A New Home

Chapter One - Saving Children

 

Chapter One –

 

            Starra hurried down the street, pulling her jacket tightly around her. The temperature was quickly dropping and she wanted to get to her car before it started to snow. She shifted her bag to her other arm so she could pull out her car keys. She stopped, unlocked her car, and quickly got in, setting her bag on the passenger seat beside her. Starting up the car she quickly cranked the heater up to high and prayed it would warm up soon. Soft music played from the radio as the snow outside started to fall. Christmas was two months away still, but many people were already out doing their shopping. Starra rubbed her hands together to warm them, before pulling on her seatbelt. Adjusting her mirror and getting ready to head home her eyes caught the form of a body in her backseat. She yelped and attempted to pull open her door and get out of the car. While struggling with her seatbelt, which she cursed because it was suppose to save her life and was now probably going to get her killed, she noticed that the body hadn’t yet moved. Calming down a bit she peered between the two front seats and eyes the person. It was a young boy, probably no older than fourteen years old. He was lying on his stomach, his brown ruffled hair falling over his eyes. He seemed to be dead, though after a moment Starra caught the slow raise and fall of his chest. Starra wondered how he had managed to get into her car. She always locked her doors. Starra wondered if she should call the cops. She sat watching him and playing with the idea of calling. After watching him for a few moments she notices that his body was shivering. Starra had to admit, it was cold outside and the boy was wearing a torn T-shirt and ripped shorts. Unbuckling her seatbelt she hit the button in the glove compartment to open her trunk. Starra got out of the car and shudders. The temperature had dropped a good amount since she had gotten into her car. She hurried over to her trunk and pulled out a blanket before quickly returning to the car and shaking off snow. Starra unfolded the blanket and put it over the boy. Deciding not to call the cops, she did decide she should head home before the roads got to bad. Starra re-buckles her seatbelt and pulls out of the parking lot.

            William woke up feeling warm, but also had the feeling that he was not alone anymore. The last thing he remembered was being tired and cold. He hadn’t been sleeping well and just wanted to get someplace warm for a few hours. He had spent almost three hours looking for an unlocked car before finally finding a small car that had a single back door, unlocked. He climbed in, telling himself that he would just rest his eyes and warm up for a moment before moving on. Not wanting to be there if the owner of the car returned. He must have fallen asleep. William opened his eyes, wondering how long he had been out. It was dark now, and snow was falling heavily even though windshield wipers were quickly trying to push it off the window. Wipers? William bite his tongue, the driver had returned. He wondered where they were headed and what was going to happen when they got there. He shifted slightly and noticed that a blanket was around him. Odd… he didn’t remembering grabbing a blanket. He looked in the driver’s seat to see a young woman. Her long black hair was pulled in a lose ponytail that was quickly falling out. The woman was on the edge of her seat, her hands tightly on the wheel. The road must have turned bad from the snow. William laid quietly and wondered what he was going to do once the car stopped.

            Starra growled, this was one of the times when she wished she wasn’t almost an hour and a half from home. Her full attention was on the ice coated roads. With how bad the roads were this was going to take her longer to get home. Her thoughts wondered to the boy in her backseat. What was she going to do with him once she got home? She couldn’t leave him in the car to freeze. The ice on the roads finally caught her car and she struggled with the wheel to gain control once more. The car spun and Starra shrieked as it rammed into a snow bank. The force of the impact pulled Starra forward. The seatbelt jammed into her chest knocking the air from her lungs. Starra sat in the front seat, stunned and out of breath as she watched the windshield wipers still going. The boy?! Starra turned and stared at the empty seat before looking down at the floor. Startled blue eyes meet her dark green ones. “I…” Starra blinked, “Are you ok?”

            The boy’s eyes went from startled to confused before he softly spoke, “I’m ok. Are you ok?”

            Starra smiled slightly, “A little shaken up.”

            The boy pulled himself up, “I don’t think snow banks should be in the middle of the road.”

            Starra was puzzled momentarily before getting his joke and laughing, “The car slide… and we went into the snow bank.”

