Louis
#WritcoStoryChallenge
The old, treasure chest lay exposed when the storm retreated. It was old and decrepit, looking as though it witnessed the birth of mankind. The chest itself was wooden, with a bass lock hushing up it's secrets, and a missing key. It was small, about the size of your forearm. And it was waiting to be opened.
The city of Locksford was on the coastline, a dangerous place to be when a hurricane hit. Hurricane Louis had wiped out the entire city spotless. All the citizens had evacuated, and all the houses were destroyed. An inch of water stood in the roads, looking over the broken trees and windswept bushes.
When aid and rescue came, they ripped away the already ruined city in search of survivors who weren't able to make it out. 74 bodies were found, but only 20 grieved for. The rest were beggars, homeless people, the insignificant people who painted the background.
As one medic pulled away the thorny branches off of a firm bush in an underlying garden, she found two things that alarmed her. A small child, naked, wrapped in rags, crying with her fist in her mouth, and a small wooden chest.
The medic immediately directed the attention of her squad toward the infant. She snapped at her teammates and swaddled the baby in her arms before wrapping her in a yellow comfort blanket. The baby calmed down slightly and began gurgling and wailing.
"She's malnutritioned. She's gonna throw up! Okay, somebody get me a napkin and a nutrient pill." The medic said. When the baby threw up, the medic gently wiped her mouth with a napkin and crushed a pill into her mouth. The baby made a disgusted face, wrinkling up get nose and sticking out her tongue in reaction to the taste, but swallowed it anyway. That was when she stopped crying and looked up at her caretaker. The medic- Martha- examined her face. The baby was beautiful. She has large green eyes, plump cheeks, soft pink lips, and a wonderful smile.
And that was when Marie decided she could not part with the baby, and adopted her.
Martha named the baby Louis, after the hurricane that brought them together. Martha also brought home with her the chest, with the decision that Louis herself would open it. But it wasn't easy for Martha. She was already 35 when she adopted the child, and with her job and everything, she was much more tired than others her age. Louis helped her as she grew up, but she occasionally got tired of her mother.
When Louis was 16, her mother turned 50. On her birthday, Martha walked out of her room holding a small wooden chest, the one she found beside her daughter 15 years ago. Louis got curious and asked "What's that?"
Martha replied "Lou sweetie, when I found you in that hurricane, this was beside you. Now I think its time, " she said while handing her the box "you open it. "
Louis grabbed the box and a waft on ancient woody smell, the kind in old books, drifted up into her nose. She held the brass lock in her hands and tried to pull it off. "Mum, we don't have a key do we? "
Martha shook her head then replied "No, but I can bring the wire cutters."
The lock was then cut and Louis opened it. Inside was a small blue leather bound diary with the words RM engraved in gold on the top.
When the diary was opened, it told in great detail the life of a girl called Ronan Michigan. But on the last page, there was a note.
"Dear baby,
If you are reading this you are probably all grown up now. I didn't want to abandon you in the hurricane, but I almost died and crawled away at the last moment. Please don't think of your mother as a coward. I hope you are safe and happy, and living with good people. If you are reading this, I didn't make it out of the storm. But I'll be with you. Good luck baby."
Louis began to cry.
The old, treasure chest lay exposed when the storm retreated. It was old and decrepit, looking as though it witnessed the birth of mankind. The chest itself was wooden, with a bass lock hushing up it's secrets, and a missing key. It was small, about the size of your forearm. And it was waiting to be opened.
The city of Locksford was on the coastline, a dangerous place to be when a hurricane hit. Hurricane Louis had wiped out the entire city spotless. All the citizens had evacuated, and all the houses were destroyed. An inch of water stood in the roads, looking over the broken trees and windswept bushes.
When aid and rescue came, they ripped away the already ruined city in search of survivors who weren't able to make it out. 74 bodies were found, but only 20 grieved for. The rest were beggars, homeless people, the insignificant people who painted the background.
As one medic pulled away the thorny branches off of a firm bush in an underlying garden, she found two things that alarmed her. A small child, naked, wrapped in rags, crying with her fist in her mouth, and a small wooden chest.
The medic immediately directed the attention of her squad toward the infant. She snapped at her teammates and swaddled the baby in her arms before wrapping her in a yellow comfort blanket. The baby calmed down slightly and began gurgling and wailing.
"She's malnutritioned. She's gonna throw up! Okay, somebody get me a napkin and a nutrient pill." The medic said. When the baby threw up, the medic gently wiped her mouth with a napkin and crushed a pill into her mouth. The baby made a disgusted face, wrinkling up get nose and sticking out her tongue in reaction to the taste, but swallowed it anyway. That was when she stopped crying and looked up at her caretaker. The medic- Martha- examined her face. The baby was beautiful. She has large green eyes, plump cheeks, soft pink lips, and a wonderful smile.
And that was when Marie decided she could not part with the baby, and adopted her.
Martha named the baby Louis, after the hurricane that brought them together. Martha also brought home with her the chest, with the decision that Louis herself would open it. But it wasn't easy for Martha. She was already 35 when she adopted the child, and with her job and everything, she was much more tired than others her age. Louis helped her as she grew up, but she occasionally got tired of her mother.
When Louis was 16, her mother turned 50. On her birthday, Martha walked out of her room holding a small wooden chest, the one she found beside her daughter 15 years ago. Louis got curious and asked "What's that?"
Martha replied "Lou sweetie, when I found you in that hurricane, this was beside you. Now I think its time, " she said while handing her the box "you open it. "
Louis grabbed the box and a waft on ancient woody smell, the kind in old books, drifted up into her nose. She held the brass lock in her hands and tried to pull it off. "Mum, we don't have a key do we? "
Martha shook her head then replied "No, but I can bring the wire cutters."
The lock was then cut and Louis opened it. Inside was a small blue leather bound diary with the words RM engraved in gold on the top.
When the diary was opened, it told in great detail the life of a girl called Ronan Michigan. But on the last page, there was a note.
"Dear baby,
If you are reading this you are probably all grown up now. I didn't want to abandon you in the hurricane, but I almost died and crawled away at the last moment. Please don't think of your mother as a coward. I hope you are safe and happy, and living with good people. If you are reading this, I didn't make it out of the storm. But I'll be with you. Good luck baby."
Louis began to cry.