The Untold Story of the Step-Sister

Chapter 2: Four-hundred Six Gone

"Girls, wake up.  We are here."

Genevieve slowly peeked open an eye to find her mother shaking the two gently.  She smiled as soon as she saw the conforting smile that she had known all her life.  "Good morning, Mother," she said in a whisper.  "Are we in Shrewberry?"

"No, we passed Shrewsberry a long time ago.  I had gone out to see the death-list of Middleton."  Her voice was morbid, almost slowing down like a train coming to the station towards the end.

"How many?" Edith whispered, even though she had just woken.  Those two words created a deep hole in Genevieve's heart.  People had died, Genevieve thought grimly, Families separated.  Loved ones lost.

Mother took a shaky breath before recalling the numbers.  "One-hundred fourteen deaths, fifty-six children missing, four-hundred and six not accounted for."

The sisters gasped at the numbers.  The thieves had done so much damage in so little time.  "And father?" Edith asked cautiously.  The three knew that the nobles names would be on the list.

Mother pursed her lips, then began speaking.  "Your father is dead."

Edith began crying, but Genevieve just froze.  Her heart almost stopped beating.   "...Dead?" she whispered.

Her mother nodded gravely.  "Dead," she confirmed.

Dead?  How could Father be dead? Genevieve thought as the world stopped moving.  But, he promised he would meet us at Shrewsberry!  Father promised, and he left us!  Why, Father?  Why couldn't you be with us?

"No!" Edith cried.

"Yes.  Well, we must never feel sorry for ourselves, must we?  No matter how bad things get, they can always get worse," Mother reminded.

"Yes, Mother," the two girls whispered, Edith quickly sobering up and wiping away her tears.

"Now, we are going to be stopping in a town called Springview.  You two will stay... together... in the town square.  I will be looking for a job and housing for the three of us."

Genevieve and Edith nodded their heads, and soon the boat was pulling into the dock.  Mother gave each of her children a sort of bag to keep their belongings into, which they slung over their shoulders as they walked into town.  It was a happy place, one bustling with people, socializing and shopping.  Laughter and the jingle of coins could be heard throughout the square.  This place wouldn't be half bad, Genevieve thought as she heard the kids playing in the square.  Two girls about their age were chasing a sort of hoop with a stick.  A little boy, maybe about five years of age, was making a wooden contraption soar through the air.  It looked like a kite, but it was more of a T-shape.  Looks hand-made, probably by his father.  A pain struck Genevieve's heart at the thought.  Her father could no longer make anything for her.  He did not exist.

Genevieve grasped Edith's hand and gave it a slight squeeze, reassuring her that it was going to be okay as their mother left the two in the square.

"Genevieve?" Edith whispered.  Her dark brown hair was set into a braid down her back while her wide green eyes searched for any hint of doubt in her sister's pale blue ones.

"Yes, Edith?"  Genevieve's blonde hair was left wavy down to the middle of her back, and two stands from the front were twisted and held in the back.

"Will Father ever come back?"

Genevieve hesitated in her response, pondering her possible answers.  After a moment, she replied, "Yes, Edith, he is always in our hearts."

Edith looked confused.  "But, will he come for us, so that we can play with him?"

Genevieve gave her sister a small, reassuring smile.  "In a very long time, we will go to him."

"Why do we have to wait?  It's not fair!" Edith cried.

"Edith, Father loves us, and that's all that matters.  We wait because that's what Destiny has decided for us to do, and until the time comes, we will have to be patient.  But, we can't cry about it now.  If Mother finds tears on our faces again she will have a fit!"

"Alright," Edith mumbled, looking down at her feet in shame.  "'Tis still not fair though."

Genevieve smiled at her sister's comments, and then let go of her hand to pick up a child's toy and give it back to the little boy.  But, when she turned around, Edith was gone.  She saw a flurry of the mint-green dress of her sister and chased after her.  Edith ran into an open door and Genevieve followed her, the pale-blue dress of hers struggling to keep up with the running.

Down the aisles the two ran, up the stairs onto the stage.  The lights were on, giving the girls the spotlight in the theatre.  "Mother told us to stay in the square!" Genevieve scolded.

"But that is no fun!  Look at this place!" Edith argued, grinning from ear to ear.

Genevieve took a look around the theatre and admired its beauty, from the bright spotlights to the red velvet seats.  She smiled and looked back at Edith, reciting a few lines from a play they had seen.  Genevieve clapped when Edith was done.

"See?" Edith say after she finished.  "We could be the actresses!"

"Or we could be like those ballerinas we saw that one time!"  Genevieve did some moves that she had taught herself from memory, twirling and leaping.

Edith grinned.  "Or-"

A loud clapping from the back of the room caused the girls to gasp.  They couldn't see who it was, but they still squinted against the light to try and find out who was the mysterious person.

"Well done!" a man yelled.  "Wonderful show!  Now, would you two girls like to explain what you're doing in my theatre?"

Genevieve hastily replied, "I'm sorry sir, we were only fooling around.  We just came into the town, and we were exploring.  There's an awful lot of people in the square, so we wanted to come into a quieter place.  The door was open, and we figured that it was open to the public, so we came in here to get away from the crowds.  We'll leave right away, sir."  She grabbed Edith's hand and tugged her off the stage, walking down the aisle quickly.

"Girls?"

"Yes?" the two replied.

"Do you have a place to stay tonight?  You do seem to be carrying luggage around with you."

"Not yet, sir.  My mother is-"

"Go find your mother and come straight back here.  There is a safe place to stay here."