The Siren's Daughter, Part 4 (v1)

Part 4. At this rate, there'll probably be 6-8 more parts.

====================================================================================

* * *

It’s been nearly three years since Mom passed away. It seemed unreal to me. Every day when I woke up, I always expected to see her making breakfast for us. It always felt as though there were a hole in my life, one I could never really accept. However, Cassie always stayed strong. She always gave me a smile that raised my spirits and made me forget about the troubles in life. Even though we were both really close to Mom, I never saw Cassie cry about her death. She always told me that we needed to be strong and make Mom proud of us.

After Mom’s death, we continued living in the house. Cassie found a job so we could keep the house and to take care of me. I wanted to help her, but she kept insisting she was fine. Every day, she would work from morning until late at night. I remember every day after school I would try to stay up until she came back home, but usually she’d come back so late I’d fall asleep before then. After she worked for several months she would sometimes not even come back home until the next morning, and would only have time to check on me before she went back to work.

But then one day Cassie didn’t even come back to check on me. One day soon became two, then three, then a week. I knew something was wrong so I went out and tried to look for her, but I didn’t even know who to ask. Day and night, I would look for her. Everywhere I went, I would ask people if they saw her, but no one knew where she was. For weeks, I searched for her, but was never able to find her.

I lived off the streets in the city, picking up whatever food I could find to keep my energy up so I could continue looking for Cassie. Regrettably, I had to steal food on occasion from the street venders. It’s not that I wanted to; it’s just that there were times when I was too hungry. Then there was one time when I was caught stealing bread. Clyde, one of the soldiers, was off duty and nearby. He saw me a vender catch me stealing, so he quickly covered for me by paying for the bread and saying I was with him. He offered me supper after. I normally wouldn’t have accepted, but hunger overwhelmed me.

Over dinner, Clyde talked with me. He said he knew I was Cassie’s sister because I looked a lot like her. He told me how much he adored her, how beautiful she was, and how she always made him smile. After supper, Clyde offered for me to stay at his house for a bit so I wouldn’t have to live out in the streets. I was hesitant at first, but he seemed to know my sister so I decided to accept his offer. For three days, I recovered in his home before continuing my search for my sister. He would talk to me every time he was home, asking more about me, and telling me about himself. But my days of relaxation soon came to an end.

It was the morning I decided to resume my search. After waking up, I descended the stairs and saw Clyde making breakfast in the kitchen.

He smiled at me. “Good morning.”

“G-good morning.”

“Have a seat, breakfast is almost ready.” He gestured to the table.

I sat down and averted my eyes. “Thank you, for everything you’ve done for me.”

“Anything for Cassie’s little sister.” He set our plates on the table and sat down across from me. He smiled at me periodically while we ate in an awkward silence.

“I feel a lot better now. I think I’m going to start looking for my sister again,” I announced as I finished my last bite.

He stopped eating. A serious look struck his face. “Why don’t you just stay here? You’ve been through a lot. I can look for her for you.”

I got up and headed toward the door, eager to continue my search. “I have to find her.”

Clyde approached me as I reached the door, irritated. “That’s it? You’re going to leave just like that, after I’ve given you a place to sleep, and food to eat?”

“I-I’m sorry. I don’t want to be a burden for you anymore.”

He stepped within a foot from me. “You know, you’re a lot like your sister. She too suddenly tried to leave. It’s rude to just leave like that, especially without even properly thanking your host.”

“I’m sorry. I really do appreciate everything you’ve done for me—” I turned the doorknob in a panic and tried to open the door.



First: The Siren's Daughter, Part 1 (v1)
Previous: The Siren's Daughter, Part 3 (v1)
Next: The Siren's Daughter, Part 5 (v1)