The Power Within Us (unedited)

Chapter 17

If she could describe what it was like after the storm. Nobody would talk, their new routine consisted of ignoring each other. Like usual.

She was stuffing her face with chocolate sitting criss-cross on her doing her left over homework. She thought about her time with Evan after the power went out, he started a little fire and they roasted marshmallows. She felt her face getting warm as she thought about when she cuddled with him. Then her face scrunched and she inhaled deeply. Of all the days it had to come today. She pushed her homework to the side. She checked her emergency stash, it was empty. Panic settled in then she felt the most painful cramp “aaugh!” She was a victim of hate crime and she hated it!

“Nooo!” 

 She clutched stomach. She ran to the hallway bathroom and ransacked every cabinet.  

“No,no, no.”

“Where are they?” She whispered to herself pushing her hair away from her face.

“Ah ha!”

“Mira are you… Oh.” Maddi spoke, then paused, noticing the pad in Mira’s hand. 

“After you're um… done can we talk.”

“Mmhmm.” Mira looked up and pursed her lips.She quickly locked the door as she left.

Sometimes being a teen girl was tough.

“Okay so what did you want to talk about?”

“I feel confused, now that the truth is out, what now?”

“Do you just go back and leave us with mom and her poor decisions?”

“I…I  don’t think I can do this all alone.”

“Maddi, calm down, as of right now she’s still my caretaker until I am eighteen.”

“I’m not leaving and when I do as soon as I can I’m taking you and our other siblings out of here.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

“Now I'm going to the grocery store, do you need anything?”

“How?” She raised an eyebrow, “We don’t even have money.”

“Your Mom doesn’t but I do.”

“Oh! in that case…” She gave a big smile, “ bring me gummy worms.”

True to her word she went to SpunKy's Grocery, a spot founded in the 80’s. First she went to the isle every woman dreaded, then she went looking for some sweet treats.In the corner of her eye she noticed two large men moving everytime she moved. At first she thought they were just normal people looking for a certain item in the store but when she turned her head to them they disappeared.  Mira decided not to stick any longer, she quickly grabbed a bag of gummies and went straight to the cashier. She was almost at her car door shivering all the way there when the two men from earlier grabbed her.

“Hey!”

 “Let me go!” she kicked.

“Agk”

"Put me down, you wack job!"

“Hey! Did you have to turn off the lights?”The other guy simply patted her head after he was done sliding the sack on her head.

“Hello?”

"You can take off the sack you know." A strange voice spoke.

“Who are you?” she furrowed her eyebrows.

“I think the real question is who you are, Miss Mira or should I call you Princess Mirabel Marie Rose Santiago of Avidora ?”

“How do you know that?” she crossed her arms.