The Orphans in the Woods

It was about dawn when Gertrude opened her eyes, stretched her body as she rose from her bed. She could tell that the sun hadn't completely risen yet, as her bedroom was still dark. She walked from her room out into the living room and saw that her brother was asleep on the couch. She remembered that he had tucked her into bed last night, and felt like crying knowing that Mom and Dad were no longer here to tuck him in anymore. She didn't want to wake him up so she tip-toed quietly into the kitchen to look for a snack. She found a slice of American cheese, removed the plastic film from it and began chewing on that. Then she walked out of the kitchen heading to the back of the house and before she knew it she was standing in front of her parent's bedroom at the closed door. Her memory was clouded about what she had seen. All she remembered was them on the floor and blood. But she didn't really look. What did they look like dead? Should she look again? Should she say goodbye to their bodies? She had wanted to go in there to look for more money, but was afraid. Now she was standing at the door trying to be brave. She wanted to be as helpful to her brother as she possibly could be. He was being so brave and strong.

She reached for the door knob, opened the door, and walked into the bedroom. Then she froze again. The sight of her parents dead bodies on the floor was still shocking. She moved closer to get a closer view. They were not in those bodies anymore. Mom and Dad were not Mom and Dad anymore. Those were just dead bodies. Yet she felt obligated to say something just in case there was no funeral or formal goodbye. She'd only been to one funeral. It was when Uncle Grover had passed away. He was Mom's older brother and that's when Rohan and Gertrude met Aunt Velma.

Gertrude sat next to her parents bodies on the floor.

"I'm sorry Mom, Dad. I don't know who killed you but I'm sure God is going to punish them. I miss you so much. I wish you were still here. I don't want any other Mom and Dad. Nobody could be as good as you. If you are angels in heaven now, could you please look after Rohan. He's doing his best and trying so hard to take care of everything. We need you to watch over us. Tell Jesus and God it's the least they can do since we don't have you anymore."

Then Gertrude kissed her mom on the cheek, and gave the same cheek kiss to her dad also. She stood up and began to look around the room for money. In the nightstand near the bed she found a jewelry box. She grabbed the box and set it on the bed, then she went to their closet. She looked in the pockets of all the coats. She found two wallets and she threw them on the bed. She went through all of Mom's purses and she found a few bills and coins in several of them and she tossed that onto the bed. Near Dad's shoes, she found an old wooden cigar box. She opened it and there was Dad's gold watch and some old coins. She put the cigar box on the bed.

She grabbed a pillow and removed the pillow case from the bed. Then she carefully placed all the money and items she had found into the pillow case. She walked out of the room holding the stuffed pillow case, closed the door again and went back into the living room. Rohan was still sleeping. She set the pillow case against the wall under the living room window. Then she went back into the kitchen to get another slice of cheese.

From the kitchen window, through an opening in the curtains, she could see the sun rising and the rays beginning to illuminate the sky. She chomped down another slice of cheese then went to the bathroom. She had a little stool set next to the toilet so that she could step on it to see the mirror which was a bit high compared to her. She looked into the mirror and saw her sad brown eyes and her messy hair. She brushed her hair, then brushed her teeth, then washed her face. She looked at the shower and thought about how a bath sounded so nice, then she felt a little guilty -- as if thinking about taking a bath was wrong somehow when her parents bodies were still lying on the bloody bedroom floor unattended. She sighed a deep concerned sigh, but did not cry. She went back to her bedroom to change into fresh clothing.