Chapter 2: Safe Keeping.

***Recommended Song: Satellite by SaltNPaper.***

(POV Althea)

I celebrated a successful job interview, now the next thing on the list is to find an apartment around New York. My budget is around 100 dollars and I'm worried that this money alone will not pay the bills and herself. I scoured around the neighborhood, preferably near her the police department, paying every newspaper with some spare change from my bag and examined each article, and visited individually them. "So Ms. Hammerstein, what we have here is a one bedroom, two bathrooms here and spacious area that could be set up as a living room and dining area here." The land lord explained.

I can only examine around the interiors and marvels, "What if I want to start to rent this space, how much would I be paying?" The land lord rubbed his chin, "If you want to move in now, I think this space would have to pay around 68 dollars every week, unless," He went closer, much too close to the comfort than I would've like to be perceive. "We could negotiate another way. A beautiful lady here would drive business around here."

I laughed uncomfortably, "On a second thought, I have other houses to be looking for." I smiled, immediately leaving the scene of the property. "I am not coming back there."

Despite browsing around the neighborhood for a sustainable place to live, I felt defeated, now sitting down at the bench. I can only sigh in distress, I can't be spending money in hotels anymore, and money is becoming tight. I looked up at the blue sky, covered with black smoke up above, didn't know that New York City would be different compared to Philadelphia, hell even Montana.

Then a single feather descended down in the sky, a beautiful white feather. It slowly reached down, landing on my legs. I picked up this feather, and looking up again, to see none is coming down. It was the most particular object that has ever fallen on me. "Is this a sign?" I questioned. Nonetheless, I put away the feather in her purse and moved forward with her apartment venture.

I went door to door, to seemingly perfect exterior to the dilapidated facade that hides behind it.As looking at my watch, it was almost afternoon and I haven't eaten breakfast since arriving from Albany. I'm seemed to be lost in thought when all of the sudden, I was bumped into a clearly agitated and stressed out lady along with seems to be a child, making me drop the newspapers down the ground.

"I'm so sorry," she was sighing deeply and hard, "I didn't mean to bump into you miss." "It's okay," I replied back, picking up paper off the ground, "you don't have to say sorry to me." She laughed a little, "you look a bit old for you to be selling newspapers around, do you sell them?" She questioned.

"Oh no, I don't sell them, just happened to have them around because, I am looking around for a place to rent." Althea explained, making the lady nod. "Oh dear me, where are my formalities, my name is Susan Barker and this girl here is Alexandra, my daughter." The little girl hid behind her mother's leg. "My name is Althea." I returned the greeting .

"Speaking about renting, we live in this complex near here, since you are out looking. If you are interested, I could show you." I couldn't believe what my was in luck, but at the same time, quite worried if the rent would not fit the bill. Then I heard my stomach grumbled a little, also might be assuming that Susan heard it.

"Are you hungry?" Susan questioned. "Oh no! I'm not really that hungry." I replied back shyly. "Nonsense, I know a general store here that could fill you up right away."

I followed Susan and Alexandra not too far from where they have started and order sandwiches. All three sat down at outside tables, enjoying the view around New York City. "So what do you do for a living?" Susan asked. "I just recently got a job at the New York City Police Department. To be honest with you, I moved out to New York City from Philadelphia to pursue my dream here." She explained.

"Wow, what an intelligent woman here. I want Alexandra to be something in life, not end up a factory worker like me," Susan can only sigh. "There's nothing wrong with being a factory worker, you are trying your best to provide a better future for yourself and Alexandra." I said, trying to have some kind of comfort for Susan, "thank you Althea but I have to work long hours, and I can't be there with her all the time."

Meanwhile, little Alexandra looked at me with the most innocent eyes ever. "You look like a princess," she softly spoke, "a pretty princess."

"Thank you so much dear." I replied back, thinking about the life she must be living. She cannot fathom that Alexandra is forced to grow up as her mother is work very long hours to provide for the both of them. After lunch, Alexandra is now holding on to Althea's hands very tightly and she seems to like it a bit. Susan can only smile at the sight, "you know she has never ever held someone's hand, very shy little girl."

