Chapter Two

"Oi Red"

I turn around, fists clenched "Daniel Finn"! I yell "You scared me, I thought I was being followed". I glare at him.

Danny has been my best friend for as long as I can remember. He has always been the one person who sees me for who I am. He knows all of my secrets and I know all of his. Danny and I had always been toe to toe in height, however, at 6"1, he grew to be an inch taller than me. Danny has golden brown hair and green eyes. He is well built and incredibly handsome. He is what I picture when I read old books about carved marble statues and heartthrob romances.

I've no need to tell him though, he is all too aware of his fortune in the looks department.

"Hahaha, chill Red you're okay, I'm here to protect you," he says buoyantly.

"It's you I need protection from" I retort.

"Whatcha doin'," he asks, ignoring my comment.

"I'm heading to the allotment, I was going to gather some vegetables for dinner".

"Want some help?" he asks.

"Don't you have anything better to do than follow girls down alleys and offer your hand at gardening" I smart, raising a brow.

"Not really, it's my day off" he beams, as if I offered him gold. "Besides I'm hungry, won't you feed a poor orphan boy, red"?

"Orphan" I laugh, "I've just bought eggs from your mom".

"As good as, she said something about disowning me if I don't clean the yard anyway".

"Far be it for me to refuse a poor orphan a warm meal," I say laughing, Danny joins in.

Back at home, Kalin is awake. "Danny"! He exclaims.

" 'Sup little fella," he says, bending to pick Kalin up.

I put the dough in to bake and begin preparing the bacon and eggs I got from today's shopping trip.

Danny keeps eyeing my cheek, he knows better than to ask. He looks at my mother who is passed out on her bed. One hand still clutching a bottle, the other with reddened knuckles. He tuts.

"When I'm rich and successful I'm going to adopt you and Kalin," Danny says matter of factly.

"Oh, you're going to adopt us," I ask "you are aware that I am 20 years old, right?"

"I'm older, so it should be ok" he smirks.

"I don't think it works like that, but ok".

Danny has such a big heart, he is like the older brother I didn't know I needed but now couldn't do without.

"Shall I start calling you Daddy then?" I ask, trying to keep my expression serious.

"That or all knowing-all caring-saint to be-Godlike-hunk".

"I think I'll just call you big head".

"Red, you wound me," he says, feigning offence.

I clear the table and serve breakfast. I love to see Kalin smile, his big brown eyes lighting up, chubby cheeks squishing into a grin. I was planning to leave this place, the day I turned eighteen. I would have technically been an adult and maybe I would have been able to find work in a workhouse. A few months before my eighteenth birthday, Mertha found out she was pregnant. That's when my plans changed. How could I leave a poor defenceless baby to care for themself? So just over two years down the line, here I am. Still here. Kalin makes it all worthwhile though.

"Red, anyone home, hello" Danny is looking at me agitated, he doesn't like being ignored.

"Sorry Danny, I was lost in my head. What were you saying".

"I was asking if you'd heard anything from your dad, I see he is still away on business".

"Business" I scoff, "that's a nice way of saying the man is on the run from loan sharks". I sigh "last I heard he was headed east, he said that he might have some connections there".

Danny just nodded and said no more.

After breakfast, Danny did the dishes, whilst I dressed Kalin. Kalin was busy telling me a crazy story he thought of when someone knocked at the door.

Next thing I know my dad walks in, followed by two men dressed head to toe in black.

"Dad," I say, surprised. "You're back".

I look from my dad to the two men standing in the doorway. Their choice of outfits make them look like...No, there is no mistaking it. They are snatchers.

"What have you done?" I gasp, my eyes wide in horror.

"I'm sorry Crimson, but I didn't have much of a choice," he says with a sigh. "Pack your things, you need to go with these men.

"H..how could you do this to me, to Kalin" I question, my eyes searching his for answers.

Suddenly I see the two men crash to the ground, Danny on top of them. "Run Crimson" he screams.

I take one last look at Kalin "I love you" I whisper, tears streaming down my face, " I will always love you Kalin". And with that, I jump over the men on the floor and run for my life.

Running through the districts, I know I have no one to turn to. Who is going to help me? Who can I turn to? No one can save me, I know that. My father has sold me to the snatchers and now they own me. My life is theirs unless someone buys it back. I don't know anyone with that sort of money. I need to leave, I need to go far away from here and figure something out.

Just then I see a carriage ready to leave the town. I don't know where it's going, but I need to get out of here.

"Wait, please wait" I yell. Running towards the carriage, I hand the driver what's left of my money "Please tell me this is enough to buy passage" I ask, my voice pleading.

He takes the money from me "get in" he says.

As the carriage pulls away, I look out the opening behind me. As it fades into the distance, my tears return. I am leaving everything and everyone that I have ever known. Will I ever see Kalin and Danny again? I have to believe that I will, because if I begin to think otherwise...My heart couldn't bear it.

The snatchers won't stop looking for me, they are everywhere and the will find me. I just hope that when they do, I can offer them something in return for my freedom.