Hi, here's another section.
I hope that everyone is being safe and going okay during your self-quarentines. I'm currently on week 11 of self quarentine. Having a cat is a great way to do self-quarentine.
TFG
Chapter Twenty-Seven
"I can't believe you're leaving," Tia said sadly, looking at the box of things that was being sorted on Ella's bed.
"Me neither," Ella replied.
She was still in a little bit of shock from her hearing. She half expected someone to come round and tell her it was all a mistake before ripping up her letter of parole. but, it seemed that it was in fact true and she was being released that afternoon.
That was why Ella was now sorting out the last seven years of her life into one box. That was all she was allowed to take out of the detention centre, everything else was to be donated to the rest of the prisoners. She knew that others had a lot of difficulty in sorting through their stuff, but she had accumulated so little that it would be fairly easy to decide what she was taking.
She had a few letters that were important to her. They were all from Mr Trill and had been feedback about her essays, but it was the only mail she ever got. Her first essay was a prized possession as it was the first piece of school work she ever completed. There were also sheet music that she had been practising over the years, without an instrument, that she was really looking forward to actually playing.
Then there was her collection of books. All of which had been bought for her and were second hand. Those would be donated to the library so that other girls could have a chance at reading them.
Her uniforms would have to be given back to the prison, so that they could be given to other prisoners. The only clothes that she would be keeping would be the underwear that had been donated to her. Guard Danders had already informed her that the clothes she wore into Allenview had been donated to charity about five years ago as they would not fit her.
The only thing that she was hoping on being returned to her was her mothers' pearl necklace. It had been in her family for generations and was the only thing that she wanted back from her previous life. Every time she wore those pearls she felt like she still had a connection to her mother.
There was a good chance that the necklace had been taken by Duke though. Or that they had either been stolen by someone working in Allenview or donated with her clothes. Guard Danders had promised to have a very thorough look for them, as no one else had ever worn pearls into the detention centre before. But Ella didn't hold out much hope of them being returned.
She knew that her sabre, something that had been taken for evidence, would not be returned to her. Ella had assumed that if it wasn't still locked up in Central City as evidence, Duke had either stolen it back or had purchased it back. Though it was more likely that he had stolen it as it had also belonged to their mother.
"Here, I want you to have these," Ella said, handing over a lot of her books to her cell mate, "I want you to read these and tell me what you think of them."
"What, you're given me homework?"
"Yeah, that'll definitely make you remember me!" Ella said with a big smile. Tia had often mocked her for her only correspondence being about homework.
"And, uh, I got you this," Tia said handing her a photo that she had in her hand.
It was a photo taken last spring festival. One of the guards had brought in an instant camera and had taken a few pictures for the prisoners so that they could send to their families. Tia and Ella had taken a photo together, which Tia had sent to her family. But, it looked like Tia's family had made a copy of the photo.
"You know, you were my first friend, well, ever," Ella said, taking hold of the photo of the two of them smiling and hugging.
"Yeah, I kind have realised that," Tia said with a cheeky smile, "I'm gonna miss you, Eleanor L'Orange."
Ella didn't know how to respond. So she just pulled her friend in a long hug. She only pulled away when Guard Danders' knocked on the bars of the cell to let her know that it was time to go.
"Keep in touch," Tia said with a sigh, as the ball was entirely in Ella's court until she found a permanent address.
With one last farewell, Ella left the cell that she had called home for the past year and a half, as well as her first friend. She walked behind Guard Danders who took her through several locked doors and into the rooms where she was first processed over seven years ago.
The process to leaving the detention centre was a very similar to coming in, except in reverse. She had to be photographed, and sign lots of forms. Then an electronic tagging bracelet was attached to her left ankle and her information fed into the computer system. This would then transmit her location, as she didn't have a destination or a permanent address. She was then given a pair of jeans, a black t-shirt, a black hoodie and a pair of black boots.
