London had always been a beautiful town. Though it was hardly ever sunny, it didn't bother Emma Kingston much. This was her home after all and it had been for quite some time. As she looked out the small fogged window of her apartment she sighed as it seemed to be another over cast day. Would she ever see the sun again? Emma missed her home somewhat, back in America, but having to go show her face there again terrified her. The whole reason she moved to London was to escape everything, to try and get a fresh start on her life. Cracking the window slowly, Emma reached for her cigarettes and took one out. Lighting it, she sighed as she breathed in. She really should quit. She knew she should quit, but on days like these, it was the only thing that gave her comfort.
Emma had left America when she was eighteen. She and a boy she had fallen in love with were deciding to elope together since no one wanted them married and her parents hated him. James his name was. So they saved up their money until they were eighteen, and finally had enough for the plane ticket. He had a friend that lived in London and they were planning to stay with him. But just before they left, Emma learned some terrifying news. She was pregnant. She kept it hidden though, not wanting it to ruin the trip, so she told no one about it. They each left a note to their families, not stating where they were going, or any of the details really, just that they couldn't take it anymore and were leaving. Emma did leave a detail though. She had debated writing it down in the letter for a long time, and finally decided that they could know. As a last sort of 'gift' for them. So she told them. She wrote it down, and couldn't stop laughing when she saw the words, her, pregnant. Never in a million years had she thought it would happen, but it didn't matter now. She had James. And they were going to be together forever, right?
Wrong. When they arrived in London and made it to the friend's house, Emma told James the night they got there about the baby. While he seemed okay with it at the time, and maybe for the next week. He soon started staying away from her. He never came home after hours. And rumors started spreading that he was with another woman. Emma would wait patiently for him, and whenever he did show up, it usually ended up being a blood bath between the two. The last night she was there though, he came home, drunk. After calling her almost every crude name in the book, Emma began yelling at him that she was leaving and that he would never see the baby again. (She was about seven or eight months in at this point) Just as she was about to get at the door, he slapped her across the face, and began hurting her. She fell to the ground, he attacked her, telling her she would never leave him no matter what. So she stayed that night, laying next to him, crying herself to sleep. Afraid to move, or to breathe even. Her entire body shook whenever she was home. But something strange started to happen. After that night, she would have pains in her sides, and her lower stomach region. Pains that would make her convulse slightly and yelp even. She did nothing about it though, and one morning when she woke up, she felt the bed was wet. Lifting up the covers, there was blood everywhere and she screamed out for help, but no one came. When she got to the hospital, they told her she had lost the baby due to complications, and they began asking her if she had fallen, or tripped, things that could cause this. They asked her about her bruised eye that was slowly fading away, things like that. All Emma could think about was that night James had hurt her. It was his fault. He did this to the baby.
So she left him the next night. She took all the money she had earned, even some of his. She decided that if she stayed one more night in that room with him, she would end up murdering him in his sleep for what he did. She felt so empty inside now, like nothing was ever going to happen to her again. She was nineteen at the time she lost her baby. A teenager. The doctors had sent the baby to be buried, considering it had been almost ready to be born. It looked like a child to them, right? So the child was given a grave, it was a baby girl. Oh how Emma would have loved that baby girl. Emma named her Hope, because that was exactly what she needed. She needed hope. Emma visited the grave every chance she got, longing to see her baby girl again, knowing it would never happen. She felt lost without her close.
A tear rolled down Emma's cheek at the thought and she quickly brushed it away, shaking her head. It was silly to dwell on the past, nothing every came of it. Smashing her half used cigarette into the ash tray, she sighed and hopped up from the window sill. Walking into the bathroom she washed her face, and brushed her teeth, popping a few pieces of mint gum into her mouth just to help with the smoky smell that wouldn't be hidden just by toothpaste. Brushing her long red hair quickly, she walked into her room and slipped on a white tank with a black blazer over with a pair of jean shorts and flat ankle boots. Grabbing her camera, she slung it around her neck, and headed out the door.
As she walked down the streets of London she watched all the people walking past her. Most were happy as they walked by, talking on phones, or to their friends that were with them. But she was alone. She would always be alone as long as she was here. And if she returned to America, her parents would shun her most likely, she was stuck. And what would she do if she ever ran into James again? Sure it had been a few years, but it could happen right? Sighing, she continued on her way, not really sure of where she was going just yet.
As she walked down the street, she saw a small park on the other end of the road. She often visited this park on days like these when children were still in school. Just to swing, it was the closest thing to flying that she had, and that was all she wanted to do. To fly away. To see the stars, the world, without all of the problems that she had come across in her life already. As she walked onto the playground she noticed a blue box standing beside one of the buildings next to the park. She had never seen it before, not ever since she started coming here. Raising an eyebrow, she cocked her head to the side. Taking a few steps towards it, she turned on her camera, and took a few photos of it.
"Strange." She whispered, before plopping down on the swing, looking down at the digital picture of the blue box on the camera.
What was a Police Phone Box?