Running away

Chapter 2

"Miss." I cracked open an eye and saw a man. Big beard and kind eyes. He had extremely dark skin. "Are you alright, Miss?" I nodded and he helped me. I looked around and saw I had fallen asleep in the park. "Come, Miss. I get you some water." He held out his hand. I took it and he led me to a little broken-down shack. Three kids ran around us before heading in through the door. Someone grabbed my dress and pulled on it. "Why hello there." I had turned to see a little girl with big brown curls and pale white skin.

"What's your name?" She grabbed my hand and walked with us into the house. "Cathlin." She whispered with a lisp. "Milliana Cassidy Tilly. A pleasure to meet you Cathlin." She waved both of our arms up and down then ran and hid behind another dark-skinned woman. I believe her to be a woman since she is wearing a skirt. "Sorry to intrude in your home, madam." I curtsied and she smiled a toothless smile at me. She hid it behind her hand a second later. "It alright. Sorry, it a mess." She bowed a little, nearly knocking down the clothing she carried in a wicker basket.

"Not at all. You shouldn't hide your smile. It's pretty." She smiled again and giggled. "Miss. Here is your water. I sorry it not very clean." I waved away his worries. "Nonsense. If you drink then I shall drink it." I took the chipped cup and took a sip of the water. It tasted horrible but I kept a straight face. "Hmm. It is delicious." The children giggled and they smiled. The woman shook her head and Cathlin blushed. She was so adorable.

I was also confused about why she was being raised by the wrong color. "We found as baby. No family." The man patted her head and she giggled. I gave her a bright smile. "Looks like we are in the same boat Cathlin. I don't have any family either. You're lucky you have them." I bent slightly down to her height. She hugged me around the waist. Well, she hugged the hoop skirt close to my waist. "We the same." I nodded and patted her back. The woman was smiling. "Would you mind if I stayed in your humble abode for a few days? I have enough to pay for expenses if you need." She shook her head.

"You stay for free. Just help with chore enough." I nodded and gave her a hug. "I will look for a job to help pay for my food. Shh. I am going to dress up as a guy. I need help in making me a guy." She laughed and gave me a wink. We laughed lightly and that was how I found my home. At least until I had to run.

-----------------------------------------------------

It has been a week since I have been staying with Ode and Abayomi. I worked in the factory with Abayomi and did some of the chores for Ode. When I wasn't busy I was teaching Cathlin and the other children how to write and read.

"Lunch!" The children ran out but Cathlin stayed behind. "What's wrong Cathy?" She grabbed my hand and squeezed it. "Something bads gonna happen." She always spoke in a breathy whisper. It sounded so adorable on her. "Why is that?" She shrugged. "I always get this feeling when something bads gonna happen. The first time I got it mommy and daddy died." I hugged her, she still cries when remembering. She had to watch her parents die as well. She was a little younger than I was but it still hurt her the same.

"Let's go get some lunch okay?" She nodded and we headed into the kitchen. The kids were eating and Ode was leaning over the counter. "Ode? Are you alright?" She gave me an exhausted smile and I helped her sit down. "You are running a fever. You must rest. I will take care of the young ones." She shook her head but I refused to allow her the ability to get up. "I no need rest. I need to clean and cook. I must hurry if I going to bath soon." She tried to get up but I pushed her back on the few pillows I helped her sew shut.

"I will cook. You mustn't move or you will get worse. I will make you some food and get some diddle for your fever." She nodded and let her eyes closed as I attended to the children. She seemed to pale as she began to sweat profusely. "Alibaba." The boy ran up and saluted me. He wanted to be in the army when he grew up. "Go down to the doctor and ask him to come to check on Ode." He nodded and ran out the door. It was warm today so the children ran around with very little clothing on. I began to disrobe Ode from her outerwear and placed her in a nightgown. 

She seemed to sleep better now that she was out of those clothes. "Ms. Tilly?" I turned around and curtsied to doctor Philip. He was a young man who helped the people of Kingston. I had to stop here because the train tracks to Guildford were under repair. "What seems to be the matter with Mrs. Staunch?" I shook my head. "She has a fever and has gone somewhat pale. I don't know what to think of it." He rubbed his eyes and that's when I noticed the bags underneath them. "That's the six case today." He sighed and proceeded to check her.

"We must move her to my office. We caught it early enough and if we give her the correct treatment then we can try and stop it before it kills her." He gave her some liquid and she seemed to relax even more. "Billy!" I turned to see a young boy walk in with a makeshift cot. They placed her on it and carried her out. I walked with them to the door and saw many neighbors looking at what was happening. Mothers pulled their children away from Ode's children and went even as far as calling them dirty.

Cathlin began to cry when one of the girls she played with was pulled away from her. The mother sent me a pitying look and took her children into her house. The street was soon empty of laughter and people. I stayed with the children as Abayomi went to visit his wife. Cathlin was still crying on her little bed and refused to eat.

"I said something bads gonna happen. It happens tonight." I rocked her to sleep after she managed a few spoonfuls of soup. The little kids ignored her saying she always says something bad is going to happen. I watched her sleep as the others got ready for bed. Ode and Abayomi were still at Dr. Philip's office. "Run." I turned back to see a little boy I never saw before watching us. He had brown hair and blue eyes. His skin pale and covered with scars and bruises.

He only wore trousers with a rope belt. He grabbed my bag full of clothes and all my money. He grabbed my hand and tried to pull me away. I ripped my hand out of his and stared at him confused. "We need to run before they come. Please." He glanced at Cathlin and I shook my head. Tears were running down his cheeks freely and my heart ached at the sight. "We need to run. Grab everyone you can but we need to hurry before they come through." I hesitated but screams began ringing throughout the village. He grabbed my hand again and this time I listened.

Picking up Cathlin we ran. We ran into the small grove of woods behind the shack just as gunshots rang out. Cathlin began to cry as she clung onto me. We ran through bushes and past trees until I couldn't move. My dress had caught onto some shambles. "I can't move. Cathlin, go with him. Okay?" She shook her head as I put her down. The boy pulled a knife out of his pants pocket and began tearing my dress into shreds. I had to wiggle out of it and I soon was standing in just my undergarments. I felt naked as the boy stared at me. "Here." He gave me some trousers and a shirt from my bag which I put on quickly.

We continued to run as the shouts and screams faded into the distance. We continued for a short while until I collapsed. The boy sat next to me breathing a bit heavy while I sat with Cathlin asleep in my arms gasping. "How did you know what was going to happen?" I asked once my breath had evened out. "Because they came through the last village I was in threatening everyone for one missing girl. They murdered everyone. I barely escaped because of one person who found me buried underneath my father's clothes. He gave me your photo and told me to help you escape them when they came into the town you were in."

The realization brought tears to my eyes. I was the cause of them killing people. I bit back a sob as I stared up at the stars. "What did he say his name was?" I looked at the boy as he closed his eyes. "He told me to tell you Derek hopes you survive. I am Dylan by the way. Dylan Coldstone." I shook his hand and leaned against a tree. Exhaustion had caught up to me from many sleepless nights and my eyelids threatened to close on me. "I'll keep watch first. We head out at daylight. I have an uncle who lives in Guildford that will take us in but you must stay dressed as a man when we are out. The man told that you must hide your identity."

I nodded and hugged Cathlin to me as the darkness took me from reality for a while.