Ella looked at the clothes that she was expected to change into. She had no idea where they had come from until Guard Danders explained that they were donated to the detention centre by some thrift shops. Apparently one of the administrators would routinely ask them for donations for girls, like Ella, who had no one to give her clothes for when she left.
With a nod, Ella took the clothes that she had been offered. She had honestly not thought about what she would do for clothing. She knew that most people walked out wearing what they wore in, but that was impossible for her.
Slipping out of the cotton draw string pants and white t-shirt, she was used to changing in front of the guards, she put on the new clothes. They weren't a bad fit, but they weren't a good fit either. Most were far too baggy which was better than being too tight. The boots were a little tight. They were very good quality though. Ella suspected that these had been bought for her rather than had been donated, they felt too new to be donated from a thrift shop.
A simple black canvas backpack was then handed to her, as well as a plain black fake leather wallet. It seemed like black was the only colour she was going to have for a while. Looking through what the bag contained she found a few pairs of sock and underwear, and two other black t-shirts. The wallet contained a hundred and twelve dollars, money she had earned through her work in the laundry room over the year and a half she was in minimum security.
She was then given a plain black dress, that looked like it would fit. As well as a few pairs of simple thick black tights. The guard told her that it was something that should only be worn for job interviews until she found a more stable means of income.
The last thing that she was given was a folder of information. It contained lists of local parole officers and offices for the towns that were in this district. There were also lists of half-way houses and homeless shelters as well as soup kitchens and charities for the homeless and recently released.
Ella began to put the items that she had taken from her cell into her new backpack. By the time she had finished the bag was barely half full. That was all she had to her name. And, though it wasn't a lot it was hers.
"Don't forget this," Guard Danders said after Ella was finished.
Looking up, Ella saw that the guard who had looked after her for most of her incarceration was holding a small cardboard box. When she opened it she found her mother's necklace. It was a simple act of kindness on top of several other simple acts of kindness.
"Thank you, Guard Danders," Ella said simply. There really wasn't any other way to thank the hen that had put herself on the line and took care of her during her stay in Allenview.
"It was my pleasure, L'Orange. Now, don't take this the wrong way, but I hope to never see you again," Guard Danders' said with a warm smile on her beak.
This time she didn't hug Guard Danders', Ella didn't think that was appropriate. She did shake her hand though. It was the guard who pulled Ella into the hug. It felt different from the hug she shared with Tia. Ella imagined this is what it would feel like to hug an aunt or some other female family member. She imagined this is what hugging Madam Isa would feel like.
"Take care of yourself, L'Orange," Guard Danders said, once she had broken the embrace.
Ella smiled and nodded her head. She then shucked her bag onto her left shoulder and walked out the front door. On the way out several of the guards waved goodbye to her, or wished her good luck.
And then the gate opened.
It was slow and made the worst noise ever, but it opened.
Taking a very deep, calming breath Ella took a step in the direction of freedom. And then another and another until she found herself at a deserted road with a light snow bank on either side. Even though it was summer there were still light snowfalls. She took one final look back as the gates closed on Allenview Detention centre, the only place she had known for the last seven years.
Most people when they left prison or a detention centre would have someone waiting for them outside the gate. She knew that Tia would have her aunt and grandma waiting for her. And Tia did offer to call them so that they could pick her up, but Ella declined.
There was always the fear that her brother would find out about her release, and there would be a black, stretch limo waiting for her outside the gate. But, if that was the case, then she would have had nicer things given to her when she left.
It would have been nice to have Madam Isa waiting for her. Ella thought the old hen would have given her a great big hug, and handed her a big batch of her favourite cookies while she packed her bad into the trunk of her simple car. Then they could have driven to her home, which would have been old and homey, and Ella would have started her new life.
It was a silly dream. Not least that Madam Isa had not visited in many months and did not know she was going to be released today. The fact that her hearing had been changed was probably the reason why there wasn't a big black limo waiting for her as well.
