Changing tides
Petra wakes up and stretches, her shoulders popping with a satisfying sound as relief spreads down and across her back. A small twist later and the cracking dances up her spine.
"You awake?" The sound must have traveled through the curtain that acts as Petra's door. "Good, because Breakfast is on the table, won't be staying warm for much longer."
"The food will still be better than the food they gave us when I was a child." As she speaks Petra stands and pulls on her pants and a worn long sleeved shirt. As she pushes the curtain aside Petra leaves the room to enter a small dining room. A short gray haired woman in a plad apron is exiting the room.
"You'll have to tell me about this child hood of yours you speak of some day. Seems like I could wrest a pretty nice story out of it."
"Trust me," Petra says as she picks up a piece of sausage. "It's a lot more boring then you're imagining- This is really good."
"Of course it is, I made it myself." The woman's head pops back in long enough to give Petra a wink. "Clean up, alright? I've got some meetings to get to this morning." A door opens and closes elsewhere in the house. Laughing Petra finishes her food.
The morning passes slowly as Petra cleans the kitchen and packs her bags. A text book, laptop and small cell phone are packed in a nondescript green backpack. Petra locks the door behind her and sets out just before three.
"Hello!" A voice calls out from behind a bush. Petra raises a hand to wave as she begins to cross the street.
"Look out!" Petra's head snaps around just as she steps out from the space between two cars. A kid on a bike has just yelled the warning and Petra dives out of the way, but not quick enough. The bike hits her left leg hard and she and the bike tumble to the ground. There's a sharp pain in her leg and the kid on the bike is yelling.
"Calm down kid." Petra levers herself out of under the bike and the sharp pain continues to shoot up her leg. The kid continues to yell. Petra checks him over, just superficial cuts and scrapes. The helmet had saved the kid from anything worse. "Seriously, shut up."
The pain in her leg is getting worse. "Hand me my backpack." The kid calms down enough to realize he's okay and hands over the bag. Pulling out the cell phone Petra calls 9-1-1. The conversation is quick but ends with, "I'm pretty sure my leg is broken." The address is given in a very calm voice and Petra shifts to put her back against a car.
"You okay?" The kid asks, picking up his bike. "Yep, they'll be here soon enough. Don't ride around any more blind corners, alright?"
"You awake?" The sound must have traveled through the curtain that acts as Petra's door. "Good, because Breakfast is on the table, won't be staying warm for much longer."
"The food will still be better than the food they gave us when I was a child." As she speaks Petra stands and pulls on her pants and a worn long sleeved shirt. As she pushes the curtain aside Petra leaves the room to enter a small dining room. A short gray haired woman in a plad apron is exiting the room.
"You'll have to tell me about this child hood of yours you speak of some day. Seems like I could wrest a pretty nice story out of it."
"Trust me," Petra says as she picks up a piece of sausage. "It's a lot more boring then you're imagining- This is really good."
"Of course it is, I made it myself." The woman's head pops back in long enough to give Petra a wink. "Clean up, alright? I've got some meetings to get to this morning." A door opens and closes elsewhere in the house. Laughing Petra finishes her food.
The morning passes slowly as Petra cleans the kitchen and packs her bags. A text book, laptop and small cell phone are packed in a nondescript green backpack. Petra locks the door behind her and sets out just before three.
"Hello!" A voice calls out from behind a bush. Petra raises a hand to wave as she begins to cross the street.
"Look out!" Petra's head snaps around just as she steps out from the space between two cars. A kid on a bike has just yelled the warning and Petra dives out of the way, but not quick enough. The bike hits her left leg hard and she and the bike tumble to the ground. There's a sharp pain in her leg and the kid on the bike is yelling.
"Calm down kid." Petra levers herself out of under the bike and the sharp pain continues to shoot up her leg. The kid continues to yell. Petra checks him over, just superficial cuts and scrapes. The helmet had saved the kid from anything worse. "Seriously, shut up."
The pain in her leg is getting worse. "Hand me my backpack." The kid calms down enough to realize he's okay and hands over the bag. Pulling out the cell phone Petra calls 9-1-1. The conversation is quick but ends with, "I'm pretty sure my leg is broken." The address is given in a very calm voice and Petra shifts to put her back against a car.
"You okay?" The kid asks, picking up his bike. "Yep, they'll be here soon enough. Don't ride around any more blind corners, alright?"