Steel Meets Iron

Chapter 1

Raven had a wide world in her own small galaxy. In her world she had her daddy-but-not-her-real-daddy, her godmother Irene, her uncle Shane and her bearded lizard Yoda, along with the many other inhabitants she rather not name. In her world she was happy, cozy in her country house, in her room with a window facing the horizon, playing her violin for daddy, catching crickets for Yoda. Raven was very happy despite the bad weather that came constantly. Bad weather like today. Today was a bad day, her daddy had whispered into her ear after she had whispered her tea to go grab Yoda and hide in the closet.

"Why don't you listen to your iPod?" He had suggested offering her a jammy dodger. Her reached over and cupped the back of her head, with a pat he sent her off.

Raven had hidden in a closet many times before, mostly when her daddy brought business home, he preferred it that she saw nothing. Just in case. So when she was given the strange instruction she thought nothing of it, she grabbed the plastic carrier for Yoda, her iPod and went into her closet. It was nothing to her, she knew that his business was serious and his business were equally serious, Raven never got him cross about his work. He was mean when he worked, he was mean to a lot of people but he was always nice to her. And he was always there. Her godmother Auntie Irene didn't like her to call him daddy, she's not yours, she often snapped when she was angry at him, and he would retort with the same comment, so? Auntie Irene lived with them but sometimes she left for days or weeks at a moments notice which made her presence similar to a recurring guest.

She was stroking Yoda's back when the closet door opened, it was not her daddy nor Uncle Shane above her, it was a lady and Auntie Irene. Her daddy always came for her.

"Where's my daddy?" She asked them.

With the ear-buds out her ears she could hear strange voices echoing through the house, unfamiliar and cold. "Where is he?"

Auntie Irene knelt down to her level.

"Honey," she said in her sultry American accent, "sometime 's happened. You see, Marshall has gotten into big trouble with the police because of his business."

"So? He'll be back by tomorrow, won't he?"

The woman whom had knelt down also gave a sympathetic look, a part of her wanted to run but those strange voices kept her still, outside was not safe.

"Sweetie," Auntie Irene continued, carefully choosing her words, "he may be going to prison and I'm afraid that..."

"What?" She pressed feeling her throat tighten. "Do I have to go and stay at someone's house?"

Auntie Irene shook her head pulling her golden hair back in contained frustration. "No. Do you remember what I told you about Marshall?"

"That he's not my daddy?"

"Yes. Well, since he's not your daddy and because of his business, you have to go to a new home."

The statement hung in the air thick as smog and as stubborn tears brimmed her eyes the woman still stared sympathetic, yet not a condolence fell from her lips.

"No," she protested, "I don't want to go anywhere."

"Rae, please, listen to me. You're smart, you don't need to be afraid. This lady here is going to take care of you." Raven broke out in tears.

"Why can't I go with you then?"

"Because, you're better off somewhere else, far away from this."

She shook her head,"I want my daddy."

"She's going to take you somewhere far," she explained, "where you don't have to hide in closets anymore. Somewhere safe."

"I want my daddy!" She cried. "I want my daddy!"