Looking up and down both sides of the road, Ella saw that it was completely empty. There was not a single vehicle going either way. She knew, through looking through the window, that there was a busier road a few miles up the road. There, she could probably hitch a ride to the nearest town and find somewhere to stay for the night.
After that, she would have to start making a plan for what to do for the next few days, then weeks of her life. Or else she would end up back in Allenview and then in Miltaka. Which is something she definitely did not want to do.
And so, Ella turned to the left and started to walk towards the next road. It didn't take her long before she was walking down the side of the busy highway, sticking out her thumb and getting water and slush sprayed on her. Soaking her and getting her cold to the bone.
It took almost an hour of walking before a bright yellow truck stopped to pick her up. She wasn't afraid to jump into the cabin, as she was more than a match for any attacker. She might not have fought someone in seven years, but she kept up her training nonetheless.
"Hello there, Little Lady, can I give you a lift somewhere?" the overweight but kindly looking driver asked when she opened the door.
"Yes, thank you. Where are you going?" Ella said as she swung into the cabin and closed the door.
"Um, got a few stops but Bardon is the end of the line," the driver replied.
Ella had a lot of fond memories of Bardon. Most of her best memories were made in Bardon. Memories with her mother, or her brother before he abandoned her for the Brotherhood. It seemed like the logical choice to head there and hope that she could start some new memories in that city.
So, Ella told him that the end of the line would be good and the driver set back off down the road. The pang scenery looked so calming, and began to fly by so quickly. ssiShe didn't realise that she had fallen asleep until the driver was shaking her awake at the delivery depot.
Grabbing her back, which contained all her worldly belonging, Ella thanked the driver and jumped down from the cabin. Looking around she saw the depot was on the south side of DuCaine University, one of the finest universities in the Mallar District.
The semester had started a few weeks ago, and Ella could see several ducks around her age milling around. But she didn't go anywhere near the university campus. There was no need for her to go there as that was not her place.
Instead, she pulled out the information pack from her backpack and started to look up information for Bardon. The first thing she needed to do was call in to the parole office to let them know that that's where she was and to make an appointment to see a parole officer.
Walking down the street, she managed to find a pay phone easily. Since Bardon was a very affluent city and since she was near the university it was easy to find well kept public conveniences. Ella pulled out a quarter from her wallet and dialled the number that was listed for the Bardon Parole Office.
"Hello, my names Eleanor L'Orange, I left Allenview today and I need to make an appointment to see a parole officer please," Ella asked when she was put through to the right department.
The drake on the end of the phone accepted her information and told her that her record had been opened for the parole office to see. He assured her it was common practice for someone who didn't have an actual address or destination to have their information sent to all the local offices.
He then gave her an appointment to see Miss Laurel Flocks in an hour. He did stress that due to the nature of her crime it would be best for her to see a parole officer sooner rather than later. Ella accepted the appointment, as she didn't want to get into trouble and started her walk across the city to find the parole office.
Meanwhile, the drake who answered the phone delivered the message to Laura Flocks that one of the most notorious criminals recently released was going to be her case. This caused the young, frazzled parole worker to look absolutely terrified. So far, she had only dealt with young offenders who got released from juvenile detention centres into their families care. The idea of dealing with a hardened criminal was something she was not prepared to do.
Until she looked at the case notes she was handed. It seemed her newest case had just been released from Allenview Detention Centre, fifty miles outside of Bardon and was going to serve at least eighteen years parole or she would end up in Miltaka Female Prison.
When the young duck in question made her way into Laurel's cubicle she was taken a back again. She remembered the theft of the Mallar Emerald, she had been in university at the time doing her social work degree. It had been the biggest news story of the decade. And, looking at the young, pretty seventeen year old duck in front of her, Laurel could not imagine her ever committing such a crime.
But, Laurel was a profession parole officer, despite how she looked with her multi-coloured shirts and pink hair. She calmly went through all the major points that she gave to all of her new cases. She explained who she was and that she was here to help. She explained that Ella would have fourteen days to find both a job and accommodation, or else she might have her parole revoked.
