章節 1: A new start?
"Backpack… check."
"Snacks… check."
"Enough money… check."
"Tickets… check."
You all must be thinking I am going to watch some movies or something, what with the list. So, sorry to bust your bubbles. I am just running away from my ninth foster family, a young couple. The man of the house is very abusive.
"Grace, you have to do this fast. He may wake up at any moment!" said Lydia, standing at the doorstep with dried blood on her forehead and messy hair.
"Yeah, Lydia. Almost done."
Lydia is a sweet lady in her mid-thirties. Her husband Mason, who is almost nine years older than her, is an abusive dog. He beat her mercilessly, even before I was adopted. As if beating her was not enough, he also adopted me to do the same.
The son of a bitch!
It has been around two months since they adopted me. It was fine at first, with a little slap or smack here and there. It was nothing new to me; at the age of seven I understood that nobody but blood relations matter, which I don't have.
But those little smacks turned into hard punches, then kicks, and then much more. But today he crossed the line. He broke a wine glass and tried to cut me with it!
When Lydia protested, he pushed her away and kicked her several times. She was already weak. She was hit on the forehead, and it started to bleed.
Then he turned to me. I quickly ran up the stairs to hide in my room, but I wasn't fast enough, and he got hold of my long hair. It would be the death of me, I am telling you... my long hair, I mean.
Then he pushed me against the wall and again tried to cut me with that piece of broken glass. He was really drunk and I am guessing he is planning to admit to hospital today. I was giving him a real hard time, though. I took self-defense classes in every school I was admitted to. I tried to kick him where the sun doesn't shine, but before I got the chance, Lydia smashed him on the head with a vase. He was knocked cold right there.
So here I am now, at the doorstep of my ninth foster family, ready to leave forever. I am going to miss Lydia. She is a very sweet lady.
"Go away, Grace, dear. Don't wait any longer."
"Take care, Lydia. I am sorry."
"It's okay, dear. Don't worry about me. Just be safe. Ah, wait here for a moment!"
She ran to her bedroom. After a moment, she was back with a file that had my adoption documents, some more money, and a cheap smartphone.
"Destroy the papers on your way, dear. Now please go, before he wakes up. Don't worry about me, I will handle everything. Just give me a call after you reach your first orphanage. Now go."
I didn't know what to say. I stared at her for a good two minutes, then hugged her tight.
"I will miss you," I whispered.
Then I turned around, never turning back.
---
It was nothing new for me. I am a little girl who was forced to grow up before I hit fourteen by the cruel world. I don't know who my parents are.
I was brought up by my Nay Nay until I was five. Then one day I woke up at the side of the road without Nay Nay beside me, crying. I had a little backpack with me. Inside it was a photo of my Nay Nay, and a small letter that said, "Never give up, little one." There was a small name tag where my name was written in unstable handwriting, like a child's handwriting.
I was sent to my first orphanage after some kind-hearted lady saw me crying while sitting by the road, and called the police. When they found nothing about my family they put me there. Peace House was the name of the orphanage.
After a year of staying at the orphanage a kind older couple adopted me. They brought me to another city. They were so kind, and I loved them so much. They taught me a lot of things: manners, behavior, how to behave in front of people, as if they knew that it would help me in future. They got me admitted to school. I have been a bright student since I was a child.
But one day I was left all alone again, with a backpack full of all the things from my first backpack, and a picture of my dear foster grandma and grandpa. They had died in a car accident...
Then I went back to another orphanage, then to another foster family, and another new city. They were also very kind. This couple were not able to have kids, so they thought of adopting. I was a good girl with good grades and a good report card. I was seven years old when they adopted me.
But when I was nine, they conceived and were blessed with a baby boy. I was so happy. But they were afraid that they wouldn't be able to give him enough love in my presence, and I ended up in a new orphanage…
---
Life keeps going, just like that. At the age of twelve, after changing orphanages and foster families twice, I met my first abusive family. They were so bad, and I still hate them. One day they beat me to almost to death, and I was hospitalized. The neighbors called the police, and I was sent to another orphanage.
That was the day I understood that people can be really sick mentally, and beat a child to death. I used to have nightmares and anxiety attacks after that, but I kept going. Every time any wrong thoughts came to mind I opened the letter and read it. All these situations and the letter made me strong.
---
I kept going, kept fighting. I met two more foster families who were abusive, but I wasn't that weak anymore. I knew how to deal with it, and I knew the police were not all good, there were bad police also. I knew how to deal with it without involving the police.
I packed my bags, stole some money and took my adoption documents, and was ready to run away from them.
