Still the omega

Chapter 1: The Box.The smell of rotting fish clung to Len's jacket as she pushed open the door to Apartment 4B. The lock was broken yet again, and the draft from the harbor slithered in like a thief."Ma?" Her voice broke. There was no answer. It was just the drip-drip-drip of the kitchen sink and the wheeze of her foster grandmother's oxygen tank.Len froze after dropping her grocery bag, which contained two cans of soup and half-stale bread.The bed was completely empty.The first thing she smelled was a slick, metallic scent.

Then she noticed it: blood splattered on the floorboards, leading to the closet. Her pulse raced as she yanked the door open.Ma leaned against the wall, clutching a rusted box. Her lips moved soundlessly."Len, you were never supposed to be here.The last

CHAPTER 1: THE BOX

The stench of rotting fish clung to Len's jacket as she shoved open the door of Apartment 4B. The lock was broken-again-and the draft from the harbor slithered in like a thief.

"Ma?" Her voice cracked. No answer. Just the drip-drip-drip of the kitchen sink and the wheeze of her foster grandmother's oxygen tank.

Len dropped her grocery bag-two cans of soup, half-stale bread-and froze.

The bed was empty.

A slick, metallic smell hit her first. Then she saw it: blood smeared on the floorboards, leading to the closet. Her pulse hammered as she yanked the door open.

Ma slumped against the wall, clutching a rusted box. Her lips moved, soundless.

"Len... you were never... supposed to be here."

The last word dissolved into a wet cough. Then silence. What does that mean...

Lena's knees hit the floor. She pried the box from Ma's stiff fingers. Inside:

A yellowed photo of a woman who looked like her-same sharp cheekbones, same defiant glare-standing beside a man in a tailored suit. She was well dressed & beautiful it seems to be from a rich home _her mother??

"Ma!!!.. what is this"

Ma's breath stuttered. The Boston's royalty. The family whose name she'd spat at every time their limousines roared past the slums. Was she in some way connected to them... What was this box all about??...

There was a knock at the door.

"No...Not now" Eleanor thought she was in her early 20s....ma was the mother of her foster mother.. she was the nicest & kindest to her than any of her foster family... Len had always gone to her when she had a quarrel with her ma which happened frequently... Now she had taken ill... She heard her ma discussing with her husband that her sickness was a "lost cause"... "She wouldn't live up to a week, the doctor had said that so we should rather not spend much money taking her to the hospital" ma had ended..

"Len"

She hid the box.. "yes am coming"

"What took u so long" Lisa her foster sis had said... "Mom had sent for you & she is pissed" she added quickly..

"I just wanted to see if ma needed help, I would be back, won't take time".

Lisa looked at me & humped "suit yourself" with that she left...

I quickly went in & lifted ma up & put her back on her old dusty bed...then I soothed her hair with gentle strokes...

"Ma.."I said..." I Kno u Kno something about my real parents.. please tell me something.. anything...

She coughed weekly & her breathing was frail...

"Eleanor... This life wasn't ment for u.. u had a really rich family & &... She coughed repeatedly... I brought her water instantly...

"What was my family's name.."

"C...c" & all went silent ma had stopped breathing & her face looked peaceful...

95 year old Rosa was dead....

Tears streamed down lens face... She didn't get to Kno about her family & y she was abandoned... Since her family was rich.. y had they left her... Was she hated & not loved...she wasn't thinking rationally her feelings were mixed with anger & sadness... She finally left for what she assumed was home