Finding Serenity-Serenity Series Book One(Completed)

Finding A Makeshift Family

(Copyright - All Rights Reserved (C) Emily Carroll)

We stayed this way for 3 days. Sparing our last pieces of food with our alley way friends, and the cat that seemed to stay beside us every second since I had been feeding it.

On the fourth day, the cat woke us up, nudging at our arms. I woke up first, thinking that it was just hungry. Oddly though, the cat began clawing at our cover. So I got up, thinking there was something going on, because I knew enough about cats to know that they can try and give people signals. The cat lead me down the end of the alleyway, and heading our way was a group of kids who all edged on the sketchy side. Hands in their pockets, hands in their jackets. I scooped the cat into my arms and zipped it up into my jacket, which was tucked into my pants. It sat comfortably there while I woke Elizabeth and everyone up. We all began quickly packing, none of us staying behind. Elizabeth threw my bag to me and I swung it onto my back. Everyone, including Elizabeth and I, began running in the opposing way the group was heading.

Marcell, a man who had been staying in the alley way with us, said a group of teens have been coming by once or twice a month to clean up ‘their streets’ from beggars. There had been a few deaths amongst the homeless thanks to them. We all stopped at a bus stop, and said our good byes, Elizabeth even seemed like she had tears in her eyes.

“Again someday.” Marcell said, tipping his hat toward us as he sat at the bench at the bus stop.

I let the cat out of my jacket and Elizabeth and I began to follow it down the dark streets, because for once, we didn’t know where to go.

The black cat led us down another alleyway after about an hour and a half of walking. This time though, the alleyway was full of kids who looked to be about our age.

“Salem?” A boy shouted, running from behind a fire pit. The cat ran up to the boy, rubbing against his small boney legs.

“Who are you?” A woman with a kind face asked, stepping out into the light of the fire.

“Well, I’m Lucy Marie, and this is Elizabeth Scott.”

The woman nodded us over, “How did you find our cat?”

“Well, he kind of found, and might I add saved us.”

The woman laughed, a hand over her chest, “Oh Salem.”

She led us over to a man who was holding a small baby in his arms, “Who are they?” he asked the woman smiling, “Lucy and Elizabeth darling.” She said, nodding to each of us.

“You two found Salem I see.” He said smiling to us.

Elizabeth took my hand, hers shaking, “Yes, we did.”

“Well, you’re more than welcome to stay. Tomorrow, we are going to a house. It’s abandoned, but we tend to stay in abandoned houses.”

I looked over at Elizabeth, hope shining in my eyes for the first time this week.

We both looked over to the couple and nodded, “Please.”

That night we slept on cots that the woman, Hillary, and her husband, Richard, provided for us. After everyone was asleep, Elizabeth scooted her cot to mine, to where they were touching and seemed to be one big cot. 

She took my hand in hers and laughed, "When we were little, and people said we looked alike, I just laughed. I loved the idea of a sister."

I smiled and kissed her cold hand, "I loved it too."

"Now that we are older, we look alike still. Blonde hair, fair skin. But, I don't feel like your sister anymore." Her voice got shaky, and she just laughed, "Not in a bad way or anything."

I looked over her baby's face and smiled, "I know what you mean." 

She pulled the cover over her shoulders and smiled, "You always know what I mean." And before I had time to reply her eyes were closed and her breathing pattern changed, letting me know she was fast asleep. I held her cold hand in mine, not letting go, and eyed her fragile frame as I fell asleep.