CHAPTER ONE

I never saw nor thought about Royce King II after that. I never expected too either. He was just passing by, probably collecting whatever money he had left and leaving Rochester. And when I woke up today, my crush for him had practically vanished. I think it was because my father had been talking about him visiting soon to try and help us when my mother decided that I should marry him so we could be lovebirds. I couldn't handle that—not until the Depression was over.

And there was something about him—especially with the way my father would talk about him. My father said that Royce King II would help us, but it wouldn't be enough. He said he had enough money, but would still keep it to himself. He was the kind of person, I decided, that only showed off his wealth. He wasn't more than the rich businessman, he was just an arrogant, self-absorbed businessman, no matter how attractive he may be.

Yet both my mother and father believed he would be perfect for me.

"I don't want to marryanyone right now," I argued with my mother. My father was sitting in the corner, reading. I knew he was listening though, he was just waiting for the right time to say whatever he wanted to say.

My mother was staring at me, her gaze hard.

"And why would I marry when our family needs help?" I continued. Both my parents stayed silent and I wanted to scream.

My mother shook her head, her blond hair moving with it. "If you marry someone rich, say, Royce King, you'll be able to live without any of this." I knew what she was referring to.

"Father hates Royce!" I exclaimed to her, turning my head towards my father.

He glanced up from his book and said, "I don't hate him, I just… don't like him. And your mother's right Rosalie, he's a suitable husband for you. He's the big butter-and-egg-man, and everyone knows him as that. Marrying him would make you rich your entire life."

I continued to stare at him, completely appalled. "I don't even know him! And he seems so smug anyways." I pouted, crossing my arms.

"It's not all about love, my dear," my mother said from beside me.

I shook my head. "I'm not going to marry, especially not Royce King!" I turned and went to my room, my fingers tangled in my hair. I went to my bed and stared at the ceiling, trying to think things through. I didn't need to marry right now, even though my parents persisted. I would like to marry though, and be like Vera. But not out of money, because they were just rich snobs who only cared about themselves.

I stayed in my room for hours—or, what felt like hours. I couldn't sleep. I tried to get to bed and shut my eyes and sleep but couldn't. Sleep wouldn't come. It wasn't even that late out yet I still wanted to sleep. I was tired and not that I was lying in bed with my eyes shut, nothing was happening.

It'd be dark soon, but I didn't want to stay here. Both of my brothers were looking for jobs though, just milling around town, taking every opportunity they could get. They were younger than me too, Nathaniel was fifteen and Tommy was seventeen.

Suddenly I heard murmuring and movement coming from outside my bedroom. I couldn't go to sleep and the noise wasn't helping me any more than it was bothering me. I slide out of bed and into the halls. The door's closed and I heard more murmuring.

Stepping into the living room I saw a figure walking towards the kitchen. I followed it, my parents no where in sight. It better not be a hood. I didn't want to call the copper and didn't want to deal with anyone right now. Wait, it couldn't be a hood because I was sure I had locked the door. Maybe I didn't. maybe I should have checked twice.

And I should have turned and called for help or dropped a dime, but I was too curious. I picked up one of my father's books and peered through the edge of the wall to look in the kitchen. I was ready to strike when a heard a voice behind me, "What are you doing Rose?"

I jumped up and turned and saw Nathaniel standing there. By the time I turned around, I saw Tommy behind me, drinking water. I sighed, relived, and put the book back on the table. After my relief, I wondered why they were already home.

Nathaniel started to laugh. "You thought Tom was a hood?" He then clutched onto his sides, unable to say anything else as laughter consumed him.

"Well, I wouldn't have if you didn't make so much noise! I was trying to sleep. You didn't tell me you were coming home this early."

"We're leaving again soon, we just wanted to see mother and father before they left."

"Left? Where did they go?"

"Meet that Royce guy. The one with all the jack. They're trying to get some money off of him. I hear the guy's rich." Tommy told me.

"I hear he has twenty large," Nate remarked.

"Nah, probably a grand, no one makes that much."

They continued talking about Royce before I told them to stop. "Mother and father thinks I should marry him."

Tom whistled. "Well, you'd be rich then. You should letting him pitch woo and take all the sucker's money."

I gaped at him. "Close your head, Tom."

Tom shook his head and turned towards Nate. "Okay, time to hit the road again, find a job."

I watched them head towards the door. They were heading towards the door and didn't want them to leave just yet. I couldn't stand being alone. I loved being around them. And they were leaving to find a job they probably wouldn't get. Everyone's been looking for jobs.

"Wait!" I called after them. Both stop and turn. I breathed in deeply and there was something inside of me that I feared, something that was about to come. I tried to push it back. My brothers were so young. "May I come with you?"

"Why?" Tom asked.

"I can't stay here much longer." It's almost late out and I couldn't let them be alone. They both paused, looked at each other, then nodded. Working my way towards them, I follow behind them outside. I shut the door and made sure to lock it—double checking it. Twice.

