Excerpt: The Lamb

A car door slam woke Em from her reflections. She hurried in the bathroom so as to retreat to her room before whomever it was came inside. She suspected it was Oscar and Tamara and wanted as little contact with the two of them as possible at the moment. As she left the bathroom she passed the back door and heard the bleating of her recently rescued baby lamb. She looked through grey eyes out the window and saw the poor creature huddled so desperately under the makeshift hut. Lydie the lamb was yet another thing white turned brown by this place. She shook violently with cold and Em could practically see the tears in the baby's afflicted orb-like dark eyes. She wanted so badly to do something but she knew Oscar would be yet another step closer to setting her on the streets if she let the poor thing in the house. With a heavy heart she ran back to the bedroom, lay her head on a pillow, and wept inconsolably. Life in squalor is certainly never pleasant.