CHAR ✔️

TWO ::

With the tired shuffle of an old woman,Summer walked seemingly aimlessly towards the courtyard after the other kids had gone to bed,spotting the light in Mr Kinggs office still on.

Dissatisfied,she grunted and sat on one of the benches there,silently watching and listening for his call.

As if on cue,Mr Kinggs bellowed her name from above and she involuntarily smiled genuinely for the first time in months.

Up in his office she gathered the used dishes on his table,eyeing the safe intermittently.

"I'll be working late tonight so go to bed and I'll lock up everywhere sweet one"

Summer couldn't hold back her scowl at the sudden compliment.

"You could stay up with me though" He added,his eyes roving all over body.

"I'll pass" She snapped,not meeting his eyes and stomped out of the room in disappointment.

She desperately wanted to know what was in the safe.

Turning and tossing later that night,she fantasized about what she wished her life was like. She imagined finding the courage to leave and fend for herself,leaving Mrs Kinggs  alone to care for the other kids.

She sat up in bed,pulled a scrap book from under the pillow and inagined herself already living the life outlined in the photos.

Quaint little white house with a picket fence and a beautiful garden,a handsome husband and a little daughter with pigtails.

Someday,maybe she'd be able to tell the story of how she had had to endure the tortures and traumatic experiences since she was five.

She had a fleeting memory of what her parents looked like. All she knew was that they were involved in a car crash and didn't make it.

With a sigh,she laid back in bed and pulled out an old phone Mrs Kinggs had gifted her to listen to some music when a loud slam interrupted her thoughts and her eyes darted to the small clock hung across the room.

3:30am

Summer got out of bed and crept to the door,careful not to wake any of the other sleeping kids.

She peeked out and saw no one.

Tiptoeing in the direction of Mr Kinggs office,she saw him ambling away from his office drunkenly and tumbling down in a stupor.

Stifling a burst of laughter at his sorry state,she went back to her room,retrieved the key she'd stolen earlier and dashed back to his office.

She spared a glance at where he had fallen and could hear him snoring loudly.

Pathetic

She quietly shut the office door and knelt by the safe,opening the lock and almost let out a scream.

                                       * * * * *

Gathering herself,she pulled out a wad of cash to make sure it was real money.

The safe was stacked full of clean wads of dollar bills.