Then, Laurel had to explain some of the more peculiar aspects of Ella specific case. She stated that since Ella was tried as an adult her case won't be sealed and employers would be able to look at it. Laurel told her it was best to tell employer that she had been in Allenview as they would be able to look. She also explained that she would not be able to produce a resume as she could not list her education or former employment, which would also tip off any employer that she was a convicted felon.
"This means that it's going to be very difficult for you to get a job, other than menial labour. I can give you a list of place that are most likely to hire ex-cons, but they usually don't hire ducks your age. But, I am here to help. Now, since you don't have any friends or family, or a permanent address yet, I'm going to need you to check in with me, in person, everyday to make sure you haven't left the city. I have your tracker information here, and if you don't check in I will call for a warrant for your arrest. You're going to be restricted to travel, now that you have registered with me, but hopefully that can be lifted once you've gotten a steady job. Is there anything else I can do for you today, Miss L'Orange?" Laurel asked, once she had explained everything. She had never had a case be so silent during her explanations, and was not sure that the girl had understood everything.
"Yes, um, would it be possible for me to register with a different name. I understand that I would not be able to leave my past, but I would rather not be tracked by it," Ella asked quietly.
"Um, I don't see why not. I will register that you're going by a different name and future employers will be able to look up that name and see that you used to be called by your birth name," Laurel replied, typing up information on her computer.
"But if someone was looking up my birth name, it wouldn't tell them the name I'm going by now?"
"That's correct. We have had other who were in danger due to their birth names. I assume that you're worried about your safety and recriminations from your previous life?" Laurel asked, her brows arching to which Ella replied that she was.
"Very well, what name would you like to go by?"
"Ella, Ella Piedléger. It was my mother's maiden name," Ella said finally showing emotion.
"It's pretty. Okay, I'll register you with that name, but people will be able to see your record when they look up that name. Now, if there is nothing else I can do for you I recommend you get to one of the homeless shelters nearby. They fill up quickly and if you're not there early they will turn you away. If your every turned away from one of those establishments, I recommend the underpass next to the railway station. The station master was once homeless and organises food and blankets there."
Ella thanked her parole officer for the useful information and made her way out of the office. There was a female only shelter three blocks away, but the information she had said it only had twenty beds. Luckily she got there early enough that a line hadn't yet formed and she was able to get a bed for the night.
The next morning, Ella was energised and ready to begin her job search. She had looked up all the places where she could apply that were near the shelter and planned to go to those. They were all stores and restaurants that were looking for part time staff, but she figured that a part time job was better than no job.
She dressed in her nice dress and tights, but all she had were her boots. She hoped that it would be okay as she had never had an interview before. She had also typed up a basic resume last night on one of the computers. It looked really bare and empty, but again, it was something. She also had to take her backpack with her, as she was not guaranteed a bed that night so couldn't leave her things at the shelter.
Ella went to fourteen places that day and each one turned her away without an interview. She would have gone to more but she wanted to get back to the shelter before a line formed. That way she could have a decent meal for the night, a shower and chance to have a comfortable bed.
And that was her routine for the next ten days. She would go to any place that was hiring menial labour, regardless of the type of labour required. She had gotten a few interviews, but each one had ended quickly due to her lacklustre resume. Most of the time she was just turned away.
She eventually ran out of places that were near the female only homeless shelter, and she needed to go to new areas of the city. Which meant that she couldn't get back to that shelter before all the beds were taken. so, she had to go to different shelters or else she would need to take a taxi or end up sleeping on the street.
With each day that she didn't find a job she needed to spend the little money that she had. She had learned to buy cheap food and drink during the day, hoping that the meal she got at the shelters would be nutritious enough that it didn't matter. She had to wash her few clothes at laundromats or else buy new clothes, which were too expensive an expense when there was no guarantee that she would have a means of income any time soon.
