Gen Four- Chapter Sixteen

My chest caught as, on this quiet morning, a lively wind sped forward caring for nothing in its way. Bearing the tangy scent of salt and a brush of moisture, it'd clearly come off the sea. However, I closed my eyes and was thrown back. Memories always hit hard around this time of year─ when the changes that led me here had begun. In that moment I stood as if I stood in that river once more. The trees in the park played the same melody as imagination had me sure cool water tugged at my legs. The taunting sun's warmth hinted hotter days approaching while the dying watch on my wrist, long outgrown, tricked me into believing I had all the time in the world. I wondered what I would do...if I did open my eyes to find myself thrust into the past with the knowledge I had now. Perhaps I finally might be able to determine what I thought about the past at all.

     "Cinnamon? What are you doing?"

Gen Four- Chapter Fifteen

Sensitive topic warning: assault

Honestly, I would have never survived winter on my own. It came early as anticipated, and it proceeds to lay down its wrath each time the city begins to feel comfortable with the onslaught of snow. My previous main source of income would've be lost with the flakes burying any dropped money, which meant my pitiful hut would have almost certainly collapsed. I would have been stuck with the choice of freezing to death or giving myself up to the police to survive even before then. As I shuffled through the snow in the boots Coral bought, I pondered where the police would have placed me as, naturally, I would give myself up before going dramatic and picking death as the alternative. I seriously couldn't imagine my fate. I did laugh at the idea of me being put into a terrible foster home only to run away and find the warehouse regardless though.

But, surprisingly, winter's arrival proved a massive boon for me. There was no shortage of people who were willing to fork over money for someone else to shovel snow so they could stay warm and lazy in their house instead. The repetitive nature of the snow falling so frequently meant my worry about paying rent disappeared, for I made well over rent each day. I now had a solid savings started with Leo and Coral. Better yet, the people I shoveled for now were likely more inclined to want me back for other yard projects when warmer weather came.

     "Oh boy."

Some jobs were rough though. I stared at the massive driveway leading to the three-car garage coated in a foot's worth of snow and took a deep breath.

Gen Four- Chapter Fourteen

After I flipped the newspaper to the next page, I took the pause in my reading to quickly rub my fingers together for warmth. Autumn now dominated the season, barely permitting summer's heat to remain. The clothes Coral bought kept most of me comfortable, but it was getting to the point where the gloves might have to start coming out.

If I had any gloves.

I hadn't found any more babysitting working despite Leo getting the small victory he did for me. He took the last check from Mr. and Mrs. Glaze to the bank to confirm with them it was fraudulent. He declined starting an investigation when they asked, choosing to leave any actions regarding that to the bank, but they were able to give him a statement confirming the false payment. Leo contacted the babysitting website with that proof and a screenshot of the terrible review left for me. Both the Glaze's profile and the bad review vanished within the day. Still, despite that, I remained too young for other parents to want to take a chance on me.

     "Do you really want me to read this article, Mr. Basalt? It's another negative story." I questioned to the old man sitting next to me.

With my ability to pay rent growing abysmal, Pieter gave up his job reading the newspaper to Mr. Basalt each morning to me.

     "It's fine, dear. Good or bad, it is better to know. People may say that ignorance is bliss, but it is not to me."

Gen Four- Chapter Thirteen

I frowned at Pieter. What was this he was getting me to do?

     "I really don't think I can do this. It feels wrong..." I mumbled.

     "Remember what I said on your first day? They'll have a chance to catch us. That's something we make sure they have. I mean, I'm pretty good so they likely won't notice, but still. The point stands. Besides, we're hardly draining their banks accounts. If they're fine handing over a few bucks, what harm does it truly do to not spend it how we say we are? They're helping us survive either way. Honestly, they're giving us something infinitely more precious than what they think. Better karma will come their way, and we'll be closer to paying rent."

     "I...guess. I still don't like it..."

     "C'mon, Meg, it'll be fine. Remember, all you have to do is look unwell. I'll take care of the talking part."

