City On Fire

12

Ella did notice the same motorcycle she nearly ran into speed past her but she had more pressing worries than a disgruntled driver. She ran into the loading aria of some or other large black building. It wasn’t until she caught her breath that she realised it wasn’t a loading aria but where they left their trash. It smelled horrible and there were flies a plenty but she stuck it out.

Everything was quiet. She didn’t hear cars or people or anything but she was still shaking. The sun was going down and it would be dark soon. The realisation that this place may be where she had to stay the night made her shiver even more. No, she couldn’t. She needed to find another hiding place.

As she got to her feet she had to steady herself against the wall. She was lightheaded and now regretted having refused to eat over the last few days. “Come this way.”

An old man in a dirty brown coat called her over from a view feet ahead. He had long gray hair and a thick gray beard, much like a homeless Santa clause. His one hand beckoned her while the other clutched a backpack draped over his shoulder. He looked in as bad shape as she was but he was smiling and his striking blue eyes were kind. “The church should be here by now. Come on.”

He walked ahead but looked back to make sure she followed. Before she knew it she had stepped away from the wall and though still weak she slowly followed. As they walked more and more people joined them. There was a young woman with a rusted shopping trolley and a little girl in it clutching a doll with a missing arm and a man who could hardly walk and used a sawn off broomstick as a crutch among others. Everyone seemed in good spirits and was smiling despite their circumstances. Ella stopped and observed them as they rounded the corner.

“Come on.”

The old man had stopped to call her and when she looked over at him he motioned for her to follow yet again. He waited for her to catch up and the two of them rounded the corner together. In an abandoned and dirty corner was a small van surrounded by four nuns who were stirring large pots and loading out baskets of bread.

Each person walked up to the table and greeted the nuns by name as they were given a bowl of whatever was cooking along with a piece of bread. Similarly the nuns knew each by name and heartache.

“Have you been a good girl Madeline? You have been looking after your mother?” The little girl, a little shy, hid behind her doll as she spoke.

“Yes sister.”

The nuns smiled and handed he a bowl and a piece of bread for which she was thanked profusely.

“Come on.”

The old man called to her again as he walked up to the nuns.

“Good evening sisters, the three of you look absolutely ravishing tonight.”

They laughed as they thanked him.

While everyone took a seat and dung in, evidently knowing each other well, Ella stood to the side clutching her sketchbook. She felt like a fish out of water and was more than a little uncertain.

“It’s all right dear.”

One of the nuns held out a hand to her while another held out a bowl and a piece of bread. “There is no need to be frightened. It’s alright.”

The old man stood to the side as if waiting for her and he nodded in the nun’s direction when she looked to him for advice.

She slowly walked over and the closer she got the better the food smelled. She had no idea she was that hungry.

“Thank you.”

She accepted the food and one of the nuns rested a hand on hers. The gesture set her at ease just a bit but she still looked over at the old man as if to ask what now.

“Come on. Meet the family.”

He walked over to where everyone sat around a table eating and enjoying each other’s company. Though she followed she was hesitant to join them. “Say hi everyone.”

He sat down and to her surprise she found smiling faces looking up at her. “Here, sit next to us.”

The woman and her daughter shifted to make room for her and the food in her hands smelling better that she could possibly resist accepted.

“Thank you.”

The woman swallowed the bread in her mouth before she spoke again.

“Don’t mention it.”

She waved her one hand in the air and Ella noticed a wedding ring, something which reminded her of the woman in the green dress. “We got to look out for each other. Very few others will.” The woman leaned in closer to whisper.

“Names Melissa.”

The woman reached out a hand which Ella accepted.

“Ella.”

The two shook hands before going back to their meals.

Ella didn’t know if she was just starving of if the stew was really that good but she couldn’t remember when last she had ate anything that delicious.

Throughout the meal those in attendance discussed their day and all that happened. One of them, a man named Alfred who wore a navy blue blazer with a tear in one of its shoulders, said how he was no closer to finding the kid. Melissa explained that he had found a missing poster of a young boy that was presumably taken form a playground close to the beach.

“It’s only a matter of time before I find him and then I’ll find the others too.”

He explained as he waved a piece of bread in the air. Ella, who had been following his story closely, narrowed her eyes.

“Others?”

He swallowed the last of his bread before continuing.

“There have been six so far. All went missing around the beach and all between ten and twelve years old. Police don’t think their connected but I beg to differ. Then again, the cops are already over worked. Don’t know how anyone can expect them to do their job.”

Melissa must have notice her discomfort at the mention of the authorities and explained that he had been a private investigator that lost everything when his son and wife died.

“This kind of thing keeps him busy, although his searching doesn’t really gather anything.”

Alfred went on outlining his suspicions and thoughts.

