Written in 2022 by Ally Chin
Run.
"No one will ever love you."
Run
"Just do everyone a favour and die now!"
Run. Her feet slapped against the cold concrete, occasionally stepping through murky puddles.
"You've got no chance of ever finding a family."
She stumbled, trying to catch her breath. The voices, they got louder and louder every day. A flash of light, three white walls surrounded her. A mirror acted as the fourth wall. She blinked, darkness emerged, and she was running again.
They watched the girl, shiver in the corner muttering,
"no, stop, stop it." She hadn't moved from that position in three days. They jotted down notes on her behaviour every so often, not that much changed, a small change of her words. But they only did this for the money. Six hours of doing whatever they pleased. This was pointless anyway, no one could help her, no one would help her, she was too far gone. Maybe they've had worse, but people were willing to help. Not now though. No one wanted to help.
So tired...Don't stop!
"Stop fighting back, you'll never win." The voices kept on coming, the voices of those who hated how she looked, hated her. But deep down she knew it was the truth, no one would ever love her.
Suddenly, the voices stopped and another one spoke, one that hadn't been heard in a long time. She stopped running.
"Aubrey, you can do it, go in."
Liar.
"Aubrey, I promise, just go in!" His voice rose and she fell to the ground, as if she'd been pushed. As if her father shoved her into the orphanage again. Like those many years ago when her father was finally forced to put her up for adoption, after years of being abused, of her father yelling that she looked too much like Anna, too pretty. Only to find that the orphanage was no better.
Another seizure, the girl had them occasionally. She twitched and screamed. After about a minute she collapsed. This always happened.
Aubrey was on the floor. The voices gone, the only sounds her breath and the dripping of water. Another bright flash and the white walls were back.
The girl stood up for the first time in a month and slowly walked up to the glass. She stared right into the observer's eyes, like she knew they were there and whispered,
"help."
