181. Discovery: Think of something you've recently discovered and use it as inspiration.

The actors of The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, Cole and Dylan Sprouse, didn't actually want to be actors. They did it because their mom needed money. (Or so my brother claims...)

The form a child hunched over itself outside the door, bathed in shadows and leaning to the thin slant of light emitted from behind the partially closed door. It was a small thing, all delicate bones and white skin. Even as it breathed, it seemed to crumple more and more into itself.

"We can afford to, you know that--" came a woman's voice from inside. The tones were weary and drenched in deep unhappiness.

As if the words had been directed at the child eavesdropping upon its mother, it winced. Its body was entirely still, but its little face was tense with concentration, and the lips tightened at the next words that drifted into the drafty hallway:

"We'll have to find some way to live. Would your parents help us...?"

The question was hesitant, like it would seek any other way to pose itself that didn't involve such humility.

"What about your friend?" Then the next words were low and fierce, but oddly, the child heard it better for its timbre. "But we are beggars. If we don't do something, we'll be out on the street with cardboard signs pleading random passerbys for money, having to try and make eye contact with them while they try to do the avoid it. We have to find a solution."

The child squeezed its arms, which were wrapped around its knees, tighter. Vividly did it know what its mother referenced: the sad people, the people who stood and stood, almost deadened, with a sign in their hands pleading their need, because people wouldn't stop to do them the favor of allowing themselves to explain.

"All we need is a month's rent. Just one and maybe Mrs. H-- will stop pestering us. Maybe we can make it a while longer."

A necklace, with round beadsm glistening with its own brightness against the grubby, worn cloth of an old pair of pajama pants. The little child squeezed its eyes shut, and tried to eradicate the image from its mind.

"I know you're trying. But you have to find a job, or we'll be evicted and homeless. We have a child to suppor, for Heaven's sake."

Did the child's mother even know of the valuable piece of jewelry hidden in its dresser drawer? Probably not. Its grandmother had given it in secret. Was the child supposed to keep it? Was it okay to sell it? But it was so beautiful and so rare... nothing so expensive had ever passed through their door, unless you counted the child itself. To its parents, it was the most valuable thing ever owned.

"I don't want to our child," the woman said, her voice breaking on the last word, the most important one.

They needed the money. Was it possible to go to Hell for selling your grandmother's wedding necklace? Probably, but at this moment, the child only sought to postpone disaster. Very quietly, it stood and retreated to its bedroom. There was a pawn shop down the road.

*

Just some late night nonsense. I'm super behind on this challenge, so there will be multiple posts each day... maybe three?