As each day goes by, my hunger grows and I know it is the same for Claire. As each day goes by, Momma gets sicker and sicker. Sometimes while she is cleaning up the house, I see her lean on the counter top and take a big breath; I know she is in pain. Any food we get, she gives to Claire and me. Because of that her belly hasn't grown and that scares me.
Late one night, a couple of months later, Momma woke up in a panic. It was dark so I couldn't see. I reached for the light switch that turned on one of the two light bulbs in the house. Momma came out of the bathroom wearing an expression that I could never even try to explain, it looked as though she'd seen a ghost. Momma was bloody and held something in an old towel; I knew what had just happened.
My heart sunk knowing that I would never get to kiss that baby's forehead, my baby brother or sister would never grow up. It would never eat a meal for the first time; it would never see Momma's face. Seeing the way that Momma acted, I knew that I had to step up and start being a big girl from now on. I was only eight years old, how was I supposed to do that? A part of me was furious at Daddy for leaving us like this, on our own with nothing but the few loaves of bread sitting on an old shelf in the kitchen. I missed having food, I miss Momma's apple pie, and I miss when life was simple.
Momma still had not heard from Daddy in five months, We did not know where he was or if he was even still alive. I now knew what happened, he was not coming back, he was a coward and he was never coming back. I could still hear him call me by my nickname, Bunny. But now he had left our family in the dust. My life had changed so much in the past year, moving into a smaller house, away from all of my friends, Daddy leaving to "find a job", and now Momma losing the baby. How are we going to live? How could my father leave us? was I not good enough? none of my questions seemed to have answers and all of my thoughts were jumbled together in a big blur.
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~ With part two finished, what do you think will happen next? More to come soon :)
~Bri
YOU ARE READING
Fade Into The End
Historical FictionWhen a curious eight-year-old little girl finds herself in the midst of The Great Depression, Annie Sloan has some decisions to make about growing up when her mother completely checks out and leaves Annie and her little sister after a tragedy.
