𝐀 𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐋 ✔︎

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧

On October the thirty-first, my life had changed.

I was sitting in the main room, watching the little kids draw when there was a harsh knock on the door.

"That must be the new couple that wants to adopt," Nina said, getting up to open the door. Her hands were shaky and she seemed to be anxious.

Nina rang the bell which meant everyone had to line up at the door in silence and then she opened it.

Without even making eye-contact with Nina, the couple entered the house. A foul scent instantly invaded my nostrils, causing my nose to twitch. They were big and scary. The woman had a yellow dress with scarlett lipstick and a scowl on her face. Her husband was a few inches shorter than her with a bruised eye and a muddy suit.

"Good evening!" said Nina. She tried her best to put on a cheerful voice but failed to do so due to her nervousness.

"Good evening, indeed," the woman replied.

She paced up and down the line while her husband eyed us all.

"I'm looking for a girl," said the woman. "An older girl. Not too old, but old enough to look after herself."

I breathed out a sigh of relief. I was the oldest child at the foster home. They surely wouldn't have picked me.

My sigh, however, caught the man's attention. He looked deep into my eyes, practically piercing them into my soul.

"This girl needs to learn some manners and discipline," the man growled. "How dare she sigh so disrespectfully."

The woman smirked. "I'm sure I'll be able to discipline her." She turned to Nina. "We'll take her."

My heart dropped as I realized they were talking about me. I couldn't believe it. They didn't even know me and they were already judging me. I wanted to protest, to plead with Nina to not let them take me, but before I could say anything, they had already signed the necessary documents and I was being led out of the foster home.

As I walked out the door, I looked back at the other children, all staring at me with pity in their eyes. I felt a lump form in my throat as I said goodbye to the only place that had felt like home.

But as I stepped into the car with the new couple, I knew my life was about to change forever.

On October the thirty-first, my life had changed. And although I didn't know what the future held, I promised myself to never give up and to always hold on to hope.

As we drove away from the foster home, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that lingered in the air. The woman, who introduced herself as Mrs. Lancaster, sat in the passenger seat with a smug smile on her face while her husband, Mr. Lancaster, kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead.

I sat in the backseat, feeling like a prisoner in their car. I tried to stay as quiet as possible, not wanting to provoke any more anger from them. But as we continued down the road, Mrs. Lancaster turned her gaze towards me and spoke in a sharp tone.

"What's your name, girl?" she demanded.

I hesitated for a moment before quietly replying, "My name is Zoe."

"Zoe, huh? Well, Zoe, let me make one thing clear. I expect nothing but obedience and respect from you. You will do exactly as you're told, when you're told. Is that understood?"

I nodded, feeling a lump form in my throat. I couldn't believe this was happening to me. I had never felt so alone and scared in my life.

"What about my things?" I asked.