     "O-Okay," I agreed hesitantly, to which Pieter laughed.

     "Honestly, you don't have to act sick that much. Your moping face is pitiful enough."

He poked my cheek. I swatted his hand away.

     "Let's just do this before they walk away."

Gen Four- Chapter Twelve

All it took was a few hours on my first night sleeping on one of the couches to learn the floor was the preferable option. Even the couch in that apartment with Mr. Flaxen had been better. I'd dropped to the ground where my weary eyes kept awake by discomfort instantly slid me into peaceful bliss. Coriander had been on the other side of the room that night. We'd both slept soundlessly until Jessamine coming out to begin her day jokingly poked us each with her foot. This morning, however, my companion in sharing the lesser sleeping arrangements cared nothing for letting me doze as late as I wanted. Tulip only had one night every week to not have a bed simply for fairness's sake and not because she didn't earn enough money. This was my first day of the new week where I was on a timer to make that fifty dollars.

     "Ah, what a beautiful morning," Tulip spoke obnoxiously loud.

She stomped about remarking unnecessarily on mundane things and narrating her actions like she was a character in a book. Clearly, she meant to wake me up and keep me up by being annoying. I didn't care as much as she wanted though. My desire for a few more minutes of rest blocked out her attempts at being distracting.

Gen Four- Chapter Eleven

The edges of my eyes pulled tight and scratchy. Fulfilling that urge to scratch, or even simply rubbing the skin, made the ache worse. I told myself it was because of the crying. Seriously, my running was getting scarily impressive. I'd bolted nearly the whole way to my hut, only slowing in the last third of the stretch. The exhaustion naturally hit me when I arrived where I spent at least an hour letting my tears flow without resistance. For one brief moment, the thought of turning myself in flittered about alluringly. If all I was going to experience was these miseries no matter how hard I tried, how much worse could letting the government control my fate truly be?

Then, as I remarked on how coldly most of the members of the 'family' treated me, Tulip's words stuck on me the most. I was not weak-willed, useless, or pampered. I'd been getting the hang of this kind of life. Why give up and prove her right? All I'd have to do was be a bit more creative in overcoming certain obstacles. Lying, possibly bribing, shouldn't be too hard to get someone old enough to buy me medicine. There were plenty of other homeless people in the city too. Having been avoiding them, perhaps taking the risk to befriend some allies wasn't actually that risky after all. I laid there on the bench at the tiny pond's tiny dock forcing myself to ignore the fact that the redness of my eyes was my sickness and letting the warmth of the sun be my blanket this morning as I contemplated if I'd seen any of those people enough to trust approaching them.

Gen Four- Chapter Ten

From the dark and weightless void where I floated, a soft and gentle presence began to press upon my back. It cradled my shoulders and neck, and when I twitched and shifted it moved with me to make sure I wasn't left without support. What a wonderful thing it was. I couldn't ask for a more perfect existence. Then a burning dryness caught my throat and had me coughing loudly to make me remember what existence actually was. The fluffiness of the mattress remained, but the aches and pains of my body also manifested to bring to light once more the situation I was in. Paranoia jumped in easily too as soon as the sounds of someone shuffling about reached my ears. My eyes flashed open instinctively where upon spotting a man standing right by my side staring I hurriedly closed them.

     "If you're awake, be awake. There's no need to act," the man instructed.

Hesitantly, my lashes fluttered open once more. I'd woken on my side buried underneath the sheets and bed cover, and I was grateful they covered most of my face. The man looking down on me didn't give off a dangerous aura. Still, who knew what I'd ended up in after I passed out.

     "This is a safe place, in case you're wondering. My name's Leo."

     "Because you're orange like a lion?" I wondered before I could stop myself.

     "Yes."

     "That's unique. I like it."

     "I'm told your name is Cinnamon?"

     "...Yes," I warily confirmed the lie. "How do you know my name?"

     "We'll get to that in a bit. It was my turn to watch and wait for you to wake, but Coral knows what medicine you need now better than I do. Hold on."