𝗶𝗶

                                    

                                          
WARNINGS: POLICE ACTIVITY

1914

WATERY Lane was a tip. 
The street was notorious for being constantly raided by the police. 
Most houses were trashed, items taken or broken just by the coppers claiming they were doing their job. 
Eden spent most of her day restoring her home with her parents who insisted she went to work instead, but she couldn't just leave them to deal with the mess. She heard the same thing happen to the Jesus' and the Shelbys. the Dawkins lived in a two-bedroom house and it was small as hell. Eden practically lived in a shoe box, but she was grateful and at least her parents hadn't kicked her out. Luckily her mother's jewellery and anything they valued, birth certificates, passports, spare cash and diaries were all under the floorboards. 
"'Saiah is out playin' with Finn," she told her mum, "I sent them away so they wouldn't see much. Isaiah said he was scared the last time." 
"Little man would be scared, hell, I panicked this time. But he needs to know somethin', his favourite toy got snatched," Cecil punched the bridge of his nose. 
Celestine let a soft gasp, "The toy soldier he doesn't stop raving 'bout?" 
"I brought him that for his fifth birthday... suppose I should tell 'im?" Eden winced at the thought of him crying. 
Her mum nodded, "Gonna have to, he sleeps with that thing." 
Sighing, she took her key, "I'll go and find the boys, you sure you don't need any help?" 
Cecil mustered up a smile, "Go on Edie, you missed out on a good day's wage, Lucky me and your mum had the day off." 
—
"Tom, Tommy listen, calm the fuck down," Arthur's hoarse voice boomed, trailing after his brother as they rushed through their home.
Tommy rarely let anyone know what he was thinking but his face was a picture. 
If John weren't angry as well he would've laughed. 
"Ay? Calm the fuck down?" Tommy barked, just before Arthur pushed him down onto the couch. John was quick to join him.
Polly walked in, cigarette in hand, tired from clearing up the house and hiding any money earned from the betting shop. 
"We all know you're angry Thomas, we all are. Mrs Granberry was raided and I swore I could hear her voice from a couple of streets away." 
The Shelbys couldn't stand that woman, even going as far as to groan at every mention of her name. 
"Martha just put Katie down for a nap, don't be waking her up, the coppers scared her enough," John spat, gesturing upstairs, moving the toothpick from his mouth. 
"They tore through Ada's dresses too, poor girl's cryin' and won't come out of her room."
"They broke down the Dawkin's door," Tommy stressed, reaching for the smoke Arthur offered him, "and Eden – fuck!" 
"Tommy," John smacked his chest, irritated that his daughter might wake and his with could come downstairs, "she's alright, she told me –"
"--And what did she tell you, ey, matter of fact when did you see her?"
Polly rolled her eyes at his obvious jealousy, even Arthur tried to conceal his amusement. They all knew that John and Eden's friendship was purely platonic, but then again very little swayed the Shelby brother from his poor wife.