She sat at the porch with a small bag of chips, watching cars drive by on the road. It was out in the country at almost eight with the deep orange sun beginning to vanish that evening in June just outside of a small town in Maine. Her mom was asleep and her dad was out drinking, at least she thought he was every Friday night after work. He would come home drunk with the smell of booze filling the room as though he was covered from head to toe and someone had filled the AC as well.

Reaching in to grab the last chip, the wind picked up and the front door flew open behind her. Carrie jerked her head with a startle to see the front room, but all that she saw was the light by the couch still on where she slept. She had no bedroom in their one bedroom house and slept with the blanket her grandmother had given her. It kept her warm through the cold winter months when even the heat was just barely at seventy. Her mom would lecture about trying to save money, so she would read at night until her blue eyes were tired and drifted to sleep with no tv or music to help her rest her small soul.

Standing up, Carrie went up the steps and back inside. Looking around, she saw no one except her long shadow across the wood floor. Still hungry, her stomach growled, but there was no supper to have left overs. A small box of crackers was to the left of the sink. She reached with her hand and stuffed her mouth with dry salty chips as she walked to the door outside her moms room. Her dark eyes wondered down the hall way as she turned the knob to open the door, but as she did, she stopped and whipped her hand on her shirt. Her hand was greasy from the chips she had ate, then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Something felt off, but she couldn’t tell what. Her soul was scared as she leaned in closer to the door and peaked through the crack, not wanting to go inside yet.

Just when she peaked, her moms gray cat jumped out from the closet across the hall and meowed so loud, she jumped and screamed, knocking over her broken guitar that laid in the hall. “Quiet” she hissed, as the cat ran down the stairs and into the dark.

Bringing her attention back to the door, she slowly opened it to see the moon shining through her moms favorite window with long white curtains down to the floor. Her mother loved the light shining in, day or night, winter or spring. It gave her peace from a job at club, waiting tables and serving drinks til late at night with tips for the bills. The noise was loud and she hated drinking herself, but worked long hours to make ends meet. And when she came home, she would check on Carrie, asleep on the couch with her moms favorite blanket, red and warm for the winter months, then woke her up every morning at seven to get ready for school.

Never once did her grandmother call after Kara’s boyfriend left. Eight months pregnant, and Jeff was gone. Kara cried for weeks and barely could move, but worked and slaved to keep a roof for Carrie and their little cat Blue. Her car needed fixed and was starting to rust, an old Sadan her grandfather left her last year of school. That was five years ago and she barely scarped by with no family for support. Her grandmother left and moved out west, no good bye but a note in the mailbox that read “You’re not his type. I’m moving out west and won’t come back”.

Kara remembered those words breaking her soul, the last bit of hope she had for support. She never expected her grandmother to be so cruel, but there it was in black ink on paper , folded up in her mailbox at the end of the driveway. That day was sunny and the wind was warm, late in the spring with horses eating just down the road. Old farmer Joe who kept to himself, but waved every morning when Kara came out to get Carrie on the bus.

Carrie saw the moon shining with a glow all around as she saw her mom sleeping with one leg out from under the sheets. “Mom” she whispered, as she stepped in closer to the side of her bed. But her mom didn’t move and the clock on her stand said 2:03.

Her eyes scanned the room and she saw something sharp that laid on the nightstand. Her little fingers reached to see what it was, just as a hand grabbed tight on her arm and another hand covered her mouth from screaming.

“Say a word and you’re dead little shit, hear me” as the man picked her up and ran down the stairs. Carries eyes filled with tears as Blue hissed at the man, running through the kitchen to open the door and run to his car.

Carrie tried screaming, but no one heard and the man hissed “shut up!” as he opened the door and through her inside.

He got in on his side to turn on the car, when lights started flashing and cops stepped out with guns pointing his way.

“Get out now” one yelled, as he turned around slowly and lifted his hands in surrender.

Carrie was looking through the window as tears were still falling, scared and afraid she was going to die when just down the way, she could see farmer Joe with his light on the porch, and knew for once that somebody cared.