“I suspect it to be a group maybe even a cult of some kind. I just don’t get why. The only thing connection these kids is the general location, I mean they didn’t even disappear from the same aria but maybe that is the biggest cue. If my suspicions are right than this outfit is taking kids at random from geographically selected arias.”

This guy knew his stuff and Ella couldn’t help but wonder how far he had to have fallen. Despite Melissa saying how his search never yields any leads the group was incredibly supportive. They offered their theories and opinions but never discouraged him, in fact they cheered him on.

When everyone had finished eating they collected their bowls and returned them to the nuns. A view of the men even helped to fold up and load the tables back into the van. Ella stood to one side and watched everyone. They really did seem like a family and they had no reprise inviting her in even though she stood out like a sore thumb. As she looked over the congress of the homeless she saw one of the old nuns bending over to retrieve the empty bread baskets.

“Here let me.”

She stopped the old nun half way and retrieved the baskets. The nun thanked her saying how she wasn’t as young as she use to be. Nun or otherwise, Ella could hardly believe the old woman was ever young.

One for one she handed the woman the baskets who in turn loaded them back into the van. Ella was half way temped to ask the nun about the nightmares and how they were coming true, surely a nun would have some answers, but in the end she decided against it. Feeling far too awkward and not knowing where to begin. It wasn’t as if she had ever been very religious, she wasn’t even sure where the thought of consulting a nun about her rapidly approaching insanity came from.

“Is there something you would like to ask child?”

The nun didn’t look at her but was digging in the back of the van for something. Ella stammered over her words trying to utter that one little phrase saying she wanted nothing. She didn’t find it and the nun knew something was on her mind when she neither asked nor denied that she had anything to say. The nun seemed to understand her silence and instead of interrogating her took one of her hands and placed something in her palm.

“Well, if you change your mind we’ll be here and if you’re unsure maybe talk to someone a little higher up.”

The nun squeezed her hand before she turned away.

“You lot take care now and be careful.”

The group send off the nuns with waves, thanks and smiles while Ella still huddles to the side. When she eventually looked to see what was in her hand se found a rosary resting in her palm. She had no idea what to do with it and stood running the beads through her fingers.

While everyone mingled Ella found a quiet corner where she sat with her back to the wall and the sketchbook to her chest. She was thinking about Benny and what was going on at the clinic, that is, if it hasn’t burned to the ground yet. Judging by the commotion form earlier today she can imagine the kind of chaos there would be now. Speaking of which, she thought about what happened back at the gallery. She would have to find a newspaper tomorrow, just to get the full story. With the day’s excitement now coming to an end she thought for the first time about what she had done. She had saved lives. A faint smile made its way across her lip as she opened the sketchbook and paged to her premonition of the gallery. All those people were alive because of she had done something and more importantly because Benny had believed her. If he hadn’t gotten her out it could have been so much worse.

“You turning in early? Must have been a hell of a day.”

Mellissa parked her trolley against the opposite wall before she and the little girl sat next to her. The two had been so kind Ella really didn’t mind then joining her although she rather thought she really wasn’t good company.

The little girl crawled into her mother’s lap and clutching the doll fell asleep almost immediately. Mellissa smoothed back a few strands of the girl’s hair and got comfortable herself.

“You know, the first day I came here I knew I would never leave. My time was up. I would live the reminded of my life here and eventually I would die here.”

Ella felt her smile fade as the woman spoke.

“But I promised I would get her out of here first. She was going to go to school and stand on her own two feet. She wouldn’t be half the failure he mother was.”

Ella rested the book on her knees and spoke after a moment of silence.

“I think, because you are so determined to give her the best there is makes you a far greater mother than any other with money.”

Melissa smiled up at Ella and nodded as she looked back at her daughter.

“I graduated high school with honours, I went to college and get a degree, but when it came down to it I just couldn’t keep a job. There was always something, of course, I realise now that it was never the job. It was just me. So when opportunity came, I married a rich man. Don’t get me wrong, I loved that man more than I ever knew I could and when times got tough and we had to sell two of our overseas homes and some of the cars I still loved him. I even went to work as a teacher. I seemed to be good at that.”

She was lost in thought for a moment as she looked down at the sleeping child.

“It wasn’t until he died that I realised how bad our situation was. The collators came and took everything, leaving me on the street with a two year old.”

The woman wrapped her arms around the child.

“What about you?”

Ella looked form them to the book resting in her lap. She would have to think carefully before answering.

“I went to someone for help and they ended up hurting me instead of helping me.” The woman raised her eyebrows. She seemed mortified at the thought.

“So now I have to find what I’m looking for myself and to do that I had to run away. I’m not sure how I’m going to do the things that I have to or find the answers I’m looking for. I’m not even sure what to do next but I know it’s something that has to be done.”

The woman smiled and rested a hand on her daughter’s head.

“You’ll find a way and until then you have us.”