Sisters of the Shadows

3rd day of April in the year 2140

It’s been months since I last wrote in this. I finally have a moment to breathe.

The halfway house had a rocky start. More kids were sent our way as the angels addressed more cases. A few of these abusive parents tried to rally together in protest, but the rest of the colony wasn’t having it. They lost custody of their children, and they’re lucky they weren’t kicked out of the colony.

By the end of January, we had almost completely filled our main building–and by the end of February, half of the next building had been filled. Mona and I didn’t like the idea of those new kids being alone without supervision or someone to talk to, so Mona moved into that building. Our building might have more kids, but I have Gavin and Kaine here to help me maintain order.

We have a lot of community activities and events to help the kids warm up to the place. They’ve all been pretty well-behaved for the most part–Tyler tried to get in a fight with Kaine, but Gavin and I shut it down real quick. Now the two act as if it never happened; the pair have become inseparable, even volunteering for market runs together.

Gabby has also been a huge help; she’s given us many suggestions for improvements, for ways that we can try to counsel the kids we take in. I have a complaint box outside my door that I check daily, and the number of complaints has gone down over time.

Benji stops by often to see Gabby–the two began dating shortly after the halfway house’s conception, so part of our friend group is still intact. Tawni was helping us out with electronic needs back in January, but around February she stopped showing up with Benji. They said she wasn’t feeling well and even stopped going to school. I’m worried… That’s the same thing Kent told Gavin about Koji. I can’t help but feel like there’s something going on, like there’s a different reason for their sudden disappearances. Koji’s started right after his confrontation with the Moore siblings, and Tawni’s after she helped provide smartphones to the halfway house. Are they avoiding us on purpose?

This whole thing has got me thinking… If I go ahead with my plan of becoming a scout, then how will I be able to look after the halfway house? I guess I can look into shifts that align with their school schedule, that way I can at least see everyone in the evenings. I love getting together with everyone; I’m learning so much, like how Tyler is great at videogames, and Joyce likes to sew, and Yahir loves cats. Mona also has been trying to help the older kids figure out how they want to contribute to the colony come graduation, so I think this place has a lot going for it.

Monty has visited us at least once a week, bringing treats each time. First books for our library, then donuts, then clothing, pies, furniture, hair and skin products… The baked goods all came from Aunt Desi, while the personal hygiene products were made by Cienna. Everything else was donated by the angels, and the kids were all very grateful. Aunt Desi’s desserts also gave us ideas for the café, so my weekends have been busy.

With everything going on, I haven’t had much time to focus on Monty. He’s assured me over and over that he’s been swamped with prince stuff, but what could possibly be keeping him? Is he really busy, or is he just saying that to avoid me?

The kids and I are planning a weekend-long event next month, and the entire colony is invited. It’ll be a great way to showcase how well things are going for us–and, hopefully, I can spend some time with Monty.

Photo by Prophsee Journals on Unsplash

<< First | < Previous | Next >