so this is kind of short, but i just typd it up and wanted to post
i really like this story and i hope you guys do to :))))
vote and comment if you like, this is really going to be an interesting story if you give it a chance :))))\
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chapter 2 East Calvery
Before I left the shelter for the night I helped Sam clean the kitchen, stack the chairs and fold the tables up before placing them back in the reckroom. I don't know how Sam did this every night, and not just the labor, but seeing the unfortunate people suffer with out loosing it. So many times after leaving this place, I had gone home and cried.
Cried over the food filled in my cupboards and extra blankets I didn't need piled on my bed. It never made sense to me, how so many could live with so much, when there were thousands with nothing at all, but that was just life.
"You okay?" Sam's voice was concerned and the look on his face said he knew exactly what I was thinking.
"yeah, I'm okay," I said with a small smile.
"Okay then, I'm about to lock up, so unless you want to stay in here with me, you better get a move on it," he said with a laugh.
If his offer hadn't meant to be a joke, I would have taken him up on it. A night locked in a room with Sam was a fantasy and it was cruel for him to tease me this way, but of course he didn't know that his mild flirtatious jokes meant more to me than it did to him.
"Ha," I laughed, "like I would want to be locked up with you for a night, your such a saint, we'd probably stay up all night painting each others nails and talking about what to make for dinner tomorrow night," I teased back, almost wishing I hadn't said anything at all.
The look on his face was thoughtful almost, like he was realising for the first time what a hermit he really was, "I'm that bad am I?" he asked laughing at himself.
I nodded.
"I go out," he said defensively.
"Whatever you say Sam," I said for his benefit, but obvious I wasn't buying it.
"Well... I guess I should go out more hu," he frowned," got any single friends?" he asked
Ouch.
If I had known this would have gone down a serious road I never would have started it.
I wanted to say I'm single, pick me, over here, single women! But I didn't. of course I didn't, that would have been way to embarrassing and ultimately awkward when he didn't recuperate my enthusiasm.
"I'll have to check my books, but the last time I checked, they were all either married, or had sworn off men altogether," I laughed. What I really wanted to cry at how pathetic this was. I had nearly put myself out there and he had asked if I had any single friends. With all honesty, that hurt more than a little.
After a while, I told Sam I better go, had some work to finish up before tomorrow morning.
Outside the air was as cold as ever and my car seemed like it was parked farther away then where I had left it. I stomped through the snow and out into the dim street as I shuffled through my purse for my keys. Why couldn't I be one of those people who did this before they went outside. It made so much more sense to come out prepared, but that just wasn't me. I was the loose your head if it wasn't attached to your body kind of girl.
I was still digging when I saw a young girl, maybe fourteen walking up the street. She had on a large black coat, I knew right away she was a street girl, and as bad as it sounds, I wished I had told Sam to walk me out.
Her hair was piled beneath a black beanie, but a few dark strands stuck out from under the only thing keeping her head warm from the cold breeze that swept down the streets and through the entire ice filled city. She wasn't wearing a scarf and when she breathed her hot breath created a gust of fog around her as it hit the air. She looked so cold, so alone, and older than she was. I could tell this was a girl who could take care of herself, a girl that hadn't been given an option not to and even though I knew better I just couldn't do nothing. I had to help, or try to anyway.
'Little girl?" I called out, trying not to sound condescending. She might be small, but she was probably just as street wise as Dorothy who was fifty years older.
"I ain't doing nothing wrong lady, so back off okay," she spit out, her voice sturdy, hard and filled with a toughness.
"No," I explained, shaking my head, "I didn't think you were, but its cold out here, there's still beds available in the shelter, let me take you inside, its warm, we could get you a hot meal," I was trying to persuade her, but the hardened look on her face made me feel like it wasn't going to get me anywhere.
"Look lady, I already told you , back off, I don't want no trouble and if you don't, I suggest you get into your car and go perform your charity work on some one else," she warned.
I sighed frustrated. I was only trying to help and she was threatening me.
"Suit yourself little one, its cold out here and if you want to freeze, then go on, but you don't have to," I said still hopeful.
I studied her chapped face and saw nothing was going to make this girl budge. She didn't want help. She was used to helping herself.
I took one step closer in her direction and like a scared animal, she stepped away the second I got closer, "You dont have to be afraid, I only want to help you," i said stepping even closer.
It only took her a second to run down the dark alley; disappearing and becoming a lost shadow like so many of them were.
When I got in my car, I turned on the ignition and began rubbing my hands together in front of the heater.
The look on that girls face was etched in my mind. She was so frightened, so alone, that even help to her was dangerous. Even the offer of a hot meal and a warm bed was something to fear and it broke my heart.
I sat there in the dark, imagining what had gotten her to that point.
A drug addicted mother, parents even, maybe abandoned? Shoved around from foster home to foster home until she finally broke loose and decided living a life on the streets was better than the mistreatment from those who were supposed to care for her in the first place.
My eyes watered and once again I had let the sadness of an imperfect world infect my thoughts and take over me completely. I would never be able to help everyone, but I could try to help the ones I could.
So I did something foolish. I pullednm my gloves up over my hands and tied my scarf tightly around my neck.
As soon as I stepped out of the car I knew how insane I was being, but I had to help.
I walked over towards the dark alley, and called out, "Little girl?" I had meant for it to be louder, but my fear had muffled my voice and my words had caught in my throat.
She didn't answer, but she couldn't have gone far.
I said a silent prayer and joined the darkness of the alley, hoping that I would find her and be able to keep her safe, even if it was for only a night.
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let me know what you think :))
i know its short, but well i just got home and the next part is going to be long and im too tired to write it all lol
:)))))