            “I see…” the boy returned her smile with one of his own, “Well then, what are you doing driving on the side of the road?” Starra laughed once again, before looking back at the windshield and putting the car in reverse. Hitting the gas she attempted to get the car back onto the road, her tires spun throwing snow into the air and finally she gave up. Sighing she laid her head on the wheel. William pulled himself back into the back seat and looked out the window. “We’re stuck.” He stated matter of factly, as if it wasn’t something obvious. Starra lifted her head and looked back at him. “I’ll push.” He said. Before she could reply he had climbed out of the car and walked around to the front of it. Starra put the car into reverse again and hit the gas. The boy put his hands on the hood and pushed.

            This would be easier in my second form. He thought to himself as he put his weight into it and pushed again at the car. After several more shoves the car jerked off the snow bank and back onto the road. William shuddered just now noticing the cold. He looked up at the sky, allowing the snow to fall onto his face. It was pretty, he had to admit. The urge to fly hit him hard.

            Starra watched the boy. He had to be freezing out there, and he did just help her off the snow bank… but was she really going to let him get back into the car? She had seen movies, she knew all about hitchhikers, and what they do to woman like her. She couldn’t just drive away though. She couldn’t just drive away and leave him in the snow like that… could she?

            William looked back at the car, his gaze meeting the young woman’s. He knew what she was thinking and didn’t really blame her. As a matter of fact, he was kind of surprised she was still there. Though he was cold he could still travel if she did leave him there. He silently watched her weight the options in her mind. Finally, she leaned over and unlocked the passenger door and moved her bag into the backseat. William walked around and climbed into the seat. He pulled on his seatbelt, welcoming the warmth of the heater. Without a word she started once more on the icy road.

            By the time Starra pulled into the driveway almost three hours had past since she had left work. She pulled the car into the garage and cut the engine. “We’re here,” she said, turning to her silent passenger. She smiled slightly. The boy was curled up, his feet up on the seat and his head on his knees. His breathing was soft. Starra gently shook his shoulders, “Hey,” she said softly, not wanting to startle him, “We’re here,” The young boy’s eyes fluttered open and he looked at her. “We’re here,” she said again. The boy looked around the garage a bit. “Are you hungry?” Starra asked. The boy looked back at her. “I don’t feel like cooking, but the roads here aren’t that bad. I can call for pizza.”

            The boy watched her for a moment, “Alright.” He replied quietly. Starra got out of the car and walked to the door. A moment later she heard the passenger door open as the boy got out of the car and followed her to the door. Starra walked into the house and flipped on the lights.

            The house that she was renting from her friend wasn’t very big. The garage door lead into the kitchen, from there was the living room, bathroom, den and bedroom. The boy looked around the kitchen as he rubbed his arms, trying to warm them. “I’m sorry,” Sarah said, “It isn’t much…”

            The boy looked over at her, “It’s nice.”

            Starra smiled, “What kind of pizza do you like?”

            “Any is fine,” he said as he watched the snow fall outside. Starra picked up the phone and called ordering the pizza.

            After ordering, she turned back, “It’ll be he-“ she paused looking around the empty kitchen. A sinking feeling hit her hard. Had she brought this boy here just so he could act innocent then rob her blind? Starra hurried into the living room, grabbing a flying pan on her way in, ready to beat him down. She stopped, lowering the pan. The boy was laying on the couch, an arm over his eyes, asleep. She smiled, walked into the hall and got a blanket from the closet. She walked back into the living room and laid the blanket over the boy before walking into the kitchen to wait for the pizza.

Reviews

[Kittybell]

you had a few typos and maybe punctuation issues here and there but other than those i think it is pretty good...i enjoyed it

[WV_Poetess]

Okay, I'm hooked! This is well written and left me wanting more. It's off to chapter 2 for me!

[Sarabi]

I really like this! It's very sweet, and well written, too. The pace was fast enough so I wasn't bored and I am very curious about this boy...who is he? Guess I'll find out soon :)