2. Leaving Poole (Fragment)

It went silent.

The only thing I could hear was Elsie giggling over how I screamed so loud. Lottie, Laurie, and Lucy all sat down. I tapped my fingers on the table impatiently. Then, Lottie spoke up:

“The reason I fainted—”

“Charlotte died?” Elsie asked. Lottie softly touched my shoulder. I instantly felt sick.

Our older sister had died.

Died.

Died while we giggled and braided each other’s hair under a bed.

For hours, we all sat around just doing nothing. We didn’t know what to do. Suddenly, Lottie began.

“Okay,” She sniffled. “Let’s just cheer up. Everyone, pack their suitcases for tomorrow. Tomorrow is the day we leave our old life behind and start a new one.”

I grabbed my old fabric valise and started packing. I packed my necessities first and then stuff I wanted second. I packed Mum’s hairbrush, Mum’s hair clips she gave me, my one nice dress, and my only other dress that was made out of only cotton.

Then, I remembered the tiny box and stuffed toy I had stuffed under the bed. I ran downstairs and took out the box and toy.

Then, I opened Mum’s cabinet. I inhaled and grabbed everything in the cabinet. I knew Lottie wouldn’t be happy with me snooping in cabinets, so I called over Lucy to come help me instead of Lottie. I tiptoed up the stairs with my hands full of different objects.

“Lucy, what is this little box?” I asked as she approached my room. I handed her the box that I had stuffed under the bed.

“That’s not a box, it’s a journal, where you write things. It says inside it was Mum’s gift on her 12th birthday from Grandma,” Lucy said with a little giggle.

“What is this stuff?” I asked, pointing at the pile of stuff I had grabbed from the cabinet.

Lucy gasped and suddenly leaped on my bed. I bounced from the way she jumped onto it.