Eventually, she started staying out later and later, hoping to get an interview at bars until she was turned away from every shelter she went to. It was still summer though, so the nights weren't that cold. Pushing down her pride she made her way to the train station and got a blanket from the station master.
There were several ducks sleeping rough in the underpass. Most of them were friendly enough, and shared the meagre food that they were given with her. She was the youngest duck there and it seemed that a lot of them felt sorry for her. They probably all thought she was a runaway. Though she did notice some of the leering looks from some of the drakes that were standing around.
When she went to return the blanket the next morning the station master told her to keep it. He also told her to be careful around some of the drakes on the street. He didn't want her to be attacked, and she was more likely to be attacked if she stayed there.
That would be a big problem for Ella. If she was arrested for any violent offences she would instantly be sent back to Allenview, or even straight to Miltaka. When she told Laurel what the station master had said, the older hen agreed, stating that it might be best not to go back to the underpass.
It was two more nights sleeping rough when Ella decided she might have to go to the University to try and find a job. There were several accommodation blocks, they could probably use a cleaner or someone in the kitchens with all the students to feed.
She had gone from accommodation to accommodation block asking for work, before she tried the administration building to see if she could work in some of the academic buildings. By that time, she had not had a shower in four days and looked like she had been sleeping rough.
Her mane was matted and greasy. The only thing she could do was pull it back into a messy bun, as even her brush wouldn't pass through it. She managed to wash her face and brush her teeth in public restrooms, but that meant she couldn't wash more intimately. Ella imagined that she was starting to smell a little.
The nice dress she had was now too dirty to wear, so she was wearing her only pair of jeans and having to change t-shirts regularly. As she didn't have a jacket or a coat, she could only wear her hoodie to keep warm and it didn't make the best first impression when she walked into places looking for work. She was now being turned down without any hope of an interview.
But she had to keep going, or else she would end up back in Allenview. She had spoken to Laurel about he trouble finding work and the parole officer was applying for an extension. But, as of this morning, she hadn't heard anything back yet.
Ella was on her way to the hockey stadium to see if she could get a job as a janitor. She was walking across the park when a group of drakes got out of the stadium and knocked her flying with the door. All her things went flying out of her bag across the pavement and she began to scramble to pick up everything she had in the world while she heard several of those drakes laugh at her and mock her.
She had never felt so low. She was beginning to feel as hopeless as she had when she was sitting at the defendant desk in front of Judge Noose. Or when she was forcibly put into the police cruiser.
"Here, let me help you," came a deep and calm voice, breaking her out of her melancholy thoughts.
She saw a pair of white hands drop a very heavy bag and being to pick up her dirty clothes and pieces of paper. Looking up she saw a very tall and broad drake, possibly a year or two older than her with white colouring and dark eyes with a dark orange bill. There was something about him that made her feel safe and calm, but Ella couldn't place it.
As soon as he looked up into her face she instantly looked down. She didn't want him to look at her dirty face and unkempt feathers. She already felt mortified that he was touching her dirty clothes while all the other drakes he was with watched.
He handed her all her belongings and when he did she felt him touch her hand lightly. It sent a pleasant jolt through her body that she had never felt before. It was so nice that she didn't want to let go.
"Come on Wildwing, you've done your good deed for the day, let's get to class!" came a voice from somewhere behind her and the drake who helped her let go of her things.
"Alright, I'm coming! I'll see you," the drake said kindly as he stood up and grabbed his bags. He evened smiled and waved goodbye to her.
It gave Ella a little bit of hope, that someone could be that kind to her despite how she looked. She hoped that the people in the stadiums would see past the dirt and grim and give her a chance.
Unfortunately, no one at the university was willing to hire her. And by the time she got finished with each of the buildings and bars she was too late to get back to any of the shelters again. Meaning that she would have another night of sleeping rough.
Walking down the campus street she noticed a cafe that she recognised. It was a place with a green sign that she had visited every time she had come through Bardon in her youth. It was closed at that moment, but she looked in and saw the mismatched, comfortable furniture and the bookcases.
