Clamour & Calm

Shady Business

Lilly stood outside a shabby looking building with a tiny rickety sign sporting the words "Home for troubled youths" lazily hung over an equally rickety but not so tiny front door. Although it wasn't like it was her first time being in these parts of the city, the East End certainly did not disappoint in living up to its less than amicable rumours.

She clutched the knapsack containing the few belongings she had brought with her. This was it.

Ignoring the way the lights fluttered around the entrance she steeled herself and made her way to the door, now clearly able to see the sign, and pushed it open.

The interior was about as inviting as the exterior, with dull grey walls and cement flooring. A wooden staircase was at the back, winding up to the second floor. At the right was a plain looking reception desk and as she made her way closer to it, she was greeted with the snoring figure of a chubby man, precariously perched on a wooden chair, his booted feet up on the desk.

Well, she hadn't expected this.

Tentatively, she gave him an experimental poke,

"Um excuse me..."

He continued snoring.

she poked him again.

"I'd like a room in this place..."

"zzz zzz..."

Poke.

Still no response.

She was deciding whether it would be appropriate to jab him again when a gruff female voice sounded.

"Hello there young lady! ignore 'em he's sleeping on the job again..." she grumbled something about old Boris and useless.

The woman looked to be in her late forties, however, that didn't stop her from wearing a rather interesting black dress with a neckline that would be considered less than appropriate in other parts of the city. She had dark raven hair through which now slight slivers of grey could be seen. But rather than making her look old, if anything, it just added to her unconventional look.

"So you want to stay here? Troublesome child are you?" she said winking.

"Not exactly..." Lilly replied unsure of how to respond.

"It's going to cost you, darling, this isn't a charity you know" the woman drawled and as she mirrored the same phrase that Lilly's aunt had said to her earlier, she wondered if she had quite possibly wandered from the frying pan into the fire.

Too late for second thoughts now.

"So how did you end up coming here darling?" the woman crooned, somehow making her gruff voice sound comforting.

Why is she asking Lilly wondered. She seemed nice enough but there was something about her demeanour that was off...

"My aunt wasn't pleased with me...it's a long story" she offered, hoping to change the conversation.

"Aw poor honey, so now you're all alone, forced out of your home with nowhere to go but here..." something gleamed in her expression but she quickly hid it "or do you have someplace else to take you in? a relative? friends perhaps?"

Why was she asking all these unnecessary questions? Of course, she had nowhere else to go! That's why she was here! Her grandparents were too far away and she didn't want to trouble Patsy, Flora or Eve with her problems. Although there is Empire House a nagging voice from inside her whispered.

"No, I don't have anywhere else to go" Lilly replied.

"Excellent!" the woman cried excitedly, "so... let's see, kicked out of home, no relatives, no friends, no place to go...but here! excellent! exactly what I like!" she repeated like a professional saleswoman, still beaming brightly.