The sky was colored gray, and rain fell like sheets of water onto the ground. The cobble stones were so wet that five youths nearly slipped as they ran down the street. The rain matted their hair, brown and sandy tones of color blended into one shade. They splashed their way passed rows of Tudor houses, every now and then glimpsing light protruding from a three paneled window. The towns-folk had rushed into their homes the moment it began raining, no one dared be caught in the downpour. The five youths decided to contradict that fact, and had escaped school in order to seek fun at the church. Drenched jackets ceased flapping as they halted in front of two large doors at the corner of the street. One boy opened a door and let his friends inside, then followed after.
The five boys walked briskly through the pews towards a soft glow at the front of the chamber. Candles spread on an altar lit the face of a statue with its arms spread wide in welcome. The candles were the only source of light in the house of worship, and the hearth in the ante-room lay bare of wood. As the boys stood dripping a flash of lightening illuminated the stained glass windows. One boy shook water from his hair then beckoned the others to the ante-room at the far left corner of the chamber. Just before they passed one of the many beams supporting the roof they stopped.
"Wait, wait!" One boy held out his arm.
"What can it possibly be now, I'm wet as a mouse!" another said harshly
"Listen, someone is crying."
The other three boys turned their heads toward the first speaker, sending him a confused look. They held their breaths for a moment, trying to catch sound in the badly lit church. As each boy strained their ears a soft crying echoed across the large room. One jerked his head towards the statue behind the altar and motioned for them to follow him. Quietly the small group tip toed towards the statue, and as they came closer a taller boy pointed at the booths hidden behind it. Two others inched their way to the left door and stepped up to grab one of the handles; all five eyed each other and nodded. They mouthed a count down and at 'three' pulled the handles. The boys shared one expression then, surprise. A girl, certainly their age, was crouched in one corner. Her blouse was soaked through, and mud covered her skirt and legs. She raised tear stained face towards them.
"Are you alright?" Asked one boy as his eyebrows furrowed in concern.
The girl wiped her eyes with a shaky hand then shook her head.
"Why don't you come out, and we can take care of the mud on your legs."
The boy reached his hand to the girl and smiled kindly. She in turn gave a grateful look and accepted the offered hand. Together the five of them led the girl half way across the church and into the ante-room. One boy lent his jacket and the girl wiped her legs and skirt free of mud then hung it on the empty hearth.
"Now," said the tall boy. "Before we introduce ourselves I think we'll change out of these clothes." He pointed to his wet cap.
The five boys nodded in silent agreement and the girl watched as three boys left the room. The other two pulled out a chest from next to a shelf and revealed it be full of school clothes. The girl stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, glancing at the boys every now and then. It seemed as if they had done this routine many times before. After a moment she walked over to a chair and sat down, the table stood in the middle of the room. The book shelf stood close by, it was full of bibles and old looking books.
The three boys returned to the ante-room, carrying chunks of wood. The girl watched with interest as the wood was lit, how the boys struck matches and attempted to conjure fire.
"Right, we will go change outside now." One boy suggested.
"Oh, yeah." Another one agreed.
Quietly all five boys filed out of the room and closed the door. There was many a shuffling outside and one thump.
"Gosh you're clumsy." Someone said.
"Shut it." Came the reply.
A moment later the boys re-entered the room and stepped over the fire, dry as a whistle.
"Come sit with us."
One waved at the girl over to the hearth, she nodded and stepped her way over. In no order all six children sat in a half circle around the fire, every now and then warming their hands. There was a pause before the boy at the far left of the group introduced himself, followed by the rest.
"My name is Billy Danvers."
He nodded at the boy sitting next to him.
"Blake Garwin."
"I'm Ed Perry." The third turned to the girl to his right and gave a small wave.
She whispered shyly.
"What was that?" asked Ed.
"My name is Nadine." She said louder.
"Hello, I'm Aldwin Putnam." greeted the boy to her right.
"I'm Carter Simms, and welcome to our day out of school."
All five boys snickered, and at the questioning look on Nadine's face Billy explained thus.
"Some of us prefer to be out of school when it the weather goes bad." He looked pointedly at Ed
"What?" Ed sounded offended.
"Well, we do get sleepy when it rains," Carter shrugged.
"It won't matter soon; it's not as if we'll be staying long." Blake rolled his eyes.
At this comment the cheeriness faded from the boys faces, and they cast their eyes in different directions.
"Why?" asked Nadine
Billy scratched his ear. "In two months we will leave this place, my parents mentioned something about the ocean. I think we'll be traveling by boat, a big boat."
"The way I see it, the King thinks too greatly of himself. He only wants to get rid of us so he can take over more land." Blake shook his head.
"Now, Blake. That is not the truth. What you've failed to learn in school is that the people are leaving of their own accord; they want to live a different lifestyle. Free from…Monarchy."
"I heard from my neighbor that citizens revolted in another town, they were punished too." Added Carter
"I wish I could leave." Nadine twitched her lip.
"Why?" asked Alwdin. "Didn't your parents register to leave?"
"My parents aren't here…I'm all alone."
"Is that why you were crying?" Aldwin gave Nadine a concerned look.
"No, I met…a bully a few days ago. He won't leave me alone."
"That's why you were hiding in the church?"
"Listen, if you need any help we can look out for you?" Blake put a reassuring hand on Nadine's shoulder.