After running barefoot for three miles, she stops at a huge oak tree for rest. She pants and sits at the base of the tree despite the grass being wet. She covers her face with her wet hands and starts to sob. 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbAXGggrYyb
“What's wrong?” 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0wCKzqzsNP
She gasps and looks around. A figure steps from behind the tree. Zeniqua squints, “Contrelle?”549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlTsPzP1U33
He shudders, “Please, call me Phoenix. Why are you crying?”
Her lips part but nothing comes out. He smiles a devious smile, “do you want to talk about it?” 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIGxqTNHLnt
She nods. He helps her up. “What are you doing out here?” 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfR8OQySzjZ
“Ah,” they begin walking, “we are supposed to be talking about you and your crying.” 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLHOL1m5jJ3
She blinks, “yes, but what are you doing out here at night?” 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyVWOhhvjJg
“The night time has always been soothing to me. The stars and the moon, twinkle so bright.” he looks up at the sky causing Zeniqua to look up at the sky. She'd never thought of it that way. “It's like everything is so still and it's quite serene.” He then looks at her and she eyes him. “Your turn.”549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlCNy45nIFT
She sighs, “My father. He had found me. I was trying to escape the life he wanted me to live by coming all the way here. But, I'm not sure how he found me. I was so careful.” She hangs her head and shakes it. She looks up at the stars in the sky, twinkling without a care in the world.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv1Xm1046lC
“That sounds awful. Is he at your aunt's house still?” 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHymioNV5di
“I don't know. I don't want to go back there tonight. I can’t.” 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCi78SAwt7R
“I can talk to my mom and see if she will let you stay in the guest room for tonight.” 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHVqnTEGQaa
“I can’t let you do that.” Her eyes widen. 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFamDg1tLgT
He stops and folds his arms, “Why not? You need a place to stay for the night. And trust me, just because this is a nice neighborhood doesn’t mean there aren’t crazies out here.” 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1dGBnue185
She nods understanding what he is saying, “Alright.” They continue walking. “But what if she says ‘no’ then what am I going to do?”549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzqKJBaWHpE
“She doesn’t really say no unless she doesn’t like the person. We are known as the family that takes people in need in.” 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdvfIo0R3hs
“O-okay.” 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhS945rgDeH
They end up at a two-story brick house and Trell opens the door. “Mama, I am home.” Zeniqua stands in the doorway until Trell gently pulls Zeniqua in the house and closes the door. 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOruy5prdTI
“Great. I started to get worried.” A middle aged lady comes around the corner and stops when she sees Zeniqua. “Who is this?”549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7uHYH2UcFG
“This is Zeniqua. She is a friend of mine. Well, she is Gracine’s cousin.” 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh1yuDkQFA6
“Oh,” she perks up a little bit. “I am Mrs. Townsend. So, what’s this about son?”
“She needs a place to stay for the night. She is going through something and...she can’t go back to her house tonight.”
Mrs. Townsend looks over at Zeniqua, “Are you hungry?”549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcVFT80v2GJ
“No...a little bit.”
Mrs. Townsend looks at her son, “she can stay for the night. Go get the guest room ready while I fix you two something to eat.”549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUKDE7GCed8
“Thank you, mama.”549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6JK0rUEhHo
She nods. 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrySVu2iudu
“Thank you, ma’am.”
“You can help me in the kitchen.” She nods to Zeniqua. Zeniqua follows her into the kitchen. Trell goes upstairs.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡir19LbO2rb
“Can you cook?” 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4HWzT2M4Zk
“Yes. But, what are you making?” 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtnYciUKcpo
“Wonton soup and peking duck.”549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyqxc8DM2tx
“I can do that.” She nods confidently. But, she wasn’t so sure if she could do that. They both sound so foreign to her. 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVrWsnHmkui
They begin cooking even though Mrs. Townsend already had majority of the cooking done, Zeniqua still pitches in. “So, when did you move here?”549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ06qMb6TRGw
“A few days ago. I needed a change of scenery.” Zeniqua shrugs her shoulders as she cuts the carrots up and places them in the roast beef stew pot. 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxxrcAfCkMJ
“Oh. Where are you from?” 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHBDgF3cvWT
“Illinois.”549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ODUXjzWwt
“And you came here by yourself?”549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWGMbpl4FNf
“Alright, mama. That’s enough.” Trell says coming up behind them. 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIyq7KnyZLY
“What? I was just asking her some questions. I have to make sure she isn’t some kind of killer.” Mrs. Townsend assures. 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDBZHxiqNwp
“It’s okay. I know my mom would have done the same thing.” Zeniqua says.
