Freedom Series: Chasing Butterflies

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

(Done)

"Nova! It's time to go!" The oldest Akecheta sibling yelled from outside as he packed their bags into their car in the dead of night. Nigel's heart was pumping fast as he scanned the dingy parking lot, jumping into the car.

"I'm coming!" Nova yelled back, as she finished throwing the rest of their little brother Neil's baby clothes into his threadbare baby bag. She rushed out of their dirty motel's door and threw his bag onto the backseat next to his car seat where his sleeping form lay. She shivered from the cold Montana air and pulled her tan pea coat closer to her.

She took a glance around out of habit but seeing nothing walked swiftly around to the passenger seat of their old beat up Datsun Station Wagon and hopped in. As soon as the door closed Nigel took off with a screech splashing through puddles of unknown liquids, leaving the motels parking lot in their rearview mirror. They settled into a comfortable silence, the radio playing softly in the background with nothing but their thoughts to distract them.

Nova held up the pure gold necklace that her late mother gifted her as she began to think about her beautiful and strong mother. She sacrificed so much for her children. In the end, she sacrificed her life to give birth to Neil. The images of her mother lying dead in her own pool of blood still haunted her.

That moment was a wake-up call for Nova and her older brother Nigel and within one week of the incident, they had fled the grand city of Saint Paul, Minnesota. In six months they had made it across the country staying in dingy motels and living off of cheap gas station food, making sure to never stay in one place for too long. She was not sure if her father was looking for them but she would rather be safe than sorry. Suddenly a thought came to her.

"Where are we going?" She asked curiously, playing with the edge of her worn coat.

Nigel glanced at his sister and was once again shocked by the uncanny resemblance she bore to their mother. She had the same kinky black hair as her, rich milk chocolate colored skin, paralyzing gold eyes and personality traits. The thought made his eyes sting with tears that he struggled to hold back.

"To a town in Washington called Tacoma. I was able to find work there and..." Nigel paused and looked at Nova with a small smile "I was able to buy a house for really cheap there."

Nova stared at the side of his face in shock. Then a smile broke out onto her face and she did a little happy dance in her seat. She looked back at Neil who was already smiling at her curiously.

"Guess who's got a place to call home." She said, shaking his little hand.

He giggled in return.

<8>

Nova smiled as they pull up to a small two-bedroom house overgrown with weeds. An old little porch sat in the front of the house and a chipped white picket fence went around the whole house.

"Do you like it?" Nigel asked as he got out of the car to get their bags.

"I love it! It's so charming." Nova exclaimed, with a bright smile. She got out and opened the back door to pull out Neil's car seat and his baby bag. She followed her older brother up the front porch and waited behind him impatiently to unlock the door.

She walked in behind Nigel and glanced around taking in her surroundings. To the right was a small living room with an open bay window, straight back were three doors two on the right and one on the left - probably the bathroom- and then to the left was a small kitchen that had an open space for a little dining table. Nigel walked straight back and opened the second door on the right and dropped Neil's and Nova's bags in that room plus two blankets since their house lacked furniture. He then walked out and went to the first room.

She looked down at the little bundle that is Neil in her arms, who was now awake and looking around with his beautiful hazel eyes and curly hair.

"Do you like it, Neil?" She asked him, as she rocked him back and forth. He responded with a giggle making Nova smile as well. "I'll take that as a yes." She said and walked to Nigel's room. He was shuffling through his bags looking for something but stopped when she knocked on the door frame.

"Can you watch him while I shower?" She asked him, quietly but was unable to contain her smile. This was the first shower she would be having in their own home. Nigel nodded his head in response and took Neil who started to laugh and squirm around until he was placed on a blanket on the floor and he began rolling around.

Nigel looked at Neil and tilted his head inspecting him. As always his gaze was drawn to his odd hazel colored eyes. They confused him because his moms' eyes were golden and his dads were a rich dark chocolate. In fact the only thing that even remotely resembled his mother or father was his kinky hair. Even the color was different. Nigel shrugged and sat the car seat down.

He'd seen stranger things.

<8>

Nova walked out of the room quietly and headed to the bathroom. The floor which was supposed to be white had a little brown tint to it, from lack of proper cleaning no doubt, but other than that it was pretty nice. She hopped into the tub closing the curtains and took a nice long shower. She used a bar of cheap of hotel soap that they had swiped a week ago, before jumping out of the shower.

She cleared the fog from the mirror in the bathroom and looked at herself. Her milk chocolate skin went well with her deep lustrous golden eyes and wild curly hair. She purposely didn't glance anywhere near her back or shoulder region so that she wouldn't have to see the scars caused by her father. It brought shivers to her spine just thinking about it. She turned her back on the mirror and threw on a loose gray top, light blue ripped jeans and her black knock off Jeffery Campbell Lita boots.

She walked out of the bathroom to see Nigel dressed as well in his work jumper.

"You have to go to work already?" She asked him, pivoting on her right leg and glancing at her severely outdated flip phone that read 5:30. He looked up at her and nodded his head making his kinky black hair shake. Nigel was identical to Nova the only difference being the scar that marred the left side of his face. The scar that was meant for her, and she couldn't help but feel guilty.

"Yeah that was the conditions of employment," Nigel said busily. Then his posture changed suddenly as he noticed the direction she was staring at. He walked up to Nova and pulled her into a warm and tight hug.

"Stop it." He said, softly but firmly at the same time, while rubbing her back "It wasn't your fault."

"I know." She sighed, Nigel was always trying to protect her and take her pain away.

"Now I need you to go to the grocery store since we have absolutely nothing in the fridge." He said, trying to make light of the situation. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out two wrinkled twenty dollar bills and a set of keys.

"So that means I get to drive," Nova said triumphantly, grabbing the keys from his hand and grabbing Neil's car seat. She walked out of the front door and into crisp afternoon air with a smile on her face.

She had a feeling that she was going to like this place.

<8>

Hello!

First Chapter of Chasing Butterflies is up! Hope you enjoyed it.

Nova on the side.

So what do we think about our three siblings? Thoughts, feelings, concerns?

I'm Out!

NEXT UPDATE: 2/9/16

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