The Distraction
A small crowd gathered to watch the performance. Puppet- creations of cloth stitched together- danced before their eyes and told a story. Today's story was a humorous one, pulling laughs out of everyone who watched. When it was over they applauded and showed their appreciation by dropping money into the boy's overturned hat.
August discovered early on that focusing on one person at a time only gave him money for his next meal. Then he remembered his father's puppet show and decided to use it as a way of getting more money. Now there was finally enough for August to buy a warm coat. Unfortunately it took nearly everything, and he was forced to do it all over again so he could eat.
He also needed to change locations to draw new crowds. That required a lot of walking, so August decided he should buy new shoes. The ones he got from Big Ugly were worn from the start; now they were close to falling apart. It took a while for him to raise the money.
But the shopkeeper wouldn't let him inside. After so many nights spent sleeping outside, he was no longer suited to be in public. This meant money for a bath. Then he found he needed not just shoes but clothes as well. After that he found his hair was getting too long, which required money to get it cut short again.
Just when the thought of Emma tried to cross his mind, something else more immediate pushed it out of the way. When it wasn't the worry over his next meal it was hunting for a place to sleep. Now and then August wondered about the other kids. Were they in the same situation? Did they have to fight for food and shelter? What were the doing to avoid the cold and rain? He hoped they were all okay, wherever they were.
In his spare time August watched television from store windows and read books in the library. He needed to learn everything he could about this world so he could live in it easier. Yet learning came at a price: the more he knew the farther he felt from his home. They traded magic for science and stories like his were too fantastic for anyone to believe. He was horrified and fascinated in the pages detailing all their adventures.
August imagined little Emma growing up with these stories. How could he make her believe in her destiny when the world told her that her own parents weren't even real? He never should've left her…
But he did, and there was nothing he could do about it now. Besides, his money was starting to run low again and he needed a blanket to keep warm during the cold nights. August needed to survive first. There was plenty of time to find Emma and help her believe.