Bed of Rails

"Could she be dead? No, perish the thought," I whispered to myself. The stairs creaked as I descended to the dining hall, looking in both directions on my way down, hoping to glimpse Sera at least once. In my distraction I almost tripped over the bottom of my dress; if you'd even call a used tablecloth like that a dress. The other orphans poured down the stairs and scattered once they reached the floor like sand falling out of one's hand. I had to hold onto to the railing for dear life or I'd be roadkill. They hungrily assaulted their meals upon the wooden dining tables, the clinging and clanging of their spoons and plates sounded out their sword fight against hunger. I knew Sera desperately needed to fight that war as well. I needed to find her because a girl as stubborn as she was would lose the battle simply because she was too proud to pick up a weapon.

I gripped the remains of my stuffed mouse tightly, knowing he'd be the knight I needed to help me on my journey. His cute sword and missing eye told the story of what he had been through to protect me. I ran silently to the back door, not wanting to alert any of the caretakers to where I was going. My footsteps were easily masked in the sounds of the ongoing battle. I couldn't blame the poor kids, I too would have wanted to get my last meal in, not knowing when the next bomb would strike our would-be safe village. I closed the door behind me and run along the worn dirt path to the hole in the fence, covered only by a wooden pallet. My tiny arms gave into the weight of the pallet, causing me to jump back as it slammed to the ground. I couldn't imagine how someone only slightly taller than me moved it to sneak out every day. I jogged along the grass, looking back to make sure I didn't attract any unwanted attention, and hoping I didn't step on any glass bottle fragments drunk soldiers to left lying wherever their feet touched. Running barefoot might not have been the best idea, but shoes were expensive.

My knight fell to my side as I gripped my knees gasping for air. I looked up at the empty wooden swing, swaying in the gentle wind just as my brown dress did. "She's... not here," I panted, looking left and right. My diminishing energy made me want to ignore the obvious sight of a similar brown set of rags in the near distance. Sera was laying on the train tracks with her eyes closed and a smile on her face. Her brown hair which blew in the wind made her almost look completely like a set of rags until the wind subsided and revealed her pale skin; a skin tone I felt familiar with. Confusion, as well as fear, started to set in. Needless to say, it gave me the energy I needed to continue galloping along the grass.

"Nice day... Right, Emily?" A voice traveled to my ears, coming from a mouth then covered in several strands of hair. She laid using her hands as a pillow, leaving her hair completely at the wind's mercy. I walked up next to her, clearly confused as to what she was thinking.

"What are you doing here? This isn't a bed," I said, stating the obvious but feeling the need to sit down next to her. Something about how strong she was always seemed to calm me down. She was my big sister, she was all I had left.

"You're so cute sometimes," she teased, opening her eyes. Her head turned to me, revealing the deep brown eyes of our mother. "It's easy to think when you lay down like this."

"What on earth are you thinking about laying on train tracks? What happens if a train comes?" I asked, my voice peaking as it overflowed with worry. I reached my hand down to offer a lift to her feet. She shook her head slowly in response.

"Then let it come. It won't just stop for a lonely girl," said, smiling as she looked up to the sky. "Mom and Dad used to take us to the park. We'd see if we could come back another day and see the same cloud. It was silly, but it was nice."

I was confused about why she'd bring up our parents then of all times. It was nearly half a year ago. I still cried myself to sleep at the memories, but I had my knight with me at all times. It was then I noticed I had left him up on the hill. He sat, looking at me before tipping over in the wind. I couldn't just leave him after all the battles he fought for me, but my attention was drawn to Sera when I heard her voice once again.