And Peggy

Part 31

Peggy's feet skidded as she ran through the clean white hallways. Philip's crying was getting nearer, and she felt her heart race as she came to a door in which it was loudest. She opened it and saw Philip alone in a pop-up crib, wailing. His face was red and he looked miserable. Peggy ran over to her nephew, scooped him up in her arms, and held him close. She shifted from foot to foot, whispering assurances into his ear, until his wails turned to whimpers. "Let's go find Mama and Daddy, okay?" She asked. He hugged her, and Peggy's heart melted. 

She walked/ran down the hallway, wondering where her sisters, Alex, Mulligan, Laurens, and Lafayette were. The house was oddly quiet, and with every step fear crept up her spine. She was on edge, ready to jump at any second. The only thing that kept her calm was her nephew hugging her tightly, because she was the only thing he had right now. She had to stay calm. 

Peggy decided that her and Angelica's room was the place to start. Now that Eliza had moved out, Peggy has graduated from a bunk bed to a queen bed, directly opposite of Angelica's. She now had more room for things like a desk and her own personal bookshelf. 

Peggy took a deep breath, and pushed open the door to her room. It was how she left it, her bed unmade and school books scattered on the floor and on her bed. Angelica's bed was always made and her floor was always clean. But not now. The side of her light pink comforter was flipped up, and the bed skirt was pushed to the side. Peggy took a deep breath, and got down on her knees. "Angelica?" She asked quietly, and pushed the bed skirt aside. Angelica was laying, flat-down on her stomach, underneath the bed. Her hair was a mess and her shirt was wrinkled. She's been there for a while.

"Peggy!" Angelica cried, and squirmed out from underneath the bed and hugged her sister. "Oh my god, Philip's okay." She says, and holds his hand. "He was in the crib for a nap, and when they came, we got so scared, we just ran. I forgot him. I was too scared to go downstairs and get him."

Peggy silently yelled at her sister for forgetting her nephew downstairs with a bunch of gang members but resisted the urge to slap her.

Angelica turned to Peggy. "Where's Alex?" She demanded. Peggy paused and gave her a look. "And Eliza. Where's Alex and Eliza?" She corrected herself, but Peggy tried not to show that she caught that.

"I haven't found them yet. We have to go." Peggy stood up, and held out her hand. Angelica took a deep breath, and took her sister's hand. 

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Do you ever get so pumped to write, and write like four paragraphs before you crash and burn and all the creative juices in your body have been reduced to nothing?

Because that's what just happened. 

So have a nice day.