Beyond the Hollow Creek Woods

  "Noah, stop chasing Hope around the house!" I shouted at the two muddy twins.
He whipped his head to look over his shoulder skidding to a halt. 
"But Phoenix, she won't stop nagging me!" He angrily exclaimed as he wiped mud from his little face.
Raising my hands to my hips, I turned my glare to a bashful looking Hope waiting for an explanation.  She shifted her gaze down suddenly finding her dirty bare feet more interesting to study instead of looking at me. 
Her face grew a bright red as she muttered sheepishly "I just wanted him to play tag with me."
Noah narrowed his eyes sending his sister an icy glare.  "I said I'd play with you as long as it wasn't in the mud!" He barked out.
"I know, but it's more fun when you play in the mud!" She whined back.
"Alright, enough you two!" I demanded shutting them up instantly. 
I couldn't stay mad at them, not when they were both staring me down with their bright blue eyes. I lowered my hands and let out a sigh.
"How about we play a game and watch a movie with everyone else after supper." I suggested. "Instead of getting everything all dirty." I added sending Hope a knowing look.
  Both of their shoulders dropped in relief as they each gave me a toothy grin.
  "Now just because I didn't give you a proper hollering doesn't mean Ms. Dawn won't. So if I were you two I'd go get cleaned up before she rings that dinner bell." I warned them. 
Their eyes widened and the next thing I see is Noah ushering Hope up the stairs to wash up, because no wants to hear the wrath of Ms.Dawn, especially when she's grouchy.  I shook my head and let out a small chuckle as I watched them hurry away.  I threw my fiery red hair into a quick messy bun and started my way towards the kitchen to help Ms. Dawn prep dinner for at least thirty starving munchkins.  As soon as I stepped foot into the cramped kitchen I saw Ms. Dawn slaving over the stove.  I headed towards the counter to finish chopping the scattered vegetables she had sprawled out.  As soon she realized she was no longer alone in the kitchen and heard me chopping away, she tensed, snapping her head around to no doubt yell at whoever had the giant pointy knife in their hand.  When her eyes landed on me her face softened. 
"Oh, thank God it's just you." She huffed out.
She turned back to the stove to continue stirring a large pot which I assumed had soup in it.
"I've been waiting for you to come help me out.  There's only so much I can do with all of these kids running around causing havoc." She said with her back still to me.
  I rolled my eyes with a smile and scoffed. 
As if she knew I was mocking her she snapped at me "Phoenix don't you roll your pretty little eyes at me, you know how hard it is to take care of all you little ones!"
With a grin I snorted at her and joked "Oh come on Dawn you know I'm not considered a little one anymore." 
I was twenty three years old and she still badgered me around as if I was a rowdy teenager.
"Oh hush! You're still my little girl, and you're living under my roof, so therefore you're considered a 'little one'."  She scolded playfully.
I stayed quiet as I finished cutting up the remaining vegetables and thought to myself.  Truthfully I wasn't Dawn's little girl, because I'm an orphan, or was an orphan, I'm too old to be called that now.  According to Dawn's story I literally showed up out of nowhere bundled in a scrappy blanket with a crinkled snippet of paper with the name Phoenix scribbled on it.  She had told me I was left at her orphanage's front steps wailing like a banshee.  Dawn took me in like the rest of the children, and I grew up in her cozy orphanage with all of the other rugrats.  I bounced from house to house encountering family after family, but I never settled with anyone to actually have a home.  I was known to have in my opinion a small temper, but Dawn prefers to say that I have a free spirit. I suppose it was her way of saying I was a wild child.  Therefore, I had families tripping over their feet just to bring me back, and I ended up at square one once again. 
However, each time I was thrown back into the welcoming arms of Dawn she reassured me with a warm smile saying "Don't you worry child there's a family out there for you.  It's just not your time yet."
But, as year after year passed by I watched kids that I've known since I was a little girl jump with glee when they were adopted and sent off to their new family.  I stayed hopeful until I was about thirteen years old, because who wants to adopt an unruly teenager with a feisty attitude? Absolutely no one.  So all I have to say to whoever created the saying 'Good things come to those who wait' is full of shit, because I've waited for over two decades, and I still have no family.  As I grew older and my high hopes dwindled, Dawn had decided to keep me, not as her own, but as a worker. It worked out well for both of us, because I knew the house inside and out, and she needed another pair of hands to help around with the children.  Me on the other hand, I was desperate to keep my warm bed at night and to have a decent plate of food everyday.  I never understood why Dawn didn't want me as her actual daughter, but I refused to ask in fear she'd be angry at me for being ungrateful.  So I've kept my mouth shut about it and dealt with what I was given.  I love Dawn for what she's done for me, but she's no mother figure, she's more of a caretaker.  I personally believe she just doesn't want to grow too attached to the kids, or me.
