It's All a Lie

Ch. 3

Back to the Orphanage
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Now that the sun has risen it's easier to be caught. I have to climb over the wall furthest away from the guardhouse and orphanage to lessen my chance of being seen, but that also adds more time to get to my room, man; this sucks. I quickly climb over the wall and jump down on the other side. My ankles start to hurt, but I quickly shake it off and sprint across the grass to the rope. As I jump back into my room through my window, I hurry to untie my rope from the bed till I hear footsteps moving down the hall to my room. Shoot, I thought, Mrs. Tellur's coming. I threw the rope under the bed and grabbed the book we were reading in my English class.

"Esma," Mrs. Tellur said as she opened the door to my room, "Guess what, I just received a call from Ares Valley Boarding School that you received a full scholarship to their school. They told me they are picking you up at 10 today. Here," Mrs. Tellur pulled a small black suitcase from behind her, "use this to put all your stuff in." I stood up and walked over to take the suitcase. "Make sure you come down earlier to eat," said Mrs. Tellur, smiling as she left the room.

It was two years ago when Mr. Tellur found me in an Idaho forest. I was 12 at the time, my white hair was starting to grow back in so only the ends of my hair were still a dark brown and I was covered in dirt. My cheek was bruised and I was covered in my own dried up blood. My clothes started to get holes and my blue backpack was feeling light with only a few more days of food. I was extremely lucky when Mr. Tellur found me that day. He smiled at me and held out his hand, he didn't ask any questions on why I was there or why I was by myself. He just took the backpack I was holding and told me his wife owned an orphanage so he could take me there. While I can admit I was apprehensive about getting into a stranger's car, I didn't have anything to lose. I slid into the back seat of the pickup truck trying to stay as far from him as possible and tightly gripped my hands thinking to myself I made a good choice. He didn't try to make me talk to him, he just flipped through the radio and asked me if I liked any of the songs he was playing. That's how most of the days went. Him flipping through and singing songs while I watched him smile and laugh without a care in the world. The orphanage was in Seattle, Washington. After we passed through the stone wall and black gate, the light yellow orphanage shined brighter than the sun. Mr. Tellur already told Mrs. Tellur I was coming so as I got out of the car Mrs. Tellur pushed open the doors beaming as brightly as the orphanage. She showed me my room and told me what was expected of me. She helped me cut off my dyed hair, leaving my hair at chin level. The next day while everyone was playing outside I went to introduce myself but was completely ostracized due to my white hair. I ran back inside to find the library and sat and read for the rest of the day. Same thing happened with the future adopters who came and went taking other children other than me, not that I was sad. I stared and watched out the window of the library with a single expression on my face not caring if others thought of me as creepy or scary.

I pack my small amount of clothes, rope, weapons, and toiletries into my worn out blue backpack. I pack all my bedding and shoes into a small black suitcase Mrs. Tellur left by my door. The only thing left in my room now is the bed and a large mirror. My hair was back to its original length, wavy, white hair that reached my mid-back. I quickly tied it back into a ponytail and threw on a navy shirt and leggings with special black boots that I designed myself to hide a knife and lock picking tools. I rolled my suitcase out the door and looked back to my old room. The walls were white but dirty, some days you would find bugs or other insects in the corners. I slam my old bedroom door closed and walk out into the hallway to the stairs, but right before I reach them I hear a door slams shut from behind me.

"Where are you going, you're too ugly to be adopted."

I spin on my heel to find Sierra with her hands on her hips glaring at me. Sierra has hated me from the first day I arrived at the orphanage. She was the first to ostracize me and convinced the other children to do the same. Even then she never talked to me. After spreading rumors about me, she ignored me.