The Silver Lining

NINE

TWO bodies laid on the damp dirty floor of that cold dark-ish room.

Two females...

two very uncomfortable and questionable beds....

Floor that looked like it never saw light or cleanliness....

and darkness with a hint of moonlight....

That was all the room comprised of.

Several hours passed by in the silence and rhythm of their breathing. One of the ladies, who aged about 14 years, slowly gained consciousness, thanks to the rhythmic breathing of the other. She observed her surroundings and moved away on to the bed nearby a tiny window, pulling her legs near her chest and dipping her head down on the knees. She was surprisingly calm and her eyes focused on now moving body of Lisa.

Lisa opened her eyes and saw nothing. She let her sight adjust to the darkness while checking her other body-parts. With satisfactory sigh and her now adjusted sight, she glanced at her surroundings. Her eyes settled on the other girl who was staring at her with utter calmness. Lisa was shocked.

"Hey...!" Lisa shrieked. "I know you... you are that girl from the alley near the Crown Court..."

"Maya.." The girl whispered. "Thank you for saving me the other day...... Assistant DA lady."

"Hi Maya.. My name is Lisa and I am not assistant to DA. I am just a regular attorney." Lisa now got up on her feet and slowly walked up to Maya's bed. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"No...We are safe here." Maya still mumbled and Lisa couldn't comprehend much of Maya's answer or her calmness.

Lately, the word 'Safe' sounded an illusion to Lisa.

"How do you know that?" Lisa questioned while walking up to the window. "Where are we anyway? How far are we from Mill Hill Broadway?"

"I am not from this Country, miss." Maya laid down on the bed that made weird rusty sounds. "I have been recently adopted and this is where I live now."

Lisa still couldn't comprehend.

Who would keep an adopted child in such a room?

Why was she brought into this place?

Where are Grandma and Mr. Cooper?

What happened to Oliver?

Thoughts kept flooding around Lisa's brain and she couldn't even ask Maya about it.

So, she decided to dig up information like she would from her allegedly criminal client.

"So, where are your parents, Maya?" Lisa shifted on to her bed while occasionally glancing at Maya. "When can we meet them?"

Maya shrugged her shoulders casually. "Whenever they want to visit me."

"So.., not every day, huh?" Lisa muttered. "Do you remember how I ended up here...with you?"

Maya shifted from her left to right so that she would face the wall next to her bed.

Clearly, she was reluctant to answer. Lisa knew that reaction far too well and she wasn't giving up until she knows it all. Her patience was wearing down and she wanted all of this nonsense drama to just be over at once.

"Look... Maya..." Lisa sat on her bed beside Maya and patted on the back of Maya as she spoke. "I know how difficult a life is when you have to move from place to place in hope of finding home at once. I have found my home very recently and I need your help so that I can go back to my people. I know you understand importance of this, right?"