Suddenly I felt a warm hand cover my shoulder disrupting my train of thoughts.
  I looked up to see Dawn's hazel eyes boring into mine with concern. 
"You okay Phoenix?" She asked me.
I smiled "Yeah just got carried away that's all." I said.
"Child, your head is always up in the clouds.  What's on your mind?" She questioned me while grabbing a handful of cut up vegetables. She threw them into the simmering pot of soup and looked at me.
Shaking my head I reassured her.
"Nothing's troubling me Dawn. You know me, I love to drift off once in awhile." I tried joking to ease her mind.
"I know that darling, but you've been doing it more than normal that's what concerns me." She commented as she began to stir the soup again.
"Relax Dawn I'm fine." I stated trying to get her to drop the subject.
She let out a forced breath as she turned to me while dusting her hands down her tattered apron.
"Okay. Well then let's call these kids down for some supper." She smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.
Dawn rang the brass bell signaling that the food was done.  I began placing bowls around the dinner table when I heard the stampede of feet scurrying into the kitchen.  Everyone took their seats growing quiet as they waited for Dawn to be seated and say Grace.  Once she finished, chatter and the sound of clanking silverware filled the room.  My heart warmed as I watched the little rascals stuff their faces with soup and chunks of bread.  The bread may have been a little stale, and the soup was made with what we had to work with, but no one seemed to complain.  Dawn worked hard to put food on the table for everyone, and she may not show how stressful it really is, but the streaks of grey hair that peeked through her brown hair did.  A light tug on my arm drew my attention to the little one next to me.  It was Hope looking curious.
"Nixie, what's this green stuff in my soup?" She asked scrunching her little nose in distaste.
I glanced down at the small green blob in her spoon and replied "It's celery Hope, now eat up, so we can all play a card game afterwards."
With her face still scrunched up she complied and shoved the spoonful in her mouth.  We all finished eating and made the usual assembly line to help clean up.  After twenty minutes of washing and putting dishes away, Noah broke out the poker chips and a deck of cards.
  "Alright who's up for a round of poker?" He said.
This boy was only ten years old, but could whip anyone's ass when it came to poker, this kid was a champ, and didn't let anyone forget it.  A crowd of eight or so boys huddled around him.
"You're on Noah! You swiped two of my candy bars last time!" One of the boys roared. 
"Oh please Tommy, it was like taking candy from a baby." Noah bragged with a smirk.
"Why can't we just play Go Fish or something?" I heard Hope grumble.
  A group of girls nodded their heads in agreement not interested in playing poker with the boys.
" Hope, you just don't want to lose to me again for the tenth billion time, and besides Go Fish is lame!" Noah said to his sister.
Hope balled her fists at her side "That's not true! I've beaten you before, you just don't want to admit it!" She growled out.
Man, I never get a break when it came to the twins. 
Before things got out of hand I said "Come on girls let's go start a movie in the other room while the boys play their game.  I'll even let you choose what to watch."  I added at the end.
They all looked at each other and giggled, rushing into the family room.  No doubt I already knew what they were sliding into that DVD player, Frozen.  They all loved that movie no matter how many times they've watched it. They all sung along with Elsa as right on cue when she sang 'Let it go'.  Noah began dealing out their cards and I headed to the family room to see all the girls all cuddled together on the couch.  Some of the other girls piled on top of each other on the floor just to get closer to the screen.  I squeezed in between some of the girls on the couch and watched the movie with them. 
After the credits on the screen stopped rolling most of the girls were passed out and soft snoring could be heard throughout the room.  So, I turned off the TV and stepped around them careful not to step on any toes.  I woke up the ones that were sleeping and told them to go bed for the night.  Eventually everyone shuffled their way to bed while rubbing their sleepy eyes.  I followed them and headed to my own room and crawled into bed letting sleep take over my exhausted mind.