Deciding that the stoop of this store was probably the safest place to settle for the night. It was enclosed enough that no one would notice her until they were literally on the door step. And, she could feel the heat from the store though the door. Hopefully, she could speak to the owner in the morning.
It was early in the morning when Dip, the owner of The Scene came to open up his store. It had been almost a month into the start of the first term, and so far there were no need for late closings and early openings but soon there would be.
Dip had come in through the back entrance and was about the open the front door when he noticed someone curled up in the doorway. For a few moments he thought that someone had actually fallen asleep in his doorway, and spent the night there, but then he noticed the person was reading a book.
Now, it wasn't unusual to find a student or two waiting for the coffee shop to open during finals, but this was five am and only a month into the semester. And this girl didn't look anything like the other students that he had seen. Her clothes were dirty, and worn, as well as several years out of date.
"Can I help you?" Dip asked the duck sitting on his icy stoop, once he had unlocked the door.
"Kind of, I was hoping that there was a job going? I saw you were hiring in the paper," the girl said stepping into the warmth of the café, brushing the snow off of her black hoodie. She put her bag down and looked around the cosy café with a smile. She remembered visiting this place when she was a child, and it always felt warm and welcoming.
Dip was now entirely taken aback by this girl's appearance. She appeared to still be a teenage rather than a student and was holding up the advertisement for full time staff. She had been carrying a bag that seemed to hold a lot more possessions than you would normally carry every day. That was when he realised that this girl must be a runaway.
"Listen, kid, I'm sure that whatever happened at home isn't that bad, and you really shouldn't be walking around like this yourself. I'll let you call your parents to come and pick you up," Dip said with an encouraging smile to the young duck.
"My parents died when I was a kid, and I don't have a home," The girl said simply, taking a seat on one of the overstuffed armchairs. She had looked down sadly, causing Dip to feel guilty about bringing up some bad memories. The poor girl had begun to fidget with her belongings and scratching at the top of her scuffed and patched ankle boots. And that was when Dip noticed it, the electronic tagging bracelet going around her ankle. This caused everything to fall into place.
"So, what's your institute of choice," Dip asked sternly causing the girl to look up and wonder at his change in demeanour. She followed his eyes down to the accessory around her ankle and her shoulders fell in defeat.
"Allenview," She said sadly. Dip had heard of Allenview Juvenile Detention Centre, it was one of the toughest correctional facilities on Puckworld, at least the male part. Dip was slightly taken aback by the fact that this girl was one of its inmates, and he saw how defeated she now looked.
"What were you in for?" Dip asked more kindly, taking a seat across from the forlorn looking girl.
"Grand larceny," she replied with no emotion to her voice whatsoever as she continued to look down at the dusty bag that contained everything that she owned. And that broke the drake's heart. This girl looked like life had kicked her a few more times than anyone should have been.
"I was released about fourteen days ago, on parole, you know for good behaviour, and they told me that I have two weeks to find a steady job or else I'll be in violation of my parole and be transferred to Miltaka, I was up for parole because I was about to time out of Juvenile. I've really tried, but no one really wants to hire someone who's an ex-con, and with no qualifications for anything, or even a high school diploma," the girl rambled, fidgeting with everything in sight. These nervous ticks didn't seem like the trait of a hardened criminal, but the fact that she couldn't keep her hands still was worrying. She was obviously itching to take something, and Dip pitied her slightly.
"I really want to go straight, I just want to be normal," The girl said sadly as she began to gather up her meagre belongings. She sighed as she stood up straight, taking another look around the warm and cosy café.
"Thanks for your time," she said holding out her hand with a small smile to shake Dip's and he felt his resolve beginning to crumble. She looked pathetic and hopeful at the same time, with those bright green eyes shining.
"I'll take you on today, for a trial only. I do really need more staff members as I lost fourteen at the start of the summer. I'll evaluate you at the end of each day, and if you're still doing well after two weeks I'll let you stay. But, if anything goes missing I'll call your parole officer myself and you'll be out of her so fast you won't have time to blink, you understand?" Dip said plainly, but the tone was completely lost on the girl. She was suddenly beaming and gushing her thanks.
