Continued

Walking up the road all she could think about was what she was going to get for lunch, she cursed herself for missing the earlier bus, all the local cafés had shut half an hour ago so she was going to have to raid the fridge. She opened the gate at the end of her garden path and walked towards the house. A contended smile filled her face; shopping always made her feel happy. She turned her key in the lock and announced her arrival to her housemate. 1

“Boy, am I hungry. I hope saved me some food.” 2

She shut thefront door and left her shopping bags on the floor, put her bag on the sideboard and grabbed a glass out of the kitchen cupboard. As she got herself a drink she could hear voices in the next room; the first was her housemate, her best friend for as long as either of them could remember. The second, the faint sounds of the southern radio presenter who talked constantly throughout everyday in the girls’ house. The third was an unfamiliar male voice with a northern accent. Somebody evidently from where they grew up, somebody evidently from the place they left behind years ago, but not somebody she could recognise 3

She opened the door into the next room and saw her friend gesture to the red haired young man sat on the sofa opposite. He was facing her friend at first but then he turned around to look at her. Shock rippled through her body and she dropped her glass as the not so unfamiliar guy stood up and walked towards her.4

“What the heck are you doing here?” 5

6

"I had to come and see you Jarren, I had to come and tell you what has happened to HER!"7

He calmly stepped forward to look at her. She could see by the weariness on his face that he was tired and had been on the road for a while.8

"When did you get here? Was Chelsie already home?" She walked back into the kitchen to try and distract herself from the obvious. He slowly followed leaving Chelsie on the sofa. He always seemed to turn up unannounced when something happened. Her nerves were rattled and she had to just stop and think before she could continue to listen to him.9

"Is she dead?" She asked coldly but wondering.10

"Don't you care? Don't you even care what happened to our own mother?" he stammered.11

"Not really, not after what we went through."12

She made him a cup of tea and they both went and sat at the kitchen table. For a while they sat in silence remembering what had happened.13

...14

At nine Jarren knew that Brice was her responsibility. Their mom was hopelessly hooked on drugs and she never cared for them anyway. She hunted daily for food for herself and her only brother. She longed for the day when buying food would be fun for her. Today was no different than any other. Her mother was stoned out of her mind and passed out on the couch. Her bulging stomach showed that soon Jarren would have to find food for yet another mouth. Jarren couldn't think of when they last ate but knew that food was needed bad. 15

"MOM MOM wake up Please..."16

without a reply she knew she would have to leave Brice alone and go down to the dumpster to find food. It was getting harder and harder to keep people from noticing how thin she was getting. She didn't know what she would do when school started this year. 17

"Brice stay with Mama" her five year old brother stared blankly and put his thumb back into his mouth. 18

She climbed down the stairs in the apartment they rented and walked around back to find the dumpster opened. Hopefully no one would see her climb into the foul smelling box. She looked through many boxes and bags before finding enough food for a small meal for her and Brice. 19

"This should work just fine."20

Four months later Randon was born. She knew that the time had come and someone needed to help her. She loved her brothers dearly but didn't want to lose them. So once again she went out to the dumpster to find scraps from others meals. This time though someone did see her... in fact they were watching her and had been for a while. After she climbed from the dumpster a stranger came into view. His long tie told her not that he was someone important.21

"Are you Jarren Stanlin?"22

"Yeah, why?" That was when she noticed a lady behind him. She was pretty and had long brown hair. 23

"We wanna talk to your mom Jarren, ok?" She knew she couldn't say no so she showed them how to get to her apartment. 24

She opened the door and immediately the strangers cringed at the smells that she had become used to. She walked in and saw her mother knocked out lying on the sofa. Randon was in the bedroom on the bare mattress on the floor crying. He was hungry and she knew it. The strangers asked her if she was hungry and wanted to take Brice and Randon and go and get some food. She really didn't want to leave her mother but the ache in her stomach and Brice's persistant pleads made her accept. She gave her unconscious mother a kiss on the cheek and left knowing they wouldn't be back. That was the last time she saw her...25

"I know you loved her. She is better off now. She can't hurt herself anymore." Brices comments made her soften and accept the fact that her mother was gone. 26

"Thanks for coming Brice."27