The Guardian Wars: Part One #Wattys2016

Chapter Twenty-Six

 We trampled slowly through the darkness of the woods until we found a tree that had fallen over. It was still attached at the roots, but the trunk had been damaged. It created a perfect little roof for us to sit under while we waited. We spent most of the night in silence, waiting fearfully for someone to find us. The few times that Mabel braved conversation, she girlishly asked me about kissing the awkward police officer. I was disgusted with myself for doing it, and refused to talk about it. Two times during the night we heard footsteps not far from our hiding spot. Both times they faded back into the woods.

At dawn we crawled out of our small nook of safety and attempted to find our location on the map. We were about 3/4 of the way to the Sector 7 border, which meant the police officers had unknowingly done us a have favor by driving us all the way to the Police station. We were starving and too scared to use the main roads, so we used the woods to guide us.

We walked for about an hour when we stumbled on a small town just outside of the tree line. The neighborhood didn't have any farms or produce gardens. Instead it was a small collection of about 10 houses all in a row. At the far end of the neighborhood was a church and a gravesite. Mabel, like she had the entire time we had spent in Sector 6, seemed to know exactly where we were.

"We will be safe to rest here," she said taking my hand.

"How do you know?" I asked, surveying the small town. It looked desolate, as if no one had lived there for years.

"No one else knows it's here," she said sadly.

"What's wrong?" I asked, noticing her change in mood. She didn't say anything. Instead she took my hand and walked us all the way down to the little gravesite.

There weren't many headstones, but Mabel didn't waste any time looking at the names on them. She walked directly up to a small stone. It was propped up on the ground, with a name scratched roughly into the surface. There were no dates or sweet anecdotes.

The name read "Sarah Lawson."

"Is that my mom?" I asked. Mabel nodded. She was reading my expression and trying to gauge my reaction. I looked back down at the stone and attempted to place my emotions. I had never known her, but from what I had heard, she was a wonderful person.

"Tell me more about her," I said to Mabel, sitting down in front of her grave. Mabel sat beside me after setting our bags down behind us.

"She was very creative. I remember that she used to make Rowan and Clive superhero capes and costumes. She would just find fabric and sew them by hand. She didn't have a pattern or anything, it was all in her head. I got jealous once, and without me even asking she made me this gorgeous princess gown," she reminisced thoughtfully. I closed my eyes and tried to picture what Mabel would have looked like in a princess dress. It was an odd image, but it made me smile.

"I remember my mother and Amelia, Rowan's mother, used to say how sad they were for her. She took care of all of us like we were her own, but after so many years she hadn't been able to have her own baby. Then she had you. She loved you so much, Liv." Mabel took my hand as she finished her thought.

"I wish I could have known her. There's so much I would say," I muttered.

"Here." Mabel turned around and dug my notebook and pencil out of my duffel.

"Tell her," she said softly. I smiled gratefully.

"You're right. It helps," she added, as I took the items from her.

"Thank you." I replied, with tears in my eyes. I was extremely grateful for Mabel. She was the sister I had never had, but always wanted. She stood up and walked away, giving me some time to myself. I opened the notebook and began writing.