Under Their Wings; Chapter Two

Thank you to the ones who gave me comments on my first chapter. I spaced this chapter out more.

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When We Left Mum And Dad

Paige walked out into the silvery night, her eyes closed. Her arms were slightly raised from her sides, her hands stiff and rigid. Paige’s usual olive skin was now pale and her eyelids were a pallid blue, she was dreaming. Paige walked with her legs firm and her knees barely bending. The moon shone on her face, lights danced in her head. There was a thump, Paige, who was sleep walking, woke. Her feet vibrated and her eyes adjusted. Paige saw lights in the distance. Flashing far in front of her was the life she knew coming to an end.

Paige woke me, her hands shaking, one hand twisted around her back, I couldn’t see it but she was holding something, hiding it behind her. She was ashen, her eyes were bulged. I looked at her, not realising that she was crying.

‘Paige…’ I turned towards my clock then groaned ‘It’s two in the morning…’

She was ten now, and I still hadn’t heard her voice. She was sobbing, tears choking her, she pulled her hand from behind her fragile back, she held a sheet of paper with thick red writing on it. I couldn’t focus, the words blurred before my eyes. Paige kept shaking.

‘R’ I said slowly ‘U…N?’

Paige pointed her thin finger out my window, another thump rattled my lamp. I saw orange streaks stain the midnight sky. The sparks were at least fifty kilometres away, though they were clear, like in movies, when soldiers invade defenceless villages.

‘Paige! What’s going on?!’ I jumped out of my bed and placed my hand on her collarbone feeling her heart beat, I shook her. ‘Tell me!’

‘War..’ Her voice was soft but clear, still choked with tears.

We ran down the stairs, our feet hitting the carpet in unison. My heart pounding behind my ribcage, I stopped, then Paige stoped, we listened to soft intruding noises outside. I told Paige we needed to get out of here, she nodded.

‘Go get Edmond, Addi, Dade and Keavy’ I said to her.

‘What about Sunny? We can’t leave him’ She was crying again.

‘I’ll get Sunny, don’t worry about that, meet us in the shed.’

She ran back up the stairs, I ran down, I heard her stop once more and I swivelled around.

‘Mum and Dad?’ She said, questioning but not accusing.

‘Who cares?’

And I didn’t, they could suffer for all I cared. They had been no help to me, I learnt nothing from them. I trudged over the gray grass, the moon floating above me, peaceful, as if it didn’t know that right underneath it tragedy stretched over everything I knew. Sunny’s bedroom light was turned on, he was a silhouette on the pale green fence. I held myself up to his window, Sunny was packing a backpack, his clothes shoved in fiercely. A tin box packed on the top.

‘Sunny.’ I said under my breath. Surprisingly, he heard me.

‘Abi!’ He sounded relieved but there was fear in his voice. ‘you‘re okay.’

He quickly walked to the window, bent down to my lips and immediately kissed me. His eyes were stormy, his palms were sweaty. Sunny’s mouth was softly quivering.

‘We have to get out of here, Abigail.’

I nodded, explaining that Paige was waiting with the kids in the shed. My voice sounded scared, but I was peaceful. I knew that if I died, it was supposed to happen. We jumped the green fence over to the shed, Paige, Addi and the boys were waiting, they all had backpacks and Paige held another one that looked familiar.

‘I packed your clothes.’ Paige held my backpack to me.

‘Thanks…’ My voice trailed off.

Sunny’s hand rested in mine. I could still taste blood in my mouth. In my head, I played Paige’s first word.

War.