The Lost Child | ✍🏼

03. Everyone is Cruel

 - Julianna Rodriguez - 

Stepping off the boat, I reached for the nearest bucket, as I let go of everything I had been holding onto for however many hours we were travelling for. "Now girls, you are going to have to run before anyone else sees you. I wish you all the best" the nice lady then kissed the two of us on our heads. She really did have some issues, as she was nice, then would go silent, then kissed us like we were her own. 

We nodded in response, not knowing what to say, before the lady slid into the shadows. I then grabbed Annalise's hand in mine, as the two of us rushed off into the dark of the night, hearing people's voices nearing where we had crawled out of. 

I took a glance back, checking that no one had seen us, but because I hadn't stopped running, I ran into someone. I stumbled back, bringing Annalise with me. "Sorry" I huffed out, regaining my balance as the person above just huffed in annoyance before walking past us. 

"Some people just don't get it-" I had to grab Annalise by the neck of her school shirt to hold her back from going for the man that would surely snap the two of us in half just by the click of his finger. 

"It's not worth it. We need to go now" and with that, we were running for our lives once again, to somewhere we didn't know. 

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"What are you two girls doing, covered in all of this muck?" an older woman huffed at us, as we were passing by some large, black gates. It was in the middle of the night, I was sure of it, from the way the sky was getting brighter as we continued to run for safety. 

"Uhh, nothing?" I questioned, unsure of what the lady was asking. "Come on in then and get cleaned up before meeting me in the dining hall" I was so confused as to what was going on, but the two of us just followed the old woman inside, not wanting to disobey her. 

We scuffed our shoes most of the way, as the lady was practically running towards these two large oak doors. I kept my head down, not noticing the black gates had opened behind us, revealing a big black car. 

"Oh deary me" the older lady huffed in annoyance, as she stopped walking, allowing the two of us to catch up to her and be standing by her sides. "Go inside and get changed. Be down for breakfast" 

And with that, we were scurrying into this new place. A girl was standing at the top of the stairs that we chose to walk up, having seeing the word 'dormitories', which was just like where we used to live. "Hey, you two. Come with me" Annalise and I just decided to follow her, having nothing better to do. 

We seemed to have been stuck in this place that reminded me so much of where we had run from. The lady that had spoken to us was much kinder than anyone had been to us at the old place. "You two are new" the new girl spoke, stating the obvious. 

I nodded, having no idea what to say to her. "Well, you can just stick with me" this girl was blunt, but for some reason I didn't mind. "We don't have anything" Annalise stated, while I was too busy trying to get a look at the people that had distracted the woman from dragging us in here, practically by the ear. 

If she could of grabbed our ears, I reckon she would of. "You can have the spares I have collected over the years" we then followed the girl into a room, where there was many other girls, all propped up on mattresses. Instead of them looking like they were covered in mold, they had sheets, and were on a base. They didn't have to sleep on the floor. 

"Here" I was then handed a pile of clothes, as was Annalise, before I was then shown two beds, closest to the doors. "The girls that slept in these beds left two years ago and we never got anyone to replace them in our dorm. What are your names, by the way?" the girl continuously was rambling, almost making me deaf. 

No one had spoken this much to me, in such a short span of time. Even though I didn't know her, she wouldn't stop talking; she didn't leave the two of us alone, and I guess I was okay with it. "I'm Juliana" I murmured, storing some of the clothes in the chest of drawers that was at the end of my bed. 

"I'm Annalise" Annalise was much brighter with this girl, while I had always been the timid. I had the brains, but not necessarily the confidence. That was what Annalise was there for. 

"I'm Aurelia. So, you wear the blue skirt with the white shirt, then the nightie is for bed time, and then these were just spare clothes you wear on weekends, and when you chose your extra-curricular and sport classes, you will have to go and get fitted" 

I just nodded along to the girl, as she was then directing us to the bathrooms, while I could still hear people murmuring downstairs. I stopped, leaning over the railing to get a better look. I saw the backs of two boys, and the woman from before was in front of them, talking about something I couldn't quiet hear. 

"Who are they?" I whispered, hoping no one would hear. It seemed as though these people had kept this girl up as well. "That's Alvaro and Juan Rodriguez. Juan sits in our group, but doesn't really speak much anymore. He had a twin sister, which reminds me. Her name started with a J" 

Aurelia looked at me like I knew the answer, when I actually didn't. "I don't have any family" was all I said, while she cautiously nodded. We then continued on our way, disappearing into some bathrooms, before their was footsteps rushing up the stairs. 

All I caught being said was "Juan, this is a new start. It doesn't matter what has happened over break, because this is a new school year. Work hard, and you'll get what you deserve" I wish I had a brother that could have said those words. 

Thinking back, those words sounded so familiar. If I thought hard enough, I would have realized that those words were said on the staircase, the same stairs I had been rushed up, where this whole crazy life of mine started. It all began with those words. 

I brushed it off, as I ducked into a stall, changing into Aurelia's spare clothes, that were a little big, but nothing I wasn't used too. As soon as I stepped out, Aurelia made quick work of doing Annalise and I's hair for us, while she found some spare shoes in lost and found, before we threw our old clothes in the dressers. 

Before I knew it, I was rushing down, sitting down at a table, where I was being introduced to all these new people. What a hell of ride this had become, all because we had chosen to run away from where we thought we belonged. 

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thoughts? xx