Snow and the Wishing Well (Fallen Tales series)

Chapter 4

Chapter 4
Sarah
"Hey Billy, get that into you," I said walking into the homeless shelter and throwing Billy one of my stolen candy bars. He was an old man, probably in his late sixty's. The only clothes that he wore were old jeans, a ratty chequered jumper and black boots. He was a doctor in Vietnam when he lived over in Australia and moved over here with the little money he had left when the government wouldn't give him a pension. Long story short, he now eats in soup kitchens, and sleeps in the homeless shelter if he isn't sleeping on the streets.
"Where did you get this?" he asked with a growing a smile. He asked me this every time I gave him food.
"The store clerk was busy, I thought I should do him a favour and serve myself."
He chuckled as he tore one the candy bar and took a bite of chocolate.
"You know you're going to get caught one day," Steve grumbled in the corner of the place. 
"Don't rain on my parade, Steve," I snapped ignoring him when he rolled his red eyes. Steve was a drug addict and lost everything he had because of it. His job, his house, his family. Now he was the gloom of every body's day. 
Like me, he had a bed that he claimed as his. It was in the opposite corner to mine and surrounded by empty beds.
I leaned back on the cold stone wall, opening up my own candy bar. The sweet taste of chocolate filled my mouth making me want to groan. Knowing that this would be the only decent food I'll get tonight, I took small bites.
"So what did you do today?" I asked Billy as if we were an old married couple.
He sighed as if he had to think about it, "Well, I woke up. Sat near a garbage bin then started the long walk to here."
"Cool," I said lightly. These were my highlights these days.
"What did you do, my dear?" he said taking a bite from his candy bar.
I thought, "Well, I had a conversation with a mocking bird which blew me off for a chick with bigger wings. Stole a couple of candy bars. Nothing new."
"Spent any night with strange man, Snow?" Steve grumbled.
"Hey!" Billy snapped before I could have a change, "We're all in the same situation here, you don't have the right to judge Snow."
Steve rolled eyes.
"Thanks Billy," I muttered so that Steve wouldn't hear me.
"It's okay Snow, everybody needs a helping hand some times."
I smiled as he pattered my knee. Sighing, I lied my head on the ruff mattress and closed my eyes pretending to sleep.





Chapter 5
Justin
Exhaustion weighed on every muscle in my body as tried to open up my hotel room. The plane trip was two hours, sat next to a woman that reeked of cigarette and alcohol, got no sleep and now was trying to get in a hotel room at 3 o'clock in the morning.
"Come on, you bastard," I muttered just as the door opened.
I was too tied to have a look around. I saw the bed and face planted onto the mattress.

Light shined in my eyes, tearing sleep away from me. I groaned rubbing my hand against what felt like a doona. Slowly lifting my head, I looked around the room. There wasn't much.
A queen-size bed took up most of the room, a mini-fridge sat in the corner of the room and a chair sat next to it. I turned my head to my right and saw an open door that led into a small bathroom.
Groaning again, I dropped my head down. When I couldn't breathe, I rolled off the bed, trying to feel for my feet. I had a big day today.
My first place I went was the homeless youth centre.
I walked into a room full of light from the sky lights. A girl, probably eighteen, sat behind the desk, typing away at her keyboard. She only looked up when a bell dinged once I had shut the door. A wide smile had spread across her face, clearly she had practice.
"How can I help you?" She said lightly.
"Ahh, I have a meeting with Judy Davidson," I told her.
She nodded typing on her keyboard, "Yes, just take a seat."
She pointed me to the five chairs that lined the wall. Waiting, I tapped my knee impatiently.
A lady came out in a grey pantsuit, her hair tied into a low bun and glasses sat at the end of her nose. 
Her smile was bright when I stood.
"Hi, Sir Carter," she said as she shook my hand, "Come this way."
She led me down a hallway to the end door. It opened to a light office with a window looking out onto the street, a desk, a chair on both sides and a filing cabinet.
Taking a seat, she started, "I was a little surprised that you called for a meeting with me. We don't get a lot of talk from our sponsors."
"Well I'm going to be taking over my estate in a couple of years. I just thought I should see where the money was being spent,"
She smiled accepting my lie. There was so many better things I could be doing right now.
"So, what questions do you have for me?" she asked me.
"Ahh," I was so not prepared for this, "Well, where does the money go?"
"Well, a percentage of it goes to awareness and funding for swags. Some of it goes into soup kitchens. But a lot of it goes into funding for homeless shelters."
"Homeless shelters? How many are there in London?"
She shrugged, "heaps, there's one on Robert St, Wells St. I can give you a list if you would like."
I rubbed my chin thinking. I should go see them, see where and how my money was being spent.
"Yes, that would be great."