ORPHAN TOWN

CHAPTER 9

Cindy's POV 

Cindy's Pov ''Hey! Is there anyone here? Cindy!'' A girl is calling me. I haven't moved an inch since last night. I may have blacked out. She crouches down to see me under the bench I am hiding under. She is almost six feet tall, with short, shaggy blond hair, tanned brown skin, green eyes, and a yellow sundress with trainers. 

 ''Wanna get out from under there?'' She says she is giving me her hand. I take her hand, and she helps me stand. I realize I am covered in ashes and sand. ''I'm so sorry Rochelle is a little...'' she starts, but I interrupt her shouting, ''Insane! A sociopath! She left me to die!'' I realize I am shaking. ''Calm down. Just breathe. 

Look, let me take you back to my place, Have a shower, and have breakfast at Max's cafe?'' She says, holding my hands. ''I don't know who you are,'' I scream. My father would be ashamed of me and wouldn't like it when I showed fear or anger. When my dog, Musky, got run over when I was younger, I still remember crying. 

He ripped the pup's mangled brown body from my grasp and hurled it into a makeshift fire. ''Never cry! We never show weakness. I never want to see that again!'' he said in such an icy tone that it sent shivers down my spine. 

 ''I'm Marlene, and I want to help you. Maybe make up for what my girlfriend did to you,'' she says kindly. I nod my head, and we head for the door. There is no sign that what I saw last night was real, but as we pass the door, I see It can't be a wooden horn lying on the ground. I pick it up as Marlene opens the door. I can see the sun as the door opens. 

The food is good here. I feel like I haven't eaten in days. I guess getting locked up can make you feel like that. '' Why would you smother your pancakes completely in maple syrup? Rochelle asks me. She is sitting across from me. We are at their favorite cafe, and the food is half decent. Marlene is holding Rochelle's hand as she eats strawberries. ''What's it to you? I snap at her. ''It is just a stupid choice,'' Rochelle responds as she rolls her eyes. ''As dumb as locking me in an old hotel and leaving me for dead! I scream as people at other tables turn to look at us. ''Alright, I get there are some hurt feelings here, but you've eaten and taken a shower,'' Marlene says to calm us all down. But I hate Rochelle more than I have ever hated anyone. ''I will never forgive you for what you did to me! Rot in hell!'' I shout and bang my hands on the table. Rochelle is unmoved; she picks up her coffee cup and sips tea from it. She then tosses me a phone on the table. It is a burner phone. ''That's your reward; there are three numbers on there. But I know what you want, so call Bruce, he will help you. See you scratch my back; I scratch yours, she says with a smile. I grab the phone and run out of the cafe, puzzled about what she means. But I just want to go to the house and get some actual sleep. As I walk, I feel like my eyes are watching me. It is chilling as I walk through the town. Three children wearing white clothes have blond hair and blue eyes. When I turn to look at them, they smile at me, all their teeth showing. The burner phone buzzes when I take it out to check if there's a message from Marlene. 'Don't let anyone see that phone. No one can be trusted.' When I look up, the children are gone. It freaked me out, but I decided to keep walking and try to stay calm.