"That is a big honor for me, thank you for letting me hold your hand, Alex." I happily said. Alex can only smile, "because you are a nice person." She replied back.

Once arriving to the property, Susan gets her keys from her pocket and opened the door up. I had low expectations based on what she has seen so far, but did not expect a nice open foyer and the stairs, which leads to all other apartment complex. I can only marvel in wonder, "how much does this cost? I cannot afford if it goes way over budget."

Susan nodded no and explained that someone recommended them this particular place, that this is refuge for women, needing to escape the turbulent lives or single mothers who's lovers either left them or died. "You could find the owner, Jennifer, if you turn right in that corridor there, you could find her there."

I can only nod, turning right to a semi narrow corridor and sees a sign, "Jennifer Carter." She knocked on the door."Come in." she said, making Althea open the door, seeing a busy woman looking through papers. "Hi there, I met someone here and said that you are renting out rooms?" I questioned.

She stopped what she was doing and looked at her, "we do have spare rooms upstairs, recently furnished and if you want to, I could show you." Althea nodded and both of them went up the stairs, to see a large corridor that has been quite maintained. "This room here, in my opinion, suits you." Jennifer said.

She has her keys and then opened the door, to see what Jennifer claimed, that it would fit into the lifestyle of mine, which I don't know if she could tell that I am almost broke. "This complex here includes, one master bedroom connecting with the bathroom, sitting room right there, small kitchen there, with the state of the art new stove and oven and refrigerator, and a small dining room. We don't have any woods stocked up for the winter, so you would have to buy them at a local general store around here."

I examined the space and is very much enamored, but the only question that I have is the asking of the price of the rent. "I'm already in love with this place already but I am worried of how much is the rent here?" I asked.

"Well, what kind of work do you do," Jennifer questioned back, "we have different rates when it comes to the job that you do here. Single mothers who happen to have jobs, would have to pay only 25 dollars every 2 weeks. Of course, I am lenient when it comes to that but I'll have to wonder what kind of work do you do? "I was recently hired by the New York City police department, I don't really know when my salary is coming in, can I just pay you in advance in whatever is the asking price." I explained. Jennifer can only nod, "of course, since you are about to start your high paying job and paying it in advance, well you have to pay me 45 dollars and would have to do it for two weeks. Does that sound a good deal?"

I couldn't believe it, 45 dollars seems to be quite a bargain deal, even though it is kinda far from my work, nonetheless I cannot let this deal go past me. "I'll take it." I replied back firmly. Jennifer nodded, "Let's sign some paperwork and you can now move in."

The whole day, I was unpacking my suitcase and placing family memorabilia that I had brought from Montana, and hung my well earned diploma on the wall. I can only smile at that piece of paper that she I have come to be proud of. "Althea V. Hammerstein," I read, "Graduated on April 13, 1920, bachelor science of psychology."

I cleaned the space that will probably come to be my forever home, and alas, I have the luxury of time to have a bath and take a rest. The warm bath has released all of that stress that has been going on through my body and all can I think about is the job tomorrow. After a brief bath, I quickly dried off my hair and body,quickly getting myself dressed up in pajamas.

Night has come quickly and I had a quick dinner of canned beef soup for the night, it was much but that will have to in the meantime. The milky white moon shined brightly, which I have come to admire up. With a book at hand, I got too cozy up with my new armchair and reading a new book, "The Mysterious Affair at Styles," by Agatha Christie.

The smell of a new book has completely enticed me so much and when turning to page one, I was completely enchanted by it.I enjoy the finer things of a good silence around me and having a cup tea beside me, all the while I heard the bustling crowds of New York City, the place that never sleeps. It felt hours for me and I'm already on Chapter 7, when all of the sudden, I heard a loud bang outside.

My body springs into action and immediately turning off the lights. I takes a peek at the windows and saw a major shootout that went down. My eyes can only examine the horrors of that night. Guns roared at what is now a bustling city, which has turned into chaos.

