Ashes And Ghost
Thursday, April 1993, it was a cold evening, and slightly drizzling with rain. A blonde man was walking home from his recent shopping trip; his wife couldn't do much anymore, so he decided to do it himself. He walked down long twisted alleyways, took short cuts, all so he could be with her and get out of the rain. But he was stopped by a small noise. A cry of some kind. A wail, coming from a grimy dumpster.
He approached it, not knowing whether it was a trap or not, and looked into the dumpster.
There was a baby, cold, crying, and alive.
"Oh…Oh my god, uh…What am I…."
'Look, if you leave this baby here to die, you'll be as good as a murderer, look, the orphanage is nearby, take…HER there, and make sure she's safe, and leave!'
He bustled the various bags into his hands, the plastic handles cutting into them, and scooped the baby up, tucking her into his jacket. His wife loved kids, but he knew he wouldn't be able to take the child with him; he had enough trouble with the one. But when the baby gurgled and smiled up at him, now much warmer, and seemingly happier, tears pricked the corners of his eyes. He felt so so sorry for this child.
'I can give this little girl a happy family, unlike what I've tried to do for them…
He walked away from the dumpster, making his way to the orphanage, where it would be the last time he'd see the small little girl with soft brown hair, and the heart wrenching giggle…
-BREEEEEEP- -BREEEEEEEEP-
A hand escaped a blue duvet, flailing to find and terminate the source of the annoying noise. And when it's owner finally looked at the clock, it went flying.
A girl with shoulder length brown hair leaped from the bed, already tugging her Pj's off.
"Dammit! I had to get mom her lunch, her shift is nearly starting! ACK!"
She tripped over her feet and landed on the floor, half in, half out her pyjama bottoms. She lay there for a few moments considering the dream she'd just had. She could only vaguely recall it, but it felt so familiar, so REAL. She felt she could hear the soft, slow thud of that unknown mans heart-beating right next to her ear.
She sat up, and resumed changing, a light tint of red on her cheeks. She had to go all the way to hospital, and she'd need to take the subway. She…never did like the subway, not after what had happened. She felt like there was a hand on her shoulder every now and then.
She picked up the lunch box from the counter in the kitchen, and flew out the door, locking it. It was going to be a sunny Saturday, for sure, maybe this one time; she'd actually walk there, save herself some problems.
There were so many people at the zebra crossing. It seemed a busy day, was there an event going on? Anyway, the girl didn't pay much mind.
Carmine, thirteen and a half years old, student of Ashfield high school, her mother, Rachel, a nurse working at the nearby hospital. Her target!
Surprisingly, it didn't take even HALF as long as she imagined to arrive to the hospital; it's looming appearance almost intimidating.
She shut her eyes, and opened the front door to the A&E department. Her brown eyes scanned the room, searching for her mother.
"Ah, Carmine, your mother is just dealing with a patient, she'll be done it a moment!"
She seeped her long dress and sat down on the recently cleaned hard plastic chairs. She looked over all the patients waiting to be seen. People who'd gotten various things stuck on various body parts, recoiling at one very…unusual case of the sort. And people with limbs wrapped in bloody cloths.
Her eyes settled on a very familiar face, she'd hardly paid attention to this man, but he was so familiar all of a sudden. He came into the hospital a lot, and looked very ill. Carmine felt a pang of pity for him.
He sat down next to her, and clutched his head in his right hand.
"S-sir, are you alright?" She asked timidly.
He turned to look at her, his dark green eyes settling on her own pair. It was sort of scary, how lifeless yet lively his eyes were.
"Yes, it's just a mild headache, please, miss, do not worry yourself.!
She looked at the lunchbox on her lap shyly, and then back at the pale weathered face.
"Why are you in this department if you're alright then?"
He chuckled slightly, and pointed across the room, at a young girl with long sandy blonde hair and a purple turtleneck discussing worriedly with a doctor.
"Julia. She worries too much, I wish she could calm down…I don't like it, she' getting a little ill herself, and she- I-I'm sorry I was rambling."
Carmine couldn't pull her eyes away from either the blonde man, or the woman with him. It didn't seem as though there was anyone else to look after them, and she felt even worse.
Then the blonde girl rushed over to him, literally jumping onto him to hug him.
"Are you okay, you aren't feeling any worse are you? Should I get a doctor?"
He gently took hold of her hand, smiling gently.
"Please, don't worry, I'm alright.
Carmine smiled gently at the pair.
And the blonde girl frowned.
"Who are you, and why are you staring at us?"
Carmine flinched.
"I-I'm sorry, I was just seeing if your husband was okay."
The frown softened into a gentle smile, a shocked face, and two equally red people.
"H-he's my father!"
Then the three of them giggled a bit.
"I-I'm, so sorry, you just..!" Carmine laughed through her words.
The blonde's waved their hands.
"It's okay, I can see why you got a bit confused. I-It's just been us two for a long time, and she's very protective."
"Mr. Sunderland? Room 3."
Carmine smiled sadly, and the blonde girl gently pressed a kiss to her father's cheek before he got up to go to the doctor's room.
"Don't let them do anything to you daddy!"
He sighed reluctantly, and left.
"See you at home, Julia."
Carmine stood up from her seat and offered her hand.
"M-my name Is Carmine, nice to meet you."
Awkward silence, and a shaky response.
"Julia Sunderland."
Carmine rubbed her tired eyes momentarily and smiled again.
"I wish I could be as nice to my mom as you are to your father, I-I mean she works so hard to look after us both, and I can't help out at all!"
Julia put her hands on Carmines' bony shoulders.
"Look, you're only… How old are you, pip-squeak?"
Carmine flushed at the nickname, she wasn't THAT small. Her mom always told her she'd catch up one day!
"Th-thirteen. And a half."
"Well, you're too young to get a job yet, don't be so downer on yourself, c'mon, smile."
The young brunette slumped her shoulders.
"Okay then…"
"Don't get all emo one me. That's my job!"
Carmine almost took her seriously before Julia started laughing.
It was just a joke.
Julia waved her hand and walked off after giving goodbyes. Carmine giggled to herself, Julia was a rather cute girl in her eyes. She flushed again and a door opened behind her.
"Ah, Carmine…."
It had drifted into nighttimes, and the mother daughter combo had finally settled to eat dinner. Carmine had decided to cook, since Rachel herself wasn't particularly any good at it. Cooking was one of those few things Carmine paid attention to in school the rare days she did go.
Well, someone had to take care of the home, and Carmine was sort of demophobic, although it was much more apparent in school. She even took to teaching herself some things, since she'd never get anywhere if she never learned.
They looked together on the various types of food spread on the table, when Carmine decided to talk.
"Mom, I had a dream. I-I think it's important, and I wanna talk about it."
Rachel shifted her blonde hair out of her eyes and smiled at Carmine.
"Oh course honey go for it. You can tell me anything."
"W-well, I dreamed it was dark, and raining, and I was in a dumpster. And that man from the hospital I talked to, Mr. Sunderland, he was there too, and he picked me up and took me to a big building."
She looked up from her arms crossed over her chest to see her mother chewing her lower lip timidly.
"M-mom?"
Rachel looked away and sighed sadly.
"I..I never though I'd have to tell you this, but Carmine…"
Eye contact formed again.
"You're adopted."