Mrs. Townsend puts the duck in the oven. “Sorry, if I seemed like I was pestering you.” 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwkkejPdhwQ
“No, it’s okay.” Zeniqua yawns and sits at the kitchen table. 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyzJZM2qV36
“The room is ready when you are ready to lay down.” Trell says to Zeniqua. 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnDpAJy2swx
She nods, “I don’t think I will be able to eat.”549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Kh7yHQfB8
“Oh, Trell make her a snack or something. This won’t be ready for a while.” 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbqX5sXLvte
Trell makes a sandwich for her and pours sweet tea in a small cup. Zeniqua eats the sandwich and drinks the sweet tea.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHtntiU6Ef5
“Thank you.” She stands up, yawns, and stretches. She then follows Trell to the guest room, once there she gets in the bed and snuggles down. 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFNbQxq4rxs
Trell sits on the edge of the bed, “There. He won’t find you here and if he does then mama has something for him.” He winks. 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVMI3KpaV1q
Zeniqua chuckles tiredly, her eyes hood, “I hope I can go to school or something. That way I won’t be home as much.”549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtwaldNz8gR
“Yeah, maybe. But, for now, get some sleep.” He puts the sheets up to her neck and her eyes close. 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIV3KfcGzFJ
“What’s wrong?” Trell asks her.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRoyLoYetId
She rubs her face and turn on her side to look out the window. She gets out of bed and goes to the window and looks at the stars. 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuq2UsKO24C
Twinkling without a care in the world. No stress or disappointments. Just being their brightest. Zeniqua thinks to herself. 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvWqT0aZcUS
She sighs, “Would it be a good idea to go back to my Aunt’s house at all knowing that my father now knows where I am?”549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbYn0cmqMeC
He scratches his cheek, “Where else would you go?” 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDcW7Takujp
“I don’t know. I know that I have some family members in California, but I don't know where. They are all spread out unlike my father’s family who are in one state.” 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡClEOoigbtU
“Illinois.” 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhrB9xtQMP4
“Right.” She sits on the window seat and draws her knees to her chest. “I want to be with my mom’s side because I know my father doesn’t know where they all live. But, neither do I.” She begins to nibble on her finger nails. 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5IhxrcSSBA
He pats her hand for her to stop, she does. “I can help you find them.” 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDbXhkg1kkk
“How? You don’t know me or them.”549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt6vfxXB88f
“You’re right. But, I am sure Gracine knows where some of them are.”549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcZmyj2bhA3
Zeniqua perks up a little, “You think so?”549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCeidE2bOT6
“Yeah, she mentions a few cousins and where they live.” 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcR7T6kYisb
Zeniqua hugs Trell, “That would be so great.”549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH4rY4b0zt9
Trell hugs her back, “Yeah, but if you have to run, I will run with you.”549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlOGwrd8rlq
She lets go, “Wh..what?”549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7yNwWn5Wtb
“You are unlike any girl I have ever met and I don't want to lose this.” 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgeMlZMdqPg
“Trell, you hardly know me. I mean we met like a day ago or so.”549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2OcW6JktrK
He shrugs his shoulders, “I know that. But, you are a smart girl who wants better for herself. I have no reason to turn you into your father or to rat you out. If you have to run, then I will go with you.”549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4oy9FeX4Q1
This boy is completely out of his mind. “I don’t know, Trell. I don’t want you to be in danger as well.”549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK1GgnuDgL3
“Look, just sleep on it. We can talk more about this in the morning.” He stands up and stretches with a yawn.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡurLn8n323p
“Okay. Good night, Trell.” 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbqQyqzEoxl
“Night.” He leaves the room closing the door behind him.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOnLJkqcgG4
and then Add to home screen.