Anna Leto ~ Discontinued

Chapter 4

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO RUN AWAY, AND YOU STILL DID!" Matron yells at me, whilst I stand there, feet locked to the ground.

"B-but..."

"I told you what this would mean, didn't I? And I made it very clear." She continues, whilst slowly walking closer and closer to me.

"Please," my eyes start to cloud and my lips tremble, "please, don't hurt me!"

"Get the belt, NOW." Matron commands as a tear slips down my face and my eyes widen.

This was an often occurance, but it never stopped hurting. In fact, the more it happened, the more it hurt.

I quickly fetch the belt from the other side of the dark, damp and bitterly cold room, knowing that if I go any slower my punishment would only be worse.

"QUICKER!" She boomed, glaring at my every step.

She grabs the belt out of my small, bloody hands and my punishment began.

I jolt upwards into a sitting position, gasping for air. It was a nightmare.

Glancing around, I notice the stormy weather: the heavy rain, the rumbling in the dark blue sky and the storm clouds looking back at me with anger.

I suddenly look down, checking if my many black bruises and many deep gashes weren't on show, before quickly pulling my way too small shirt down, and zipping up my thin, much too big cardigan, trying to cover it all up.

Once seeing my scars again, my dark thoughts come flooding back to my head.

I'm a monstrosity.

I'm a freak.

I will never have a true family.

Nobody likes me.

Nobody wants me.

I'm a failure, a disappointment, a worthless freak, a gross bug that deserves no life, a mistake, a waste of space.

Maybe Matron is right:

I'm a MONSTROSITY.

I DON'T DESERVE ANYTHING.

SHE TREATS ME HOW I'M SUPPOSED TO BE TREATED.

"Hello?"

I jump, hitting my head on the low ceiling of the bus shelter.

Who said that?

Please, dont be Matron, I'll be in soo much trouble if she finds me...

"Hello, are you ok, little one?"

I look up, only to see a tall man, about double my height, standing in front if me.

"Please don't hurt me. Please don't take me back, I hate it there." I beg, my arms shielding my body, with my head tucked between my bent knees.

I peak one glance at him and am met with his horrified face.

"I'm so sorry, I'll leave, I get it, no one wants to see such monstrous freak like me, I'm so so sorry sir, I'll leave right away." I manage to stammer.

I immediately grab my bag and slip off of the bench to leave but the man gently grabs my shoulders, causing me to flinch.

I slowly turn to face him. His face has now softened and sympathetic.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I question, never having seen this look before from anyone but Serene, my one and only friend and best friend, and the boy who eats chocolate.

"Oh you poor, poor girl. Who hurt you?" He asks with a too gentle voice.

"I-I I can't say!" I splutter and run in the opposite direction as fast as I can.

He can't find out. He'll take me back to Matron and she'll beat me to a pulp. No. I can't tell anyone, anything.
She's warned me enough.

All my thoughts suddenly stop, as my face meets a wall and I once again greet my great friend: the floor.

"If being clumsy was a currency, I'd be a bloody billionaire." I mumble to no one in particular.

Ding.

Ding.

Ding.

Ding.

Ding.

"5am." I whisper, "Blimey, I barely even slept an hour."

I finally get up off of the ground, my head still throbbing with pain, and wander around in search of a place to sit down, when I come across a field.

Deciding that it'd be nicer to sit on the grass than concrete, I walk over and sit down, pulling my back off my back and placing it in front of me, taking the singular sandwich out and a piece of chocolate from one of the bars that the kind boy gave me.

I really wish that Serene, or shall I say my bestie Ree, was with me right now. I miss her soo much, I'm kind of debating whether it'd be worth it to go back. Back to St.Vincents, the children's home. Just to see her again.

She's the only person I actually know, who is genuinely nice, and likes me. She has never judged me, and always been there for me. And I desperately want our friendship back.

When we first met, I was 4. She had just joined St.Vince and had no friends here, obviously, and neither did I, as everyone here called me a freak and bullied me. So I welcomed her in, hesitant at first because I was scared that she too would judge me, but she was nice, which shocked me; no one has ever been nice to me before.
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After I finish eating my sandwich and piece of chocolate, I lay down to look at the slowly disappearing stars, and the beautiful sky moments from sunrise.

I've never witnessed the sunrise or sunset before. This is my first time, and it is absolutely beautiful. I wish I could have seen it before. It is the most breathtaking thing that I have ever witnessed.

I could hear the birds chirping a small distance away, and the trees' leaves rustling in the wind.

Even though it's the heart of winter, it doesn't snow often here. Today is the first day I come to appreciate that. Brrr. Just imagining how cold I'd be in this thin top, cardigan, leggings and flats, gives me the shivers.

The sun rises higher and higher into the cloudless sky, whilst I get more and more tired. Today has been the best day that I have ever had. Shame that Ree wasn't here to experience it too.
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