Hope «h.s.»

Prologue.

The young girl had fallen soundly asleep to the sound of yelling. No tears fell down her face this night though; her pillow was dry.

But the girls head sprang up when she heard the sound of a nearby door squeaking shut. Her digital clock read "3 am".

The curiosity got the best of the young girl though. Her short, straight, brown locks swayed from side to side as she sat herself up. She hopped out of bed and silently tip-toed to the door of her small room. Carefully, as she had done many times before, she turned the knob, cracked the door open slightly, and peaked her head out.

A faint gasp left the child's mouth as she saw her mother walking down the hallway. After all, it was 3 am.

Her mother turned the corner into the small kitchen of the small house.

The girl couldn't see where her mother was going anymore so she opened the door more and sneaked her small and slim body into the hallway. Again, she tip-toed on the rug.

Almost making it to the doorway that lead into the dimly lit kitchen, her foot bumped into something big and heavy. She fell down to the floor with a thump. Glancing behind her where her feet were, she saw that the object was a big, black duffel bag.

"Pipes, go back to bed!" She heard the lady whisper-yell as she came back into the hallway.

"Mommy, why are you up?" the girl asked.

The mother let out a soft sounding giggle. "Why are you up baby?"

"I heard you leave your room," she answered truthfully.

"Come here," the mother said, picking up the child from the floor with her gentle, soft, and caring hands. Black smudges lined the bottom of the moms eyes as if she had been crying through her makeup. The little girl placed her head in the dip between her mothers shoulder and neck.

"What's that for?" the young girl asked pointing to the black bag.

"Oh nothing," her mom sighed.

"Where are you going?" The child pushed another question.

"I just have to stop at the supermarket for something that I need for tomorrow. That's all baby," the lady replied to her daughter and then places a gentle kiss on her forehead. A deep yawn escaped the young girls mouth moments later.

"You need to go back to bed," the mother stated in a soft tone after observing the yawn that came from her daughter.

"No," the girl frowned.

"Piper..." the mother said more sternly. She started to walk down the hallway and back into the child's room.

The mother tenderly placed her daughter back into the bed. She pulled the sheets up to her neck.

"Don't worry about me baby girl. I love you with all my heart. I love you to the moon and back and then farther," she said with a kiss and a sniffle.

The young girl, already falling asleep, muttered something back. "I love you to the moon and back too, mommy."

Wiping her eyes for any tears, the woman made her way out of the room, and eventually out of the house with the fully-packed black duffel bag.