Finding My Nightingale [UNDER CONSTRUCTION]

Chapter Three

Chapter three

"You surprised me today, Elena." John mutters. I smile smugly.

"No, no, don't smile. It's only the first day. You've got all week." He knocked the smile off my face and it jumps onto his face. I wish I could slap the smirk right off his face and I started to say something that would but Rosemarie coughing in bed made me stop. I smile softly and mutter the hardest thing I ever said to this man. "Thank you, John for this job." My fake smile started to quiver. "It's helping a lot." And that's true even if its just the first day I was going to take what money I got and buy food.

He loses his smirk. He just seen a side of me that no one but Rosemarie has seen before.

"Sure kid. Here you go." He gives me my pay and as I start to leave he speaks. "Here." I turn and he tosses a wrapped load of bread to me. I catch it confused. "What's this?"

"It's a loaf of bread. What else would it be?" He smiles. "You're looking a little thin girl. It's a gift, take and hurry on your way before I change my mind." I smile and run out.

I run to the butcher shop and Bill stops me. "Whoa girl what are you doing?"

"I need to buy some meat." I say out of breath.

"No girl. I'm closed."

"No! Please I just need--"

"Sorry, you got here too late so run along."

"But--!" I cry. He can't do this not this time.

"Sorry come back tomorrow." I groan and run back home. Tears were running down my face as it starts to rain. I trip and fall into the mud. My bread went flying. "No!" I cry. It lands in a puddle of mud and sinks. I sit up and hug myself.

This was supposed to be the day I was going to make Rosemarie the meal that was going to make her better instead the butcher shop was closed and I didn't have fresh bread.

I get up and limp home in the rain.

***

I get home but I don't yell for Rosemarie instead I just walk in. She's asleep. I smile and pulled her covers up.

I go into my room and drop my satchel with my money on my desk and pull my muddy dress off and make myself a warm bath. I would make it hot but I needed to save some for Rosemarie when I get in its already cold. I start to shiver as I wash my hair.

When I get done I put on a night gown and walk into the kitchen to start Rosemarie's soup with the last of the potatoes and bread. I make myself a little but that was it. My stomach started to growl but I ignored it. Rosemarie needed food more than I do.

I'm healthy.

She's dying.

I walk into her room and she was awake. "I thought I heard you dear."

"I didn't want to wake you, Rosemarie. Here's your soup."

"Thank you dear. How was your day?" She asks then drinks her soup.

"Good, a little rough actually," I wasn't going to bring what happened earlier with the butcher. "It was busy. My cheeks hurt so much from smiling all day."

She laughs, "we'll I'm glad you're using that smile of yours. I missed seeing it."

I smile, "goodnight, Rosemarie."

"Goodnight Elena. You're growing into a beautiful woman."

I walk out and crawled into my bed.

I tossed and turned all night.

I jerked away and found myself on unfamiliar cold ground.
I get up and look around and realized I was in the forest. "Hello?"
"Hello, hello, hell--" my voice echoed throughout the forest. Slightly hesitant I start to walk in the direction I was facing.
"Elena!" A small voice cried out to me.
"Hello? Is anyone here!" I yell.
"Help me!"
"Where are you?!"
I start to run to where I thought the voice was coming from when I heard another voice I. The other direction.
"Elena? Darling is that you?"
I turn to face voice. Mine shaking as I ask, "mother?"
And there she was. Never changed since the day she left. Her black hair pulled into a tight bun. "Mom!" I run to her and as I try to hug her I go straight through her. "Mom?"
She now had sad eyes. "My dear Elena. How beautiful have you grown! I wish I could see you now."
"Mom," I choked back the tears that were starting to escape. "I missed you so much."
All she does is nod. "My child, I only have time to answer one question of yours."
"Wha-- why did you leave me."
Her eyes bored into mine and they began to turn black as coal. "Because, my child, I did not love you."
"What?" The words had taken me aback. My heart began to shatter as if she took a hammer and was hitting it, trying to break it.
"I never loved you. In fact I have always hated you. I thought about giving you away but your father wouldn't allow it. Now because of you we're both sentenced to die." She comes to be and pushes me off the side of a cliff that wasn't there before. I screamed as I fell. The dark had engulfed me and there was no end to the fall. I hear my mother's laugh as it echoed off the darkness.

Copyright by @kelsey_rumsey14