"What's your name kid?" Dip asked, once she had calmed down enough to give him a coherent answer.
"Oh, it's Ella Piedléger," Ella answered nervously.
She could see Dip evaluate her again. He then asked for her parole officers name so that he can contact her and let her know that she had worked for that day at least.
The manager smiled before he pointed Ella in the direction of the staff room, which had a shower that she could use. He then went in search of a uniform shirt and a change of clothes for his new employee, as he was sure she wouldn't have anything suitable or even clean in her bag. When she came out cleaned, fully preened, and in new clothes she looked almost unrecognisable. He could finally see what colour her plumage was meant to be, a soft creamy brown-grey, and her mane actually fell in soft waves of dark brown down her back. Her eyes were suddenly full of light and energy. She was a very attractive girl, and that might just help his business a little bit, as there was a large male population at the university and that was his main clientele.
Ella did work extremely hard that day, hardly taking a break and almost working completely on empty. Dip had actually had to sit her down and make her eat a few sandwiches and a bowl of soup, which she devoured in seconds. She was a fast learner, and had managed to work the expresso machine like an expert after only a few hours. She didn't complain when Dip, or his wife Petra, had asked that she deep clean everything in the kitchen and backroom. The rest of the staff was a little concerned about the new girl, mainly because of her work ethic and the fact that several drakes had suddenly come in to stare at her. Not that Ella noticed, she was too busy trying to secure a job. When the café closed at eleven pm, Ella was still there, and still working. Dip and Petra had then called her into the back office to discuss what they were going to do from then on.
"You worked really well today, and we'll still keep you on for a trial. Remember it is still a trial. Is there anything that you need from us?" Petra asked, getting a negative answer from Ella. This irritated Petra, who was not as accommodating as her husband and slightly more quick tempered. Petra really didn't want to hire this girl full time, as she had many more qualified applicants who had replied to the job posting. And she really didn't want to hire someone who had just been released from a seven year sentence in prison.
"What Petra means is, do you need to meet your parole officer, and where are you staying," Dip asked with an encouraging smile. This then made the teenage girl admit that she had been staying in a homeless shelter that would be closed by now, so she was actually planning on sleeping in the train station that night. She also told them that she had to meet her parole officer every day that week, and failure to do so would mean that she could be arrested again. Then there was the matter that the girl, who had been ten years old at the time of her arrest, had basically left the correctional facility with nothing but what the guards had given her out of pity. The two managers didn't know what to do now, as they didn't realise that the girl had nowhere to actually stay and nothing to wear.
"We have a place, it's nothing nice, at all, but it's a roof. We can give you a deal on the rent if you are willing to help us fix it up, and we can take the rent out of your pay cheque," Petra said softly.
It was a excellent deal, one that Ella had not expected. She instantly agreed and let Dip walk her to the building. On the way he explained to her that the apartment was completely unfurnished and that he planned to rent it out next year when he had fixed it up, so she shouldn't get too attached to it.
Dip opened the door of the nice looking apartment block and led her up the stairs. He then opened the door to the completely bare apartment. There wasn't even a table or chair to be seen, only a sink. But it was warm and dry, which was a marked improvement on how she had been sleeping the last couple of days.
"Right then. Here are the keys, and I expect you in at work tomorrow at five am to help me open up again. Is that clear?" Dip asked, handing over the ring of keys
"Yes, thank you," Ella replied with a small smile.
Dip didn't say anything, he just nodded and left, closing the door behind him and leaving Ella alone in the empty apartment. She pulled out the blanket from her bag and lay down on the floor, using her bag as a pillow. Taking a deep breath she allowed herself to relax for the first time in several days.
I'm not gonna do the usual response to comments, I just want to urge everyone to stay at home, wash your hands and stay safe.
TFG