I can watch helplessly as many people are either injured themselves. The whole shootout only lasted a good 5 minutes, but in my eyes and ears, it felt forever. I took a peek at her window one last time, and many were lying dead or hurt on the floor and then I heard a knock on the door and my senses heightened up.

I sighed, just a bit fearful in what will happen next, so I grab the only thing that will keep me safe, a small revolver that father gave back in Montana, fully loaded and ready to shoot. I slowly crept out of her hiding space, and cautiously approached the door. "Steady there," I muttered, "steady." When opening, I had the sigh of a relief from Jennifer.

I put my gun on my pocket, "thank god, you aren't them." Jennifer can only nod, "of course I am not one of them, calm down there. I was just gonna ask if you were okay."

"I'm fine, but are the rest okay?" I questioned. Jennifer's face has gone pale, and she nodded no, "There's two dead, one of them is our tenants." I was shocked, and fearful at the same time, what if it's Susan caught in the cross fires of a shoot out or even worse. I tried to remove that thought in my mind, nothing will happen to them, I swear to God that would be fine.

"The police are and the special prosecutor are out on the crime scene, I think you need to check it out." Jennifer said. I was hesitant but ultimately accepted, putting my gun in a safe place and they both ran out of the corridors. There were few officers in the scene of a crime and I was much horrified. Where it was once a clean and ornate foyer that has enchanted many, has turned into a grisly double homicide. Pools of blood has engulfed much of the marble floors and splatters have turned the dark mahogany pillars to abstract paintings of death. Jennifer can't bear to see the two bodies that are laid down. A man with a gun on his hand, assuming he was a criminal and the girl, naked and cuts on her body are shown.

I examined the scene and was infuriated when they carelessly carried their bodies as if they are animals. "HEY!" I yelled at them "Carry that body with respect!" "Shut up the fuck up, go back to your room!" They laughed at her and I don't have the energy to fight back. Just as I was about to escort Jennifer back to her room, a deep voice also yelled back to the officers, making me look at the corners of her eyes, they did so, much to my dismay.

I slightly looked back at what is happening and saw that it's the same man that picked me up. He was looking at the scene of the crime carefully, and scanning around the place quite inquisitively. I might've judge him unfairly, maybe he was after all, not an insolent bastard that I had come into conclusion. For now, I'm escorting the visibly shaken Jennifer back to her room and comfort her, and has to get ready for what happens tomorrow.

I went back to my own apartment complex and sat down at the bed. I can't help but shake off this feeling of dread in my mind. It's the best day that ever happened to me but it had to end on a very sad and tragic moment. As I was to call it a night, there was a man leaning against the the light-post. I can't make out how he looked like but he wore very expensive clothes, suit and hat, and smoke was much too intoxicating for her,euphoric. A smirk formed in his face, a presumptuous idea that I was looking at him instinctively.

He tilted his hat and walked away from the scene,and I was left speechless with the encounter of a mysterious man. I closed the windows tightly, checking every windows and one door to be locked. Since an incident happened tonight, I placed her gun near the drawer and drifted off to sleep, still uncertain with what happens to her the next day.

(Violet)

It was already night time now, and it was only two pages already into her journal. "She has more of an interesting life that than me." She said. Violet looked at the feather stuck into the page, also a curious piece of artifact. She closed the journal and placed it next to her bedside table.

Violet ate a quick dinner with grandma, brushed her teeth, did her skincare and was ready to go to bed. She puts away Althea's things into the box and is ready to slide it underneath the bed, when she comes across a small box. A red velvet small box, engraved with the name Althea.

Violet was now curious to see what is inside the box, so she grabbed it from the box. She opened up and saw a ring on it. It still had a beautiful luster on it, shines more brightly under the moonlit room. There was an engraving inside of the ring and it was the same, E.George, but this time, it's now with a last name, Dean.

What is the relationship between Althea and the mysterious, E.George Dean. At least this is an eye opening experience for Violet, she can't wait what happens to Althea's story, and other secrets that lie behind this storybook of mystery and danger?