Chapter One:
She saw her target perfectly, a steaming loaf of whole grain bread, just sitting on the shelf, practically invisible. She knew that she needed it, deserved it even.
After taking care of Elsee since her parents died when she was 12, she felt that society should allow her to steal a loaf of bread or so a week to feed her and her sister. It was a matter of life and death for them. The Government should know that. Of Course, If they did, they would probably send Elsee and Emilia to foster homes around Ontario... And she would do everything in her power to prevent that from happening. Even If "everything" included hiding from the government until she turned 18.
Luckily, the big one- eight was in 4 months. Only four more months until she and her little sister were free from the prying hands of social services. Emilia was sure she could pull through until then.
She started running, taking extra caution as to cover her face with her sleeve. As soon as she was about to pass the table, she lunged back and ripped the loaf from the shelves. Hardly anyone even noticed her until she tripped and the bread flew from her outstretched hands. She gasped as she fell, which drew even more attention to herself lying on the ground. Men and women who were going home to their families after a hard day at work stopped to stare openly at the young thief. Their eyes shone with the sudden excitement of the presence of a criminal. Emilia still made an effort to hide her face, even though she was certain that all of the shopkeepers had already called 911 and the police were on their way. Although it didn't seem like it, Emilia was developing a getaway route just as she heard the sirens approach the corner.
In what seemed like a split second, Emilia was up and running, almost free of the slightly overweight shopkeeper who was struggling to keep up with her. She had been through this before. Many times, actually. She saw the alleyway just in time. She almost hit the wall when she ducked into the tight space between two old apartment buildings. The fat man just kept running. His Flub must be flyin' over his eyes. She thought, which almost made her laugh. Any other time, it would be hilarious. But it was time to face her troubles. I Didn't get the bread. Any traces of laughter were quickly wiped off her face. She felt like crying. She might have to risk taking Elsee to another Soup Kitchen, which means she would have to leave town- again.
Every time Emilia had to take her sister to a Soup Kitchen, she took it as a personal failure. Every time she thought I failed to provide for my sister this week. Thank the Lord For Soup Kitchens. And to top it off, every time, the volunteers tried to call Social Services to take them into some dirty old Foster home, where all the unwanted, rejected kids go.
Emilia knew that they were wanted . Her parents didn't chose to drive right over the railing and straight into Lake Ontario. It was an accident. If her parents were still alive, they would probably be living like any other average income family. They would have a dog, Probably a pug named Squish. They would each have their own room, with plenty of clothes, and toys for Elsee. But sadly, they didn't have a chance to try out her theory about what could have happened.
As soon as she made sure that no one saw her, she climbed the fence that led to an overgrown lawn and a small tool shed that could barely fit a lawnmower. Inside she found Elsee huddled in the corner, with an anxious look on her young four year old face.
Chapter Two
" I Heard Police Cars, Emilia..." She Whispered.
"I Know, Sweetie. I got away though, those Fatties couldn't catch me in a billion years!" She whispered back, and grinned. Elsee giggled.
"Where is supper?" She piped up at the word as though she didn't expect it to come out of her mouth.
"Remember the bad guys, Elsee? They didn't give Sissy enough time to get her Supper back. But we'll still eat, alright? We just have to bring all of our stuff with us, like an adventure!"
