Snapshots

Chapter 1: Sarah Rogers

AN: Please leave a comment to tell me what you think so far xx

ChildHood

Steven

Home was where he felt safest. The place where he didnt have to look over his shoulder and check if anyone was going to brusie his skin. The place where he could draw and tell his mother stories about his time when she was working. He loved his mother but felt as though he was seeing less and less of her as she was working. She had a tall fragile fiqure, long arms and a pleasant face. She was caring and loving and would sarcifice anything for him.

Steve had noticed when his Dad died she wasn't smiling like she used to, her skin started to show more on her bones and the way she just wasnt the same. She was slowly, slowly deteriating and he could see.

She was busy preparing a soup in the kitchen and Steve was sitting on the kitchen bench. His legs swinging on off the sides. He was tried and exhausted. The school bullies really did leave a mark today. Leaving him some bruises and a black eye. These bruises werent so easy to cover today. Sarah started to break down in tears when she layed eyes on them.

Steve never wanted to worry her. She was getting sick and doing long hours in her job and the last thing steve wanted was to worry her about her sons bruises. He would usually wear his oldmans big jumper and clothes and cover then up. Making up an excuse he was cold. He never understood why it hurt. He never understood why they gave him pain.

Steve only trusted his mother and that was all he knew in the world. His Mother was home and comfort.

Sarah was crying and holding steves face when she got home. Her face red and filled with slow tears running down her face.Steve liked the feel of her hands on his face. It smelt of rose scented handcreme and he wondered what these hands were capable of doing.

His mother finished making the soup and walked to the table. Steve slowly hopped off the bench and sat himself on the chair. His tummy grumbling wildly. This was probably his first decent meal this whole week.

"Gosh you look awful stevey look at you." She had stopped crying hours ago. She couldnt stop looking at her sons pain.

Steve said nothing and drank his soup slowly. He had noticed how difficult it was to see now.His left eye had gone all puffy and purple and had slowly started to close over his eyes. It was painful to blink.

"Im-im-Sorry Ma. I didnt want to make you worry about me" He says

She stops and looks at him.

"Do you know why they hurt you?"

"No ma"

Sarah tries to hold back tears.

"How long has this been going on?" Sarah asks

"Beginning of this year ma" Steve answerers slowly

Sarah gives in and breaks down crying. " If-ifonly they knew how special you are stevey."

"Please-please ma-Ma, dont cry. Im fine. I had them on the ropes most of the time." Steve now feels guilty. He hated when his mother cried

"Oh Stevey" she says in between cries

Steve gets up and goes over to her and wraps his tiny arms around her. She looks over to him and hugs him to. Sarah was all steve had and he just made her cry.

Steve wondered what it was like to leave this earth.

Their flat was simple.

There was only 1 bedroom that they both shared. There was a bathroom out the back. The kitchen only had a small stove and some cupboards fillied with medicine and herbs.Steve would sometimes look through them all even though he had no clue what they were. Their flat only consisted of 3 furniture items. A ratty, moth eaten couch, a bed that sarah had found on the side of the street with bed springs that would jab your skin if you didnt put enough covering over the wires and a small wooden colour faded table and 2 chairs.

They were happy with their lives and they tried their hardest to survive.

Sarah was a nurse at the local hospital and worked triple hours to pay off the flat. Steves father died when he was only 4 and he can vaguly remember him. But main points he can remember was he was the only thing that made his mother smile and laugh till she couldnt breathe.

Steve would walk around in the park by himself when she wasnt home. He would go collecting rocks and draw in the dirt.

Today was sunday and that was his favourite day of all. He could finally tell his mother of all the adventures he had during the week. His mother hadnt been home since friday. She was tired and coughing constanly. There were more and more men flocking to those hospitals and there was in need of nurses to look after them. She was now working more hours than ever to pay off the rent and get some medicine.

This soup was his only decent meal the whole week. It was made with bits of old herbs at the back of the cupboard and potatos that steve had picked eariler on.

Sometimes if adventuring got boring he would wander off to madame lupins house across the street. Sarah sometimes wouldnt come home untill very late in the night. That was when steve would sometimes go to sleep with his stomach trying to eat itself. He would hit his stomach and tell it to stop grumbling and there would be food another day.

Madame Lupin was kind of a saviour to him and Sarah.

Madame Lupin was a widow and had no children. After dinner Steve had payed her a visit. She was born in france and was one of those elegant ladies. Her house was left to her when her husband had died and it was big and had alot of furniture. Steve loved the house and would come over and see her sometimes. Her house was filled with old tea pots, and vintage furniture and plates. She was a nurse as well and she would usually patch steve up.

"Does your mother know about these bruises?" She would ask

"Yes Madame Lupin"

"Very well."

Of course Steve lied. He didnt want to make his mother worry about him.

One day she showed steve her husbands medals. His face lit up with excitiement. Steve would run his fingers along them and feel the ingraved letters and goldplated symbols. He would smile and tell her

"I want medals like this. How do you get them?!"

She would smile and tell him "These things are to old for you to understand my boy." Steve would look at her confused.

"All you need to know is that you need to eat a little bit more and be a strong man." She pokes his little ribs and steve laughs and giggles.

Steve didnt know what she meant and falls asleep that night puzzled with that remark. He lays next to his mother and finally goes to sleep without feeling hungry.