The air was cool against my skin. I didn't mind it because I liked the feeling of it. The air felt dry and my breath felt warm as I breathed. The road I was walking on was hard and flat and crunchy underneath my shoes. And everywhere we passed, every sign we saw, either read that they were closed or not hiring. It was one disappointment after another and I'd never had walked such a tragic mile before.

"Rochester's done for," Nate remarked, his fingers curled around his suspenders. Tom's head get whipping around though, searching for an open door to welcome them. There were none. He knew that too. I wasn't sure he wanted to believe it though.

Most of the walk was silent, and when it wasn't silent Nate was the one bumping gums. Tom was always more the quiet one, just swinging his head back and forth. Hope was long gone from his eyes.

When we reached the ends of Rochester, I heard them both sigh.

"Hey, we'll try again tomorrow." I said, sounding all too optimistic. Except, I wasn't even sure if I believed myself.

"Yeah, of course." Tom scoffed, turning and heading back home.

"Tom," I chided and turned around too, my head moving lethargically and my hair cutting through the air. I sighed as I chased after him, Nate following behind.

"Tom," I repeated, "where are you going?"

He didn't answer and I just watched him head off into a different direction. He was upset. His arms were crossed. Crossed arms were never good. Especially with Tommy.

"Tommy!" I yelled after him and he just kept walking. He was nothing like Nate—he was quiet and sensitive and worked hard in whatever he did. He was frustrated, but that didn't mean he should just turn around and walk away from the people who needed him, the people he needed. He was too proud.

And Nate was the gentleman at fifteen.

"Well, why aren't you chasing after him?" I asked him.

"Someone has to take you home."

"I'm not going until we get him." I turned to him—the normally joking, uplifting Nathaniel.

We followed Tom's direction. It was dark out now. Completely dark, covered in black. Rochester was nearly empty ever since the stock market crashed. It was darker, lonelier. And now the wind blew more violently, whipping thin strands of my hair around her face. My tender, rosy lips parted at seeing Nathaniel follow Tommy—myself following close behind. No words escaped my mouth, but my feet were propelling me forward to follow.

The smell of the town was musty and very unpleasant. My shoes made crunching noises with the earth as her and Nate silently chased Tom, his figure faint, especially in the dark.

It was cold and dark now and I shivered slowly. My hair was strewn in different directions and I sighed tremulously before proceeding on walking further.

When we caught up with Tom, he was sitting on a rock, still at the very ends of Rochester. An eerie silence hung over us and my nerves were on edge. I had no idea where we were, but Tom or Nate should.

"Why'd you follow me?" Tom remarked.

I countered it. "Why'd you run off?"

"I need to think Rose. This was just a trip for biscuits, and it'll be like this until this all ends."

"That's not true."

"How do you know?"

I didn't.

Tom was sitting, Nate and I standing, when we heard it.

Silence.

Crash.

Rgghhhh!

Crash.

Silence.

The sound echoed and the resonance feeling so close to me. I whirled around, looking for the source of noise, but the dark was stopping me from succeeding.

"We have to drift," I said, looking around nervously. I wasn't like this. I was confident—never scared. I looked at my brothers. They had heard it to. Tom stood up.

"Tom, do you know how to get back?" Nate asked.

Tom nodded. I didn't know if I believed him.

We left our resting place, Tom and Nate not once turning back. My eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness and almost missed it at first, but then went back to something out of the ordinary. A red hue decorated the ground not too far away. I slowly began to understand what I was looking at.

"Blood?" I stuttered, stopping dead on my tracks. My eye's narrowed and I turned back at Nate and Tom, who were still walking forward. It felt like something was watching me. I ran to them, but I couldn't shake off the feeling. The hair at the back of my neck stood on its edge, pulling my heart rate up with it.

The images of trailing scarlet in mangled patterns were etched in my mind. And I couldn't help it, I turned to the scene behind her again, and that was when I saw it.

My eyes lined with it—the darkness didn't help. There was blood, blood was lined all around… it's face. And there was a dead animal. They were far away, but I could make out what I was seeing. And I could suddenly see blood everywhere. I couldn't stop staring when I met it's eyes. It's eyes were so dark and it's skin was so pale. We were both looking directly at each other, but with different expressions, I would guess. It's was apathetic and mine… I didn't even know what I looked like. I wasn't sure I wanted to know.

My mind was blank and the silence only helped to aid the uncomfortable feeling lingering back and forth in my head.

It continued to stare, transfixed like stone.

I knew I should have move—no, ran away. Ran to Tom and Nate, but my muscles wouldn't cooperate.

"Rosalie! What are you waiting for? Let's dust or we'll leave you behind!" It was Nate.

I turned and saw they were far away. I didn't turn back this time as I ran to Nate and held onto his arm. He looked confused for a second, but let it pass. He probably thought I was just afraid of the dark. I wish I just was.

I could see my breath as I breathed, and it was then that I realized that I was breathing. I was breathing heavily, but I was still breathing. But I felt as if I were on fire.

And as we walked back home I slowly turned my head, very curious, but it was gone.