Singed, Not Burnt

I stumbled down the cliff, the wind whipping my auburn hair round my face and threatening to tear the clothes from my skinny body. No-one knows I'm here, No-one cares that I'm here. 

I lost my shoes 7 miles back, so now bare foot that damp, cold, sand seeps through the gaps between my toes. I'm freezing and I will probably die of hyperthermia before anyone even notices I'm gone. Thats if they notice im gone. For some reason, even though I know its true this is the thought that makes be break down on the sand, close to the water. I kneel down the numbingly cold water washing around my knees and lift my pale face to the sky and scream as loud as I can

"WHY ME?????????????"I yell, my scratchy, sore throat catching at the end "I just want to die" I whisper giving up, as I fall backwards my eyes drifting shut. 

I was walking down the corridor, my eyes drifting from the cracks near the floor to the peeling paint by the celling. I recognised this place, the squeaking of linoleum under my scruffy sneakers, the burgundy painted doors, and most of all the smell. Like boiled cabbage and cheap disinfectant. Everyone who went to school knows the smell. But this particular school where I had spent my early school years.

I was just standing at the start of the hallway when the caretaker came swinging through the double doors behind me, whistling as he dragged the mop and bucket behind him. It was the everyday normal school scene. The care takers arm had deep scars and burns that went up his fore arm, disappearing into his shirt. I mentally sighed as the memories came up to surface. Memories I had thought I wanted to forget.

"Whats she doing?" The voices tugged me from my unconcience state.

"Who is she?" A different voice. They seemed worried, whooever they were. Why were they worried?

"Why is she here?"

"Whats her name?"

Questions, Question, more questions swim round my head I sigh, only knowing the answer to one of their many questions. It may sound odd but I only know my name. Grayson. Thats it. I mean I obviously know i'm a girl... Thats blatently obvious. 

Wait... If the questions weren't inside my head... Were where they from? I slowly open my eyes. Righ now was the ultimately cliche moment. 5 worried faces surrounded my vision. I stumbled up, trying to get away from them.

"Hey, hey now..." One of the boys grabbed onto my shoulders to stop me from falling over. 

"Who are you beautiful?" 

I looked around completely unsure who he was talking to.

"Darling" He laughed "I'm talking to you! Who are you?" I spun round almost loosing my balance again.

"Um I'm Grayson..." I whispered

"Yeah... Grayson what?" The boy who was holding onto me smiled down at me, expectantly.

"Thats it.." I said confused.

"You don't have a surname?" Another boy asked, 

"Well no..." I mumbled

Que the circle of confused faces. They have no idea who they are dealing with, I laughed mentally at them. 

"Oh.... Well how old are you?" Another one asked

"No clue" I fired back

I didn't actually think these boys expressions could get any more puzzled. But they did.

"Well... Don't you have family to go home to?"

"Your joking right?" I exclaimed, Suddenly I was more confident talking to these guys, Well now I had figured that, no they weren't going to kill me and no they weren't going to hurt me... Well not yet anyhow.

"Wait so... You don't have a surname, you don't know how old you are, and you don't have a family? Have we got this right?" This time the boy with really curly hair spoke up.

"Um, Yeah! Congrats we are all on that same page now." I replyed sassily.

There are a few things you should know about me. I have really long auburn hair. I am incredibly pale, well compared to the other girl I was locked up with. She said I had light blue eyes, but I'm not sure I haven't seen myself in a mirror. Ever. So of course you are welcome to be shocked but I have been locked in a cage since I was 6, and I only got out a day ago. When the fire tore through the cells. I was, well I think, the only one to escape. The people didn't come after me, and none of the children followed so I'm on my own.

The blonde guy spoke up, "So what do we do?" 

Well I fainted. Yes. For the second time. 

//FLASHBACK//

I skipped down the corridor, my eyes not noticing the cracks near the floor or the peeling paint by the celling. I knew this place by heart, the squeaking of linoleum under my scruffy sneakers, the burgundy painted doors, and most of all the smell. It didn't smell good. Never did. I looked up giggling when the light flickered above my head. I had learnt to take pleasure in simple things. Thats what Mummy told me to do.

I was just standing at the start of the hallway when the caretaker, Jack, came swinging through the double doors behind me, He nodded hello to me and continued, whistling down the hall as he dragged the mop and bucket behind him. It was the everyday normal school scene. But something was different.  I wasn't stupid. Even at the tender age of 6.

I felt someone brushed my arm, I yanked it back. Unerved by the unfamiliar touch.

"Oh you don't want to do that do you, Gray?" 

"W..ho are yo..u" I whispered, my young inocent voice stumbling over the simple sentence.

I never got an answer. I just got riughly shoved round to face the thing. A horrific clown face was the last thing I saw before a rag was shoved over my mouth and nose and everything turned into blackness.

//FLASHBACK OVER//