The Orphanage: Before the Chaos

Margaret

Margaret's POV:
T/W: Verbal argument

    I slowly pulled out my house key and hesitated for a moment.

"Margaret, be careful around the Forsythe children. They are not a force to be reckoned with."

Well, I think I know why they aren't a force to be reckoned with. Do I not? I'm starting to wonder if Virginia is sane. Does she need help? Maybe tomorrow I could ask her if she needs help. She scares me a lot though. What did she even do? It was like witch's magic. I'm just plain old silly though, witch's don't exist. There has to be a reasonable explanation for what happened today.

I thrust the key in the keyhole and opened the door.

"Mama! Mama!" My three year old, Evelyn, comes running up to me. I drop my purse and embrace her.

I thank and pay Betty, Evelyn's part-time nanny while I'm at work, and she leaves to go back to her husband. That makes me recall my own. A few years ago....

——————————————————————————————Flashback——————————————————————————————

    I'm sitting on the couch, waiting for my husband, Edward, to get home from work. We had been married for three years, and I had always wanted a child of my own. I was brought back to reality when I hear the front door open.

"Hey," he says, partially stumbling into the living room.

"Edward George Clifton, you're late."

"Oh- I- I went to the bar to have a few drinks with my mates," he says slowly, as if he's making something up, He sits down across from me.

I then notice a pink smudge on his collar. I don't know whose it is, but it's not my lipstick. I chose to ignore it though. I'll mention it later.

"Anyway, I have some important news."

"Hmm?"

"Remember how I always wanted a child? Well, I went to the doctors today, and I found out.... I'm pregnant!" I smile enthusiastically

"What do you mean?" His face contorts to a look of disgust.

"I- I mean your child is growing inside of me."

"You know I never wanted a child! Why'd you become pregnant?!" He raised his voice. I didn't like it when he did that.

"Well, I didn't have a choice, it just happened!!" I'm offended.

"I can't deal with this, I'm leaving." He got up to get a bag and pack his belongings. I watched him pack his clothing, money, and his toiletries.

"Edward, you're drunk! Let's talk this over tomorrow when you're sober." I tried to reason.

"No! No! I'm done, I can't deal with you anymore, you never listen to what I want!" he says, slamming his trunk shut and opening the car door.

He turns the car on.

"Edward, please!" I yell as he pulls out of the driveway. I break down on the pavement.

Some of my friends say he got into a car accident because he was drunk. Some say he went to the west with whoever's lipstick was on his collar, married, and had a child with her.

                                             Either way,
        I never saw him again.

————————————————————————————End Of Flashback———————————————————————————-

"Mama, what's for dinner?" Evelyn pulls on my skirt.

I look down at her big forest green eyes.

"Meatloaf with carrots and bread." I smile and go back to my cooking.

After we eat dinner I put Evelyn to bed and decide to clean up and wash the dishes. I grab the sheet pan on top of the stove and turn to put it in the sink when I see something in the corner of my green painted kitchen.

"Oh, Evelyn, darling, you scared me." I laugh it off.

Then I look closer. A pale skinned girl, black hair tied up in pigtails.

I scream and drop the pan.

"Virginia, what are you doing in my house?!"

Then she was gone, like a magic trick... Like she was invisible.

I finished cleaning up and put on my nightgown. I decided to write in my diary about it. I'm afraid I'm going crazy, imagining Virginia in my house. I'm also scared because some of the kids at the orphanage are going missing!

5/09/1921
Hello Diary! I'm really starting to not like this place. So many kids are starting to go missing and this one girl keeps stalking me. I am scared to shout at her. I don't think she is even human. I even see this girl in my house. I don't even know if it's real or my mind, I am so scared; I want this to be stopped.

I don't want to write her name. I just don't want to write or say it. I feel that her name is like a curse, like if I say or write it outside of the orphanage something bad might happen. I shouldn't worry though. She's just a young girl. It's not like she could do anything bad. Right?