Chapter 1: Welcome to town

So this is our new home. 

My eyes wander out of the car window. Bellhollow was the name of the small town, known for its cafés, and history of being a very small and quiet town to visit.

*visit* was the keyword.

In other words, it is a little town that doesn't have much to offer. Maybe that's why it was so easy to find an apartment for a cheap price.

I rolled down the window. The smell of freshly cut grass and seawater hit my nostrils and sent a refreshing feeling through my spine. I slipped off my sandals and prop my feet up on the dashboard, as I took in the heat of the beaming sun. It was well over 100 degrees, and I was beginning to melt into my seat.

Most of the time you would expect the pictures you find on the internet to be better than the actual place. However, that wasn't the case for Bellhollow. The place was lively to some degree. The Buildings were noticeably old, but most were kept in pretty good condition.

There were a few people who roamed the streets. Mostly older people, who were tending to their gardens, and making small talk with whoever passed by. Some waved at the unfamiliar moving vehicle, while others just stared in wonder. My back sinks into the Jeep passenger seat. I tore my eyes away from the passing scenery and focused on distracting myself with my phone.

My sister inhales the salty summer air with a beaming smile that hasn't left her face since she packed up everything she had including me, and left the city life behind. "Doesn't it feel great to finally make it here!"

"We just made it into town a few moments ago. I think it's a little too soon for you to be so excited about it."

"The real question is how can you not be excited about this! Come on Rosey~ we have been planning this since you were a tiny tot. I remember when you use to run to me crying about how much you couldn't stand being in the orphanage, and how Mr. Prince charming was going to someday come, and take us all to his beautiful crystal castle~!"

"That was a long time ago..." I stopped believing in Mr. Prince charming when I met a dog that had a beautiful white coat and ocean blue eyes. That beautiful dog, almost killed me when I was 6 years old. The dog's name was prince... However, he was far from charming.

my sister chuckles while continuously reminiscing about the past. It was always her dream to take the little family she made away from the hellhole that promised sweet refuge for kids that had nothing.

This was what she wanted.

I just always followed her lead... no matter how many members of our "family" didn't make it.

"There it is!" My eyes wander in search of our new home. the old apartment building finally came into sight after a moment of my eyes roaming the area. My sister parks the car in front of the building, and almost jumped out of the car from excitement. I followed her out of the car, and was immediately hit with the hot summer sun that shined down on us in all it's glory.

"So~ Rosemary. What do you think?" My older sister Ayomi, asks as she tipped her peach tip sunglasses, waiting eagerly for my response. The tall brick building was far from the most appealing sight in town. The old white paint crumbling. The parking lot that didn't really have parking lines anymore. the stray cats that made the space under the stairs to the building their home. Lastly, the cat food that lined the side of the building.

"Absolutely charming..."

"Your such a drag, Rosey." Ayomi pouts as she grabs her keys to unlock the back of her Jeep. It was an old piece of junk that she bought in an auction right before we skipped town. It broke down a few times during our time on the road. But, we always managed to kick the life back into it one way or another. During one of those horrible days of car camping, while being stranded out in the middle of nowhere. A truck driver pulled over and gave us a hand on getting our vehicle up and running again. It didn't take much for the older man to realize that we didn't exactly have a destination in mind. After that, he recommended a motel that was a few miles away. I was of course very cautious and skeptical of the stranger's words. but, Ayomi on the other hand looked like a dog who just found a new bone.

After staying at the motel for a couple of nights. The manager recommended we try to find a stable apartment in Bellhollow. A small town about a hour or two away. It was close to the sea and hidden by the forest that surrounds most of the town.

Only one road leads in and out. The only other way would be by boat. Going through the Forest was not recommended because of the wild animals.

At first, we were kind of skeptical of the place. However, we didn't have many options. so we did some research and contacted the owners of the apartments there.
After a while of searching, we came across the perfect place that was within our budget. We didn't waste a second after that and were on the road as soon as the call ended.

Ayomi laughs as her beautiful red lips twisted into a big smile. Her long luscious coal-black hair was caught by a light breeze before settling on her left shoulder. Both of us grab our bags and head eagerly towards the apartment building. One of the cats hissed at us as we cautiously ascend the stairs.

From what I have seen online, this building has 8 floors with one and two-bedroom apartments. There were no elevators. so Ayomi and I made our way up the long stairway. The smell of Clorox hit our noses before we even made it to the 5th floor. I think that both of us completely dread the idea of making that trip a few more times to finish bringing up the rest of our bags.

We continued down the hallway. The wooden floors were still wet and shimmering. The hallway was mostly quiet with only the sound of my sister's high heels, and my sandals echoing through the silence.

Room *707* finally came into sight.

The door was left wide open with a mop bucket left in front of it. An elderly lady emerges from our new apartment room with a mop in hand. her cloudy ash-colored eyes lighted up a bit when she noticed us. She tries to straighten up her back a bit as she turns in our direction with a few strings of hollow gray hair falling into her face. Her thin petal pink lips curve into a polite smile.

"Good evening. Would you two happen to be our new tenants?"

