Fairchild's 7 Daughters-The 12: Book One

27. Chalk Angel

Heloise clapped her mitted hands together and breathed into them. Wrapping her arms around herself she took a seat between her sisters in the corner of the railcar. They had left Mr. Pratt under an hour ago and since snuck onto a southbound train. They didn't know where they would be getting off. They just prayed it carried them over the Line.

As the train rocked up the tracks cold winds blew into the car through the cracks. It was hard to remain optimistic in weather like this but Heloise kept assuring them that they could survive anything. They shared the car with large crates but it was too cold to be curious enough to peek inside them.

Heloise nudged her sisters. "Come on, we need to walk around again."

"I can't get up," Alifair said wrapping her arms around herself.

"If you don't move around you'll freeze," Heloise said getting to her feet. "Come on, get up." She worked her sisters to their feet and they walked the length of the car before they sat back down. Heloise looked down at them. "We'll be home soon."

Alifair shot her a look. "Are you going to say that the whole time?"

"I'm just trying to keep your spirits up," Heloise said. "We have to keep hoping and praying...we have to have faith. You remember Alifair what the Bible says about angels."

When Alifair didn't say anything Hannah looked up. "You mean, they'll help us?"

"Yes," Heloise said.

Hannah looked around. "But...what angels would think to look for us here? He wouldn't be too happy in this cold car."

Heloise stood silent for a moment looking down at her sister. They had come a long way and still had a long ways to go and even after that she didn't yet know what they would do.

"Heloise, what if that man gets us?"

"He's not going to get us, Hannah. I promise I won't let him get you. He has himself but we have faith in God and angels."

Alifair, the pious, looked up then. "Do you think one is here with us now?"

Heloise nodded her head enthusiastically and Alifair looked around the car.

"Do you see him, Heloise?" Hannah asked.

Heloise looked around then shook her head. "No, but I know he's there and he's going to make sure we get home safely."

"But I do wish I could see him," Hannah said.

Heloise exhaled a heavy white cloud. She looked about the car as the train squeaked up the tracks. "Hannah, do you still have that chalk?"

Hannah reached into the pocket of her red coat and pulled at the stub of chalk. Heloise took it from her then approached the long wall of the car. Standing on her toes she drew a circle then attached it to a body wearing a robe that went all the way down to the floor. She then drew wings stretching as far as her arm could go one way then as far as it could go the other. The chalk stub could barely be seen between her fingers as she stepped back to view her work.

She looked at her sisters hiding in the dimly lit corner between the crates. Slowly Hannah crawled out and joined her.

"Is that an angel?"

"It is," Heloise said and took a seat below the drawing. She patted the floor and Hannah joined her. Wrapping her arms around her sister she rested her head against hers. Soon they heard the thud of boots on wood as Alifair came out the corner and joined them. She stood above them for a while admiring the chalk angel then she sat on the opposite side of Heloise who wrapped one arm around her.