I sat in the cold, the icy wind brushing across my pale face. I lay on the white, snow-covered ground, my feet bare, and only a ragged shawl to keep me warm. The cold crept in through the worn-out holes in my thin, shaggy dress. It was the middle of winter and the weather was brutal. I believed it was the coldest one England had endured in a very long time. My sister, Lucy, sat beside me, cuddling up close to keep warm. Her fingers were frozen and her teeth chattered. The wind howled as it blew through the long alleyway.

My breath appeared as a misty cloud in the air when I told her, “Lucy, I’m going to get some food. Stay here and try to rub your hands together.”

“Alright,” she said with a distant look in her eyes.

I slowly stood up, wrapping my shawl around tighter, the cold engulfing my stiff body. I walked out of the alleyway and down the street. The bricks were crumbling along the walls of the buildings surrounding us and the frozen ground crunched under my cold feet.

I asked myself, “Where could there be food?”

I walked down past the busy, London town roads and found myself at a stand selling steaming hot drinks and warm bread. The rich smell of the drinks captivated my attention. The fresh smell of crisp bread guided my steps toward its source.

I must have been standing there with my mouth watering for a while because the stand owner waved his hand in my face and said with an annoyed, cold glare, “If you’re not going to buy anything, then get out of the line.“

I jumped out of my trance and looked behind me to see three other grumpy customers patiently waiting for their turn.

I quickly responded, “Oh! I’m so sorry!” and briskly walked out of their way, continuing my way down the relentless road.

Having no luck or money, I decided to search for something to eat. I saw garbage cans and began digging through them. I found a few pieces of food that Lucy and I could eat--an apple core and some moldy bread that might help us last until dinner time. They were the only things that seemed edible. Everything else had perished. It would have to work, because we barely had anything at all. We just made do with leftovers and whatever else we could find.
I walked around, timidly asking for money from others. I hoped for anything, but I had no luck. I checked several more garbage cans and recovered some leftover chicken someone had feasted on not so long ago. Even though I was discouraged and hopeless, at least I had something to bring back for Lucy and I. Coming back empty-handed was worse.

The wind howled and swept over me with its icy hands as I made my way back to the long, skinny alleyway. I went to sit with my sister at our small corner.

“Lucy,” I said. “I brought back some food.” She didn’t say anything.

“Lucy, there’s chicken,” my voice a little more urgent, but still, she was silent.
“Lucy!” I shouted.

I knelt by her side and saw her face, cold and pale. Her lips were blue and eyes looking ahead to the street. Realization flooded over me, along with panic and fear that made my arms tremble at my side.

My hands flew to my head in distress and I wailed, “Lucy!”

I sobbed as I fell to the ground and wrapped my arms around her frozen body. “No, no, no!! You can’t go! I need you. I can’t live without you--Please!”

I cried out for someone to hear me. I screamed for anybody who would care about me! Tears streamed down my face and I shook in agony. I held her in my arms, rocking her back and forth. I held her close to keep her warm and maybe bring her back. I brushed the icy curls from her fragile face and wept in tears. I didn’t leave her side for what seemed like hours.
The whole world seemed to be in darkness. I lay beside Lucy caressing her between my arms. I wanted someone to be there to comfort me; someone to tell me everything would be alright. I tried with all my might to believe that she really wasn’t gone, and that she was only sleeping. We would wake up the next morning and everything would be fine. We’d face another endless day together, just as it had always been.

Nothing happened. Nobody came. Lucy didn’t wake up, and I still didn’t know what to do.
Lucy and I had never known what it was like to live in a spacious house filled with warmth and happiness. We had dreamed forever to live in a place like that together. It seemed so distant; road rats, living on the street, never knowing when our next meal would be, or where we would stay. Lucy and I had so many dreams and hopes that we would never be able to fulfill now. Everything seemed strange and hopeless without her. I never realized how much I depended on her until after she was gone.

Since Lucy left, I felt like there was no purpose or reason to live in the world. I just sat in our alley corner, all by myself. I couldn’t get my mind off of my troubles. There was no reason to even be alive. My only desire was to see her again.

I sat there, and lost track of everything else that was going on in the world around me. I contemplated all these things. I didn’t know which way to turn, or what to do next. Not having Lucy made everything change, and I was so confused and lost.

I guess I stayed there all day, constantly beside her. I wept in love for my sweet sister over and over, who only got to live a short life. My tears froze to my face as I did. Only the cold reminded me that I was still there, all alone. The only happy thought I could think of was that Lucy was in a better place. Even though I missed her desperately, I knew she was rejoicing, and that I would someday be with her too.

I thought of what it would be like to eat roasted ham, hot potatoes, and steaming, sweet corn in our warm, happy mansion together. Oh, how good it would be to have that right now! I could imagine it sizzling on silver plates and platters. Then I could almost smell the mouth-watering scent of the pies and cakes. I smiled because almost for once, I wasn’t starving. I could feel myself becoming warm. Wondering how I was feeling all of this, I looked up and saw someone standing in front of me. The image was fuzzy, but then my eyesight became clear. Lucy was standing above me in a blinding, white robe. I smiled with joy as tears flooded my eyes. I didn’t know why she was there or how she was dressed so beautifully; I was just so happy to see her! Oh, what a happy reunion!

She was not alone. Angels dressed in similar pure gowns, patiently waited to greet me. Lucy reached out her hand to help me up. It was warm and comforting. I stood up to join them. I gracefully flew off the ground, still clutching her hand, and went soaring, not a care in the world. They soared with me, up, and up, and up. I left behind my troubles of this wretched world and went to join my sister again. I went way up to the sky to be with the angels, to fulfill the dreams I never had.