Lost & Found

4: Abandoned

Chapter 4: Abandoned
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Liza woke up to find herself on a nice soft bed. She always imagined sleeping on a real bed, though she thought it would never happen.

She opened her eyes to find Dayla by her side, attending to a bruise from earlier.

"Dayla?" Liza questioned softly.

Dayla looked up from her work and smiled.

"Oh I didn't know you were up. How are you feeling sweetie?" She asked.

Liza shifted and the brutal headache decided to make itself known. "My head hurts."

"Well your sister told me that you were hit in the head by a brick. You're lucky you don't have any brain damage. You are one tough girl." Dayla said.

She was hit in the head with a BRICK?!

When was she hit in the head with a brick?

That reminds her. Where is her sister?

"Where is Lena?" Liza asked worriedly, ignoring Dayla's protests as she sat up.

"Calm down, she's with my husband." Dayla reassured. "You wanna see her?"

"Yes please."

"Come small child." Dayla helped Liza off the bed and lead her into living room where Preacher was softly speaking to Lena near the fireplace.

Once Lena spotted Liza, she quickly pushed herself off the couch and squeezed her sister into a hug.

"Liz, you ok?"

"I'm fine." Liza reassured her distraught sister.

Preacher allowed a small smile to appear on his thin lips as he watched the mini reunion. His mind raced trying to figure how someone could hurt something so precious and adorable. It was beyond him.

"There's a big scar on her head. It should be healed in a few days if it's cleaned daily and wrapped up."

Liza rubbed the bandages wrapped around her head as she tried to feel what was underneath.

"Thanks for the help neighbors, you've been so nice to us, but I think we need to get back home before our parents know we're gone." Lena sighed and offered the two a smile.

"Are ya kidding? You told me your sister got hit in the head with a brick and you plan on going back when they could do worse things to ya?!" Preacher countered in an incredulous tone.

'Yeah, he's right girls. Why don't you two stay with us, at least for dinner?" Dayla's voice sounded more like she was begging rather than asking.

But, reluctantly, they agreed.
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"That was good!" Liza said, as she finished the last bit of her plate.

"Yeah." Lena agreed

"Well I'm glad you girls enjoyed the meal." Dayla said once she finished her meal. "How does your head feel Len-I mean Liza?"

"It feels better." Liza told her, not bothering to mention the massive headache.

Preacher sighed and forced the next words to come out of his mouth. "Well.... I guess it's time to get you girls home." He said nervously.
It pained him to send them back home, but he had no choice.

The old man watched his wife collect the dishes around the kitchen table and set them in the sink to be washed later. Then she gathered the girls and slowly lead them towards to the other room. With the little strength he had he forced himself out of the chair and followed them to the door.