Chapter 1
The Men
There was a loud bang on the door and then another. Men came rushing in, the door swinging on its broken hinges. I hid, afraid of what was going to happen for they had guns. I locked myself into a cupboard in the kitchen. There was a gap where I saw my mother coming out of her room as she asked the men to leave. One of the men hoisted up his gun to her head. She screamed and I turned away. Then there were gunshots. I remained in hiding as the men searched the house. They never found me. To my relief, they left soon after.
I climbed out of the cupboard and raced to my mother’s body that lay on the ground. Blood was everywhere. Her beautiful face had been bashed in by the bullets that had taken away her life. Ever since I had been able to think for myself I had wanted people to think I hated her. But that was not in the least bit true. I loved her dearly and wondered why I would pretend to hate her. A tear rolled down my cheek. I didn’t know what to do. My father was a spy and was off on a secret mission. He told me he may never come back. I was an only child. I was alone. No one to care for me.
I wrote my father one last letter, telling him I was leaving home, and then I left.
It was a cold winters day, and a sad one as well. Many people would not have been able to leave after one parent had died and the other out in the field. But I lack emotion. I don’t know why I just do. People say I’m weird not to care about a kitten being stuck in a tree, so imagine what they would think of me if they knew I left my mother’s dead body lying next to the door and only shed a single tear before leaving to face my destiny. They would say I’m crazy, that I should be sent to a mental hospital, that I’m a heartless freak. None of these things are true of course, I just have problems with emotions, like I said before.
And then, to make things even worse, it started to rain. My old, rag of a coat did nothing to help keep me warm, in fact it made things worse. It was heavy and soaked through. When it rubbed against my skin it hurt. Eventually I took it off and threw it into an alley that I was walking past.
“Hey! Who did that!” The voice came from the small, dark road I had thrown my coat.
“Hello?” I called. “Who’s there?” I knew it wasn’t one of the men who had killed my mother but I was still very afraid of who was back there.
A woman stepped out of the darkness and smiled. “Oh, hello.”
She had long dark hair that reached her lower back. She was African American and had beautiful light blue eyes. Her smile was happy and caring. She looked a lot like my mother… my dead mother.
“Um… hi?” I was unsure of what to say.
She approached me, smiled again, then held out her hand signalling for a hand shake. I put out my hand as well and she gripped it firmly, then we shook.
“What’s a young girl like you doing out here on a night like this all alone. And without your jacket!” She said laughing and she held up my wet and now very dirty coat.
“It’s a long story. What are you doing here,” I asked somewhat accusingly.
“Also a long story. Now, what’s your name?” She was still smiling.
“Edeline.”
“That’s a beautiful name. I’m Mira. Are you going to be here a while or are you going somewhere? Because if you’re not going anywhere feel free to stick with me.”
“I don’t really have anywhere to go,” I stared at the ground.
Mira took a step close to me and gave me a hug. It was a warm one and I was very grateful of it. She held my hand as we walked into the alley that she had first emerged.
“The sun is going down. You better get some sleep.” Her voice was gentle and soft.
I walked over to the end of the alley and sat down. My coat was wet but it was the only thing that could serve as a blanket. Mira sat down next to me and we both fell fast asleep.
