Hope in darkness

Alone or not

A black rose for the beauty of the black sheep, loners, and weirdos in the world.

  Savanna looks back one more time and heads to the left dodging every tree branch, birds, and leaves. She comes out to a main road. The brightness overwhelms her, so she runs to a field of black roses under a tree. She plops under the tree and picks a rose.

  "Aren't you beautiful," she says to it smelling it and putting it in her hair smiling. Happily she begins to climb the tree ready to embrace the sunlight. Sappy hands make her slip and land back first on the ground. Determined she wipes off her clothes and tries again. This time she makes it to the top. "How can a world so beautiful be full of terrible people?" She says aloud taking in the beauty of the woods, townhouses, and the church with smiling people exiting.

  Suddenly, her stomach growls so she heads down. Her grip gets looser as she heads down and her hunger makes her feel faint. Without thinking she grabs hold of a weak branch and topples down. Awkwardly lands into a net that lifts her straight into the air.

  'Do not panic' she thinks to herself.  In a situation like this what else is there to but swing or panic. She decides to swing towards the tree but she had hardly any energy in her to even reach out her hand. Suddenly, she hears the crunching of leaves and branches close nearby.

  "Your not a rabbit or fox," a scruffy black bearded man smirking up at her.

  "No kidding look can you please just get me down from here SAFELY," she says emphasizing the last word. Slowly without a word he lets her down through a pulley system in the trees. She scurries off without a word.

  Dashing to the back of a butcher where her cousin Joey gives her some 'unwanted' raw meat. Savanna will take what she can get.

  As soon as she arrives Joey sees her and he comes out with a fresh burger and some raw meat for the week.

  "We can spare something fresh this week, plus you must try this burger we just got the meat and I made it myself," Joey said smiling at Savanna as the smell of beef embraces them.

  "Thank you Joey! It really means a lot," Savanna says tearing up as gray clouds start to roll in.

  "Anytime sweetie I wish I could help more but mom says she has enough mouths to feed that she can hardly afford as is. I love the rose by the way," he says looking towards the velvet black rose upon her head. She smiles and he winks at her and heads back inside.

  Savanna heads back to the woods in a hurry. The winds slowly begin to pickup and she scurries up another tree. Luckily this one has no trap so she is utterly alone. This is when the rain starts. Savanna puts up her hood and takes a smile bite of this delicious burger. It is best taste she has had in her mouth in a while. More than plain bread or some noodles she would find in a dumpster. Joey has a way of making her smile when she needs it most even with nice food like this. Being alone in a world full of hate it's nice to know sometimes that someone still cares. Knowing that is what motivates Savanna to live each day and gives her hope that maybe there are more people like Joey out there. She is in deep thought about a life better then hers when she hears the sound of boots treading on mud.

  "Who's there?" She asks cowardly finishing her burger. Nervously she bites her lip and moves a branch to see long and wet blonde hair drifting away."I saw you," she screams as the person (probably a girl she is wearing a ruffly blue skirt). The footsteps stop.

"I thought you were someone else, I am looking for my step sister that looks a lot like you," she said with a smile then asked, "What's your name?"

"Why do you care?" She asked snarling at her wiping her face.

"All children of God are important and have a name," she says as a matter of factly. Savanna gives out a huff and rolls her eyes but hops down from the tree. She towers over the girl in the blue skirt.

"My name is Savanna if you must know," she snarls at the little girl.

"No need to be rude it was just a question. My name is Ruth," she says with a girlish smile. Savanna smiles sweetly at her.

"Sorry I have trust issues," she says nervously.

"It's ok I am eleven and never give away secrets so you can trust me," Ruth says merrily.

"That's nice, are you alone out here?" Savanna asks.

"No you are with me," she giggles.

"Besides me," Savanna says a tad irritably.

"My older step sister Chloe was out here with me she is fifteen and likes to get away from me even though her dad tells her to stay with me," Ruth says spitefully. There is a moment of silence.

Hesitantly Savanna asks, "Do you want some help...looking for her? I know these woods like the back of my hand."

Ruth pauses then smiles and says, "Sure let me know if you see any girl with hair and skin like yours besides yourself."