only there for about an hour or so, then she went out into the night with over nine hundred dollars in her pocket and seventeen freshly prepared meals in the trunk of the old Chevy she had stolen earlier that day. The restaurant and everyone in it wouldn't realize that they were robbed until Piper was safely out of harm's reach, but first, she had to make a stop.

Possibly the strangest part of Piper is that despite her background, she has loyalty. In these days, most people who grow up on the streets turn to stone; they have no mercy or remorse. Piper was one of those people, but she also had a debt that she always pays to someone who never threatens Piper or has to do anything to force her to keep in contact. Strange enough, Piper does have a moral code despite all that she's been through.

Sylvia Clay grew up in King's Valley all her life and will be the first to tell you that it wasn't always as bad as it is today. It didn't always have its high amount of crime or drug dealers or murders, it used to be a safe town. That's why she brought up her family here, but that changed after her husband died from cancer. Sylvia was left with two sons, Josef and Rico. One night when Rico was coming home from a friend's house, he was shot and killed by two police officers. The cops say that he was threatening them and was resisting arrest, but everyone and their mother knew that it was a hate crime. Since then, Josef has devoted his life to politics and trying to create a fair and equal government system for the state of Virginia. He has made progress, he's currently on the congress committee for human rights. Sylvia took a simpler route to make difference. After Josef moved out for college, she opened her house into an orphanage for kids on the streets or that are unwanted and have little to no chance of getting adopted. This also means taking in kids that will end up in the town's jail system. This is how Sylvia met Piper.

Piper didn't stay at Sylvia's house for long, but when Piper got arrested again and again, Sylvia always came to bail her out and bring her home for some soup. Piper's 17 now, meaning that she can legally live on her own and Sylvia can't claim her as her own anymore. But Piper has never forgotten Sylvia and tries to repay her by getting her money and food for the kids.

Sylvia didn't live on the rough side of town, but the street wasn't the best either. Piper parked the stolen car out in front of the house and brought in as much food as she could carry into the kitchen. There were three kids sitting around the table working on homework when she entered. Everyone there knew who Piper was and they all knew that she was a thief, but they didn't care; they got good food regardless. The three kids went back out to the car to get the rest of the food while other children came into the large kitchen and sat around the long brown wooden table. There were a total of fifteen kids currently living in the house, ranging from ages 6 to 16.

Sylvia was in the back of the house, doing laundry. She was an old and frail woman, with chocolate dark skin and gray curly hair. She was round at the stomach and had purple glasses hanging around her neck from a golden chain. Piper stood in the doorway, watching her.

"Don't suppose you got all that food in an honest way?" Sylvia asked, not looking at Piper.

"Depends on who you ask, me, or the rich people, eating their health away every night at that restaurant," Piper replied. Sylvia looked up.