Homeless

expression is puzzled, “I don’t have ahome.”

     “You’re silly,” Emily giggles. “You’ve been a silly goose allthis time.”

     “Your parents would never let me go home with you. I’m astranger to them, you know?” Wiley tries to explain to the youngEmily.

     “Oh,that’s not my home anymore. They don’t need me. They have my babybrother.”

     “I don’t think I understand,” Wiley is stillconfused.

     Emily raises her index finger as she speaks. “They said I hadto show you the way home because you can’t find it, and that youdon’t have to stay near the lake anymore because no one will findyou anyway.”

      “Your parentstold you this?” He pulls his hand from Emily’s grip to scratch hishead.

“Take my hand!” Emilystomps her foot as she extends her arm to Wiley. “Don’t you see youdon’t belong here anymore?”

     “I remember,” Wiley voices in a broken tone. “I know whathappened to me.”

Slowly, he turns to view the lake where hisremains lay hidden within the depths of the murky waters. Wiley’smemory recounts images of the day he had been stabbed and pushedinto the lake, where he had drowned.

Emily’s petite arms embrace Wiley.

“We’re going home now, Wiley,” she pulls onhis hand, indicating him to follow. “We’ll never be homelessagain.”