I know it's way too much for a teenage girl, but I can't just give up and let this cruel world swallow me whole. Running away was not my idea. My second abusive foster family also had an angel like Lydia. He taught me to run, and he helped me to run.
Since then I have mastered running. Every time I run away, I end up in a new orphanage.
But one day, the worst possible thing happened. A man adopted me, from my third abusive foster family. He was a pimp, and was planning to molest me before selling me. He brought me to a new city, where he held more girls to do the same to them.
They were some girls from some rich families, who had been kidnapped. They were as scared as me. We saw the worst that day, as he and his friends were going to molest us. They drugged an older group of girls right in front of us, then did horrible things to them that I will never forget. We were forced to watch it all. I was just thirteen then. Those scenes would scar all of us for the rest of our lives.
Then I did the unthinkable.
Robin was the pimp's name. When he approached the girl beside me, who was holding my hand really tight, I picked up a wine bottle and hit him hard on the head with it. He collapsed and laid there bleeding. I don't know if he was alive or not, I didn't have time. I picked up my backpack, and looked at those rich girls who were with me. There were six of us. I told them it was their only chance. I didn't need to explain more; we ran far away from there.
When we were at a safe distance, I left them on their own after I was sure that they would figure their way out, and I took a bus for another new city. Once there, I found a new orphanage.
That night I had another anxiety attack, and there was nobody to hold me tight. I lost consciousness from lack of breath. I also had nightmares the following nights. The authorities of the orphanage were really pissed at me…
---
Two months later, Mason and Lydia adopted me.
"Miss, We have reached your stop. You have to get down now."
"Thank you."
I got down from the bus. I hailed a cab, and gave the driver the address of the orphanage.
I reached my destination soon, stepped out of the cab, and paid the driver.
I looked ahead of me. The sign of the orphanage, Peace House, was shining proudly. I took a deep breath, and whispered to myself, "Is this a new start?"
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Lami274
Lami274 I hope you all like it! Let me know what you think about the chapter! Don't forget to vote, comment and follow me.
章節 2: Weirdo
"Yes, it's definitely gonna be a new start." Saying that to myself, I pushed through the gate of the orphanage.
I looked around the place. It's a nice place with a small pathway till the office building. They have a school building and a dorm building. The pathway was neatly trimmed and decorated with flowers. They have a big playground where children are playing. They have new playing equipment that they didn't have at my time.
"Why is my Nay Nay? I want to go to her. Take me to her."
I remember my five years old self crying while sitting on that swing that they still have on the left corner of the playground.
FLASHBACK
"Look at this orphan. She wants to go back to her Nay Nay." Somebody laughed.
"What is an orphan?" I asked with swollen eyes and a runny nose. I looked at those bigger girls in confusion.
"Orphan is someone who is unwanted by everyone. Nobody loves them. Nobody wants them. That's why they leave the orphans here. And you are an orphan. Because your Nay Nay doesn't love you, that's why she left you here. In the orphanage, orphan." One of those girl's said harshly.
Five years old me flinched in horror.
"That's not true!" I shouted at them and started to cry loudly.
***
I guess that was true after all..
I don't have many memories with the orphanage to waste time at entrance by refreshing them. So, without wasting much time, I walked straight to the office to talk about my stay.
I guess Lydia has already requested my science teacher, Miss Illize, from back there to call here and let them know about my stay. My science teacher, Miss Illize, is an NGO worker and has some great connection around here to not have any problem.
I walked to the front desk lady, who is an young lady maybe at her late 20, Miss Liza, that's her name. I got to know that from her name tag. She was wearing a lot of makeup, had brown hair till her shoulder. The most important thing is I already dislike her as she was giving me vamp vibes, you know.
Still I tried to greet her with all the manners I have.
"Hello, Miss Liza. I am Grace."
"Grace? Grace, what?" She looked completely disinterested while doing something on her phone.
Yeah, I totally dislike her.
"Grace. Only Grace." I chewed the words out of my mouth.
"Ahh.. another orphan"
Remember when I said I dislike her, I am changing my statement. I officially hate her.
"Calm down, G! Calm down. Please try to not strangle her" I whispered at myself.
"Sorry, did you say something?" She asked while raising her perfectly plucked brows.
"Uhh.. No. I am Grace. I am here to stay. I guess, Miss Illize, already informed you about my stay." I said with a fake smile.
She rolled her eyes at me. Then muttered something under her breath that I couldn't catch but I was sure it was something unpleasant.
"Wait, let me check" I nodded and gave her a pure fake smile and she returned one, similar to mine. But her one was more bitchy.
