I step one foot into the batter’s box and slowly smooth the dirt over with my right foot. I slide my hand across the letters engraved into my bat. Louisville Slugger, my dream bat. I knock my knuckles on the wood at the top of the bat, and feel a low hum vibrating into my hands from the wood. I slowly move my knuckles down lower on the bat until I reach the sweet spot, I knock on the wood and feel nothing. ‘This is where I’ll hit the ball,’ I think to myself as I swing the bat up onto my shoulder. I feel the light hollowness of the bamboo resting against my body, rising and falling with each deep breath I inhale and exhale.
The air smells of sweat and dirt, and all around me I hear the summertime songs of the beautiful birds nesting in their tree. Circled around me, I see the crowd, roaring loudly. This is all for me, they’re all here for me. To see me hit the ball, to see me run the bases. All for me.
I slowly and reluctantly open my eyes and I see my reality. The dim glow of the single light bulb hanging from the ceiling gives the room an eerie effect, making it seem dull and lifeless, as if no one has ever lived here before. The bed above mine creaks with the weight of my roommate’s sleeping figure. I sigh gently and get out of bed. The coldness of the concrete floor makes my feet tingle, so I slip on my two ratty old slippers and walk into the dark hallway.
I look to my left and see nothing but darkness, yet I know there is a door leading to the outside over there. I, myself rarely use that door, for use of it is forbidden in our orphanage. I walk back into my room, slowly and quietly shutting the door as I do so and I look at the barred window. I walk over to it and slip my hand into a wide gap between two of the bars, while fumbling to find the loose screw.
I find it and twist it to the left until it falls into the palm of my hand. I grab my ratty, old jacket and place the screw into the zippered pocket on the inside. Once I am sure it is safe I walk over to the window and remove the bars. Thankfully, a long time ago someone had once removed all the screws except one, making it easier for me to sneak out at night.
I place my foot outside the window and search for the small ledge. Once I find it I rest my foot onto it as close to the wall as I can. Whenever I sneak out at night, I am thankful that I am a small girl, for being fifteen years old because otherwise climbing out of the window would be too hard for me.
I sit on the ledge and think for a moment. I think about myself, even though my parents brought me up to be selfless, but on occasion I find my thoughts leading to me. Usually I supress them and push them to the back of my mind, but no matter how hard I try I can never fully rid of them. I think about my grey, boring eyes, never lighting up. I think of my dull, short blonde hair, allowing the cool night air to keep me at a good temperature. I think of my life, and as I do I feel tears come into my eyes and my vision goes blurry. I start to shake, feeling the unwanted sobs taking over my body, and I fall.
I reach my hand out and feel the ledge, I try to heave myself back up, but I am too weak. The sobs that were forcing to put me over the ledge had, and I couldn’t stop myself. I knew that today would be the day I died, for it is said: “One will know when the time has come, uncontrollable emotions will rise through them and they will know Death is by their side.”
I sigh and choke loudly only once before I scream for help. Yet my scream comes out as a whisper, a whisper to Death, telling Him to come and take me away from all my miseries.
I, Rachel VanHousen, today am a victim of Death. I start to think again. I think of my old house. The way it stood tall amongst the others, the way people stared at it as they walked past. I used to live a life of luxury, until it happened. Until my parents left me on that horrible night. They left for “vacation” as they called it, but I was old enough to know they were on a mission and I knew that I would one day be the one to continue their mission, until the very end. And now, was the end for me. I was left with my elderly grandparents, who soon after died and I was sent to this orphanage.