My eyes fall to the wet wooden floors as I avoid making eye contact with the elderly lady. Ayomi replies with a simple yes while flashing a lively smile. She then proceeds to introduce us and make small talk with the older lady. I wasn't really interested in their conversation so I slip into the apartment and place my bags down on the floor.  There wasn't any type of weird smell that you would expect from a place like this. The first thing to hit my nose was the smell of pineapple and mango. My eyes wander the room. The place was spacious with dark wooden floors, while the furniture looked like something that was pulled out of an 80s sitcom. There was no room to complain. The place was practically a steal for the money we are going to be paying for it. My eyes finally found the culprit of the sweet smell as they landed on candles that were lit on the kitchen counter. The smell was mesmerizing. I started to wonder if the candle was interfering with my judgment. Ayomi, finally ends her conversation and joins me in the apartment. Her grin was as big as the Grand Canyon. "I told you things would work out! Look at this place. It feels like home already."

"I guess... At least things aren't as bad as I thought they would be."

"That's the Spirit! Now let's get this show on the road and get this unpacking over with. The landlady said there should be someone here bright and early tomorrow to hook up our gas and to set up the internet."

"What are we going to do for dinner then?"

"She said she will ask a friend of her's to bring by some food as a welcoming gift later."

" I hope it isn't seafood..." I mumbled as I begin to wander around our new apartment. The dark wooden floorboards made a cracking noise every couple of steps. There was a small hall leading from the main area to two doors that faced each other. One was the bathroom. It was small with only the bare minimum of things that were necessary. Across from it lay the bedroom. The door made a squeaking sound as I opened it. The room was a decent size. Not as big as the living room area however not as small as the bathroom. There was a queen-size bed in the center of the room with floral sheets. Ayomi and I are already used to sharing a room together from our time at the orphanage. However, the orphanage didn't give us the luxury of using a bed. Since there were so many orphans after the purge epidemic. many were not gifted with the pleasures that you would experience in a normal upbringing.

I slowly climbed into the bed. Inhaling the sweet smell of fabric softener. All the exhaustion catching up to my body as my mind unknowingly slips into a dreamless sleep.

That evening around 6:30 pm. Ayomi was putting our new bathroom to use as she wasted no time soaking in a long hot bath. I laid lazily on the sofa while sorting through our clothes that managed to get mixed together while we were car camping. My cozy pajamas were put on the moment after Ayomi woke me up from my short nap and we were done doing a little extra cleaning. My eyes wander away from pairing our socks. And on to my phone that was playing music to fill the silence that was hanging in the apartment.

My message box was empty. No surprise there since I never really had many friends. I did have a few at the orphanage. But, children there aren't allowed much contact with the outside world. That hellhole was the definition of misery. The children forced to stay there would have been better fending for themselves on the streets.

There were only four ways to leave that orphanage.

1. To be registered as a legal adult.
2. Someone who is seen as adequate by the orphanage to adopt you.
3. To run away. " this option is not recommended. If you are caught you will be met with severe punishment. Some kids even became crippled after doing such."

And lastly 4. Death.

The only place that the kids there feared more than the orphanage, were the select foster homes chosen by the higher-ups of the orphanage. If you were lucky you might get sent to a somewhat decent place...however, those were very few in numbers.

A sudden knock echoed through the living room from the front door. My eyes wander to the hallway leading to the bathroom as Ayomi peeked her head out. "That's probably the landlady's friend. Go ahead and answer while I get dressed."

A sigh escaped my lips as I reluctantly stood up and made my way to the door. I hesitated before slowly opening the door and peeking through it. An older lady and a tall boy were both standing in front of the door with two unknown dishes covered with foil wrap.

"Hello. I'm Chelsea and this is my son Jasper. We live in the apartment a few doors down and my mother happens to be old friends with the landlady. She asked us to bring you these dishes. We also came to give you a warm welcome to the building."Chelsea's bright smile lit up the dim-lit hallway. The sweet smell of macaroni and baked chicken carry into the living room and into my nostrils as I opened the door a bit wider. Before a thank you could even form in my mouth. Ayomi's presence became known as she placed a hand on my shoulder. "It's a pleasure to meet you both. We appreciate you going out of your way to give this to us."

" no, the pleasure is ours! We rarely get to meet people from out of town here. So, please don't be offended if the people here ask a lot of questions."

"I will be sure to make note of that." Ayomi continues to make small talk with Chelsea.
While My eyes became fixated on the delectable food just waiting to be gobbled up, a bit of drool almost escaped the corners of my lips. A small chuckle catches my attention as my eyes wander upward to the boy who was standing right in front of me. Our eyes met as the realization that he was staring at me while trying to hold back a laugh became known. His hair was a dark chocolate brown that hung over his eyes. His eyes mirror the color of mine dark shaded ones. While his skin was the opposite of my chocolate tone. this silent moment of acknowledgment of each other that we shared was swiftly interrupted as a growl escape my stomach. I could feel my face light up like a Christmas tree, as all eyes fell on me.

" oh, dear. I'm sorry for holding you two up for so long. I know you must be starving after such a long day." Chelsea laughs in a polite tone as she hands Ayomi the dish she was holding. " feel free to pay us a visit anytime."

Jasper mirrored his mother's actions as he also hands me the dish he was holding and gives a slight nob before him and his mother made their way back towards their room. When Ayomi finally closed the door, she broke into a fit of laughter. "Sorry I didn't realize that you were so hungry. At least you were able to get a laugh out of that boy. His face was like a stone statue the whole time." Ayomi says as she tries to mimic Jasper's expression.

"Can we just eat already." I didn't wait for a response as I grab two new plastic forks from a box in the kitchen. "first thing tomorrow we have to go grocery and appliance shopping," Ayomi says as she sticks her fork straight into the macaroni.

"Mmhm," I replied in an uninterested tone, as I begin to eagerly dig into the freshly cooked food.