The Spy Inside

Chapter 1: The Secretary

A loud noise exploded in my ear and I was thrown forward into the street. The light was blinding and I could smell smoke all around me. I heard screams that sounded familiar and was so scared I just curled in a ball with my hands over my ears wanting it to stop. Just minutes before I had been a happy normal two year old playing with bugs in the grass on my front lawn.

Now I was an 11 year old orphaned girl thinking about what had happened on that horrible day that I lost my parents. Even though I had only been two, I could remember them really well. They had been kind but at times one of them would leave for months until they came back with one or more scar than before. They were really tough, especially my mother and I've been told they were really smart and that's where I had gotten it from.

For my age I am really smart too and I'm not just trying to brag. I'm the top of my class but I don't even try, so that may be one of the reasons no one likes me but I actually know the main reason. The main reason is that I am really good at spying on people and I remember everything that I see, hear, smell, feel and even taste. I really like to do puzzles and I usually do one when I'm stressed out, which is too often.

I was doing one on March 2, the day before my birthday. The next day was the day I had been waiting for. The day I got to read the letter my parents had written to me a few days before they died; it was like they had known they were going to die. I hadn't opened it yet because it said on the envelope "Do NOT open until your twelfth birthday. We will always love you Leila." Oh, by the way, that's my name, Leila. I would like to say I always follow the rules because I hadn't opened it yet but that be a lie since the orphanage was supposed to confiscate everything I owned but I had kept this one thing only.

I looked down at my table and noticed I had finished the puzzle subconsciously so I put it away watching the light hit the shining pieces for the puzzle I had just done was 3D. I was almost almost done doing so when I heard unfamiliar footsteps and a loud voice that was full of confidence and I guessed he was a man who thought he was very important. Then the extremely familiar voice of Mary, who ran the orphanage, spoke to him with the air of one who didn't care. I wasn't really paying attention at first but then I heard my name spoken and listened more carefully. The conversation went something like this:

"I am the secretary to the mayor of this very town," the man announced in his important voice and then paused as if trumpets would come out somewhere and everyone would bow to him. If this was what he expected he was disappointed.

"Oh that's very nice, now what have you come for," said Mary ignoring his want for grandeur.

"I would like to talk to you about one of your orphans that goes by the name of Leila," the secretary said sounded slightly less haughty.

"What about her?" Inquired Mary a little more interested than before.

"The mayor himself would like to adopt her tomorrow," the man said, his importance like manner returning.

"Must it be tomorrow, for it is her birthday?" Questioned Mary trying and failing to copy his superior voice.

"What can possibly be a better present?" Said he now trying to be convincing.

"Can he at least come after the party we have planned" stated Mary also going for the convincing tone.

"He will come when he comes," he snapped and with that he walked away.

I stood there and listened to the footsteps go down the corridor and then the slamming of a door meaning he had left. I wanted to be excited and think looks like the best day of my life just got better, but something about the man made me uncomfortable. I thought about what it would be like to be the mayor's daughter with servants to do my bidding and be known to everyone, it was quite a desirable lifestyle. Yet something about it seemed unfavorable; I just didn't know what it was that was bothering me so.

I expected Mary to come in the quiet room, it was where I was, and with an excited look on her face, tell me I was going to be adopted. She didn't come though which was strange, and made me wonder if she didn't like the secretary either. I thought for about 3 minutes to give time if Mary had been looking for me. I was almost always in the quiet room for I am one who speaks with my mind and not with my mouth.

I walked out and turned to the left towards her office. The orphanage was not big but definitely not small either. It had a bunch of hallways and rooms to accommodate all the children for it was the only orphanage in the county of Augusta, in northern Virginia. The people were kind enough, that is, to everyone but me. At this point I turned right and saw the office way at the end of the hall. I kept thinking as I was walking what could possibly be wrong that she didn't even tell me I was going to be adopted. I felt something ram against my knee and as I looked up I saw a wall. Whoops! I guess I had been so deep in thought I had walked into a wall. The office door was about 5 feet in front of me and through the window to the side of the door I saw Mary sitting there, not even looking for me. She was looking down at the paper in front of her on her desk and thank goodness she didn't see me. I opened the door and walked in.

The first strange thing I noticed was her hair. Mary normally had it up in fancy buns or braids and always looked like she was about to go to a ball, dress and all, but today it looked like she hadn't even brushed her hair and her clothes resembled pajamas that were 4 sizes too big. Her desk normally was all neat in piles and stacks but at that moment I couldn't even see any part of the wooden desk. The walls that normally had posters of her favorite celebrities, despite our objections to them, looked like a tiger had come in and ripped them down. I won't even start on the floor.

As I walked in her head jerked up and at first her face was scared, but when she saw me it softened to the mother-like kind expression she usually wore, for us orphans were like her own children.

"Is anything wrong?" She asked in a soft consoling tone.

"I should say the same to you," I retorted with another glance around the room.

She glanced around too and there was a surprised look on her face like she didn't know the office was practically destroyed. "Oh, just some early spring cleaning" she replied as if the office had gotten cleaner.

"Right, so has anything exciting happened this morning," I hinted, trying to get her to talk about the secretary.

"No, not really," she answered suspiciously,"why?"

"No secretary show up, no one wanted to adopt me, nothing to do with the mayor," I continued hinting at the conversation they had had, I was a little confused for Mary was not one to lie.

She looked a little frightened and then with an amused look on her face said, "you are your mother's daughter." I was confused at this weird reference to my mother, because I thought she had never known my mother. "Go to bed now," she added abruptly. I was so confused I didn't want to, but did as I was told.

As I lay in bed I realized I had forgotten about the letter, so I got up, grabbed it out of my chest where I keep all my valuables, there are only a few, so it was a very small chest, and put it under my pillow. I wanted it there so I could open it first thing in the morning. With so many thoughts running through my brain; the letter, Mary's strange behavior, and the secretary it took me awhile to fall asleep and when I did it was probably already 11.

I had been asleep for about a hour when I heard a click, my eyes darted open just in time to see a dark hand open my window followed by the rest of a dark figure.