wishonstars (wishonstars) wrote in tellthetruth, @ 2018-10-03 00:08:00 |
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Fluttering like butterfly wings in flight Amya’s fingers traversed along the soft white bark of the towering aspen trees as she tipped her head back to admire the birds that flew overhead, longing to know their freedom as autumn leaves of golden fell down around her. Tugging her book bag higher up onto her shoulder the frail beauty gripped the strap and closed her eyes, losing herself momentarily to the sounds pouring through her former cell phone that now housed hours of music; her saving grace. Thank god for borrowed power from the outlets of the town library or else she would simply be the proud owner of yet another modern relic and paperweight. Her bag held what little possessions remained for Amya, but more importantly they held necessities such as deodorant and a bar of soap, a toothbrush, and a stolen tube of toothpaste as well as a second pair of jeans and three long sleeved shirts. It wasn’t much, but it was all that she could fit into her bag. Bodies moved past her as she wandered along the downtown path, a mere stones throw from the high school and based on the hour of time registered on her now music player, it was nearing dinner time. Couples passed if she were nothing more than a part of the landscape, and side stepping her as if she were merely a root that had made its way above ground. Sighing to herself Amya simply finally fell into line with the flow of downtown foot traffic as she thought of home. Though Amya mentally referred to this small Colorado town as home, she knew otherwise. Home was not where she slept on cold and dirty cement floors of abandoned gas stations or condemned houses with the faint smell of piss and paint thinner, nor was it the forest floor with the uncertainty of rain or wildlife and curious bugs that crept upon her while she slept. Home was wherever her mother was, but since the passing of Rebekah Gilmore, this place became nothing more than another stepping stone in the race to simply survive each new day. Two months ago her mother had passed away unexpectedly and the life within her fully drained before the body ever hit the living room floor. As her stomach grumbled and growled Amya did the only thing that she could think to do for the hundredth time since stepping foot off of the greyhound bus, she ignored her body as it begged and screamed for nourishment for she did not have the means necessary to sate the beast within beneath that threatened to be the death of her. What she did however was stars that shown too bright at night due to little light pollution and she could almost falsely believe that in a way she might be closer to the heaven as the ground shook with every thunderstorm that rolled through. Stealing a seat on an empty park bench Amya waited, watching as families, singled people, and couples made their way into restraints and requested outdoor seating. Soon she would have something more if she played her cards right. With nothing more than a stolen muffin from the downtown bakery earlier that morning Amya found herself staring at chicken tenders on a child’s plate. The parents begged and pleaded but the young thing continued to fly his airplane as high as his little arms would carry it while the meal went cold and lost its appeal to the young boy. She recalled what it was like to have a respective home and school activities, a loving mother and a sense of security and safety, and never once had she wanted for food so badly before. She dreamed of what those wasted chicken tenders might taste like and for the first time in her life she considered how she might be able to get her hands on them before they wound up in a trash bag before being tossed into the already overflowing dumpster behind the building. Once upon a time Amya had been a vegetarian, but of lately she could feel that her body ached for protein, a real and balanced meal rather than a muffin here or a stolen loaf of bread there before it is donated to the local food bank. She needed real food! Snapping out of it as a body slumped down onto the bench beside her Amya flinched and turned away from the restaurant and towards her music player, anything to look busy. Her daydream of a hot meal had been dashed along with it the notion of a warm and safe place to sleep. Somewhere along the way she had become lost in the shuffle of things and though she could easily turn herself into the authorities for proper placement Amya feared the unknown. She wasn’t stupid by no means and therefore she feared what might happen if she found herself in the care of someone who did not exactly choose to care. Her odds were better on the streets in her opinion. Still she missed the comforts of home and she missed being loved. She missed her mother’s arms wrapped around her and the feeling of safety As she pondered where she might sleep tonight or if she might acquire enough food to quiet her hunger. Looking up finally from her fumbling Amya proceeded to offer up a generic greeting to the stranger, “hi.” Hopefully that would be enough before they disappeared and she could return to her scheming in order to fill her belly. |