I turned away from her desk to look around. It is a nice place. I don't remember it to be this polish. I guess they got some great donors.
"Nice place, huh?" I jumped a little as the voice caught me off guard.
"Sorry. I guess I scared you." I turned around to look at the source of the voice.
It's a boy. He's around 17 years old, I guess. He has nice dark brown hair neatly brushed almost similar to mine and beautiful grey eyes.. ALMOST similar to mine!! He is showing off his beautiful dimples while smiling at me. He is almost 5'11" while I am only 5'4". I can say that he has some solid muscles under his neat black shirt.
I looked at his face and I can say that he was also surprised seeing our similarities but he seemed to mask it very well.
"Back to earth, Miss..?"
Shit.. I was caught looking at him. That's so embarrassing. But I didn't answer his unasked question. I just turned my face away, ignoring him.
"Uhh.. well that's rude, little one, you know?" He asked in an amusing tone.
Little one?
"What happened to, 'Don't talk to strangers'?" I asked in irritation.
Yeah, that's right I tend to get irritated easily but only with strangers and annoying persons. Like him.
"Smart." He praised with a small chuckle. "But you need to tell me your name in order to stay here." He said with a smile.
Oh, maybe he was one of the staff from here? But so young? Must be a volunteer..
"Grace." I said without showing any emotion.
Something crossed his face. He stopped smiling. Looks like he even stopped breathing. He was looking at me like he saw some ghost. His eyes grew bigger and his jaw hanged a little. He was trying to form a sentence but was unable to do it. His behaviour was confusing me.
But there was something else that I felt in his presence. I can't describe this feeling or name it. It's like-..
"Grace, my child! I see you have arrived." Someone interrupted my discovery of that feeling.
I looked at my left to see a short, middle aged woman, in her fifties, maybe. She was wearing a nun gown. She was smiling at me brightly and kindly. It's so rare to find kindness nowadays.
"Hello, mother Susan." Mother Susan is a nun at the church and also a supervisor of the orphanage. She is a kind woman and used to teach us morals and values and many more things related to God. I remember her hugging me while I was sad, missing my Nay Nay. She is a beautiful lady with her kind brown eyes.
"My child! I am seeing you after almost 10 years. You have grown up so much. You turned out to be a beautiful lady." She gushed excitedly.
See! I told you! She is a kind woman! I really like her.
"Thank you mother Susan I missed you so much" I said politely with a smile and hugged her.
"What?! You know her from her childhood!" Someone exclaimed in shock.
Ohh.. I almost forgot about this guy standing behind me. Why was he so shocked? And how does it matter to him? He is weird.
"Ahh, Dylan! My child. How are you? I didn't know you were visiting today. And answer to your question, yeah, I know her from her childhood." Mother Susan said in her soft tone while caressing his face a little.
"Since when? Since when do you know her?" He was sounding frantic. I wonder why he was showing so much interest in knowing about myself. He was almost desperate. Most importantly, what was he still doing here?
I frowned at him. I was going to shout at him for poking his nose in my matter. But mother Susan beat me to it by answering his previous question.
"Since she was 5 years old, my child."
I frowned for the second time in 2 minutes. Why was she telling my matters to some stranger? I was going to protest when he stopped my non existing protests again by removing his phone out of his pocket and walking a little away from us while calling someone. He was still looking at me with his sharp grey eyes but this time those eyes were searching something from me.
Weirdo!
I looked away from him and concentrated back at mother Susan.
"Who is he, mother Susan? Why did you tell him about me?" I asked with a frown.
I looked from the corner of my eyes and I found him explaining something in a rush to the person he called.
"He is Dylan Winchester. You may have already noticed some great changes in the orphanage. It's because his family is one of the great donors of the orphanage." She said.
Bingo!
"He is the younger brother of the main donor. His family is the only reason that this orphanage was still running. Otherwise, the orphanage was at the peak of shutting down." She explained with a sigh.
That's great. They saved so many orphans from being homeless.
But still that doesn't explain his weird behaviour..
Me and mother Susan started to walk toward the dorm rooms. I still can feel his burning gaze creating holes at my back. I turned around to confirm it and ladies and gentlemen I was right! He was looking at me while frowning and talking to someone almost nervously.
Definitely a weirdo!
I could hear him a little but not very clearly. I was not even interested in his conversation. We were going to cross him to enter the corridor. That's when I heard him and I was not prepared to hear him which was very clear and loud. As if he wanted me to hear him.
"But, she could be our Grace!"
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Lami274
Lami274
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