The Search for Will

Chapter 5

     Cole didn't know what to do. It had been almost a week since the discovery of his mother's death, and since then he had mainly eaten vegetables, fruit, and water. Occasionally he would go to the baker and buy a loaf of bread from the emergency savings his parents kept hidden under a floor board. Those times were always a special treat of warm, soft, food.

     Now he sat thinking about the recent events. It was evening, and he had already fed the single chicken that didn't die and done the dishes and cleaned the rest of the house. He didn't enjoy it, but it kept him busy. Cole realized some time ago that he knew absolutely nobody in this world but Maria and the townsfolk in Hillstead. And he couldn't bear to go back to Hillstead. Not unless his Aunt and Uncle miraculously moved away or were struck by a plague. That would be glorious.

     He had moved recently, and then moved away again, so he didn't have a chance to make friends among the children of Lucasville. Being just a young one, he didn't pay attention much to where he had come from, just that the street name he had once lived on was Salmon Way. He hadn't payed attention to what direction the sun rose and set when they traveled, and he had no idea how to get to his old fief, even if he could find the name somewhere among his memories. 

     Even if he did make it to Salmon Way again, it was unlikely that any of the children there remembered him. They had probably moved on already. I have to go to Redmont and find Maria. He knew no one else in the whole wide world would except him but her. She had been friendly and loving to him, even though she hardly knew him. Even if he didn't end up living with her, she could help find him a family.

     And Cole thought it was odd that whoever buried his mother hadn't buried the baby too. Maybe they took him. Cole had written SARAH above the inscribed words A BRAVE MOTHER. That was his mothers name. The burier obviously didn't know. Cole thought it strange that whoever it was would so kindly bury his mother and then take the baby away. Maybe it was so Will wouldn't die like the chickens had. He also thought it strange that Maria and him had the same color of eyes and hair. Other than that, they looked nothing alike. 

     Maria had high cheekbones and her eyes were almond shaped. They almost looked like a squashed banana when she smiled. She smiled with her teeth concealed, head tilted like she was amused by something. Cole had no dimples and his jaw was more pronunciated. He also had high cheekbones, but they weren't as noticeable as Maria's because of his jaw. His ears were small and stuck out just enough to not look too strange but to be a feature people could recognize him by.

     Cole, the ambitious boy he was, decided he would set out for Redmont the next morning. He had no life ahead of him here, and Redmont sounded promising for some reason. And to make money, he could take his father's lute. His father was quite good at the banjo-like instrument, and had taught Cole well. He could play a few songs here and there, and with practice, it could become a career. Cole didn't think he had many other talents, anyway.

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     The next morning, Cole awoke early, before the sun rose. He had already packed his things the day before, including the rest of the emergency money and a few of his parents finest clothing articles he might sell. He fed the lonely chicken, though there was no reason to as it would starve to death some day soon. Then he was off.

     The map that Benjamin the inn keeper had given him included Redmont, and Cole was excited to see how close the castle was. He bought a loaf of bread from the unfamiliar local baker, and set off on foot once again, excited once again. Cole unknowingly had a knack for keeping a cheerful attitude. He always found a solution to find him happiness.