Shorts stories & Creepypastas

The orphanage

(This story was my very first "horror" story, before I even started watching horror movies.)

My name is Xia. I live away from the city, in Hernando's house. It's an orphanage, but also the place where I grew up. If this dark building is so far from the rest of the city, it's because the adults don't want to "shock" the normal children.

Under the strand of hair that I let fall on the right side of my face, I hide a completely white blind eye. I was born like this, that's why my mother didn't want me. I am probably the luckiest in this house because I can hide my disability, but it's not always the case for my friends. Kali, for example, was born with four arms. Not wanting to spend money to operate on him, his parents preferred to abandon him. Nemoy became mute after being kidnapped in his childhood, it's impossible to know what trauma he experienced. His mother died of grief, he had no one left and so he ended up here. Mohini, on the other hand, has sirenomelia. This means that he was born with his two legs fused together.

There are about twenty of us children in total, of which I am the oldest at fifteen. Disabled from birth or as a result of an accident, or affected by a malformation, we are the rejects of society. Adults see us as disgusting monsters. They even forbid us from attending school so as not to disturb the normal children, so we have classes at the orphanage.

Mister Koh Hernando is the manager, he is the one who takes care of us, in principle. In appearance, he is a handsome man, to whom one would give their full trust. Koh is a cruel man. He doesn't love us either, but he sees us as a way to enrich himself, by pretending to be a saint who took pity on poor children. He receives donations from people who pity us but who would not want to come near us for anything in the world. These donations are for us, but he uses them personally. Fortunately, we are fed and we have at least enough to clothe ourselves.

However, life at the orphanage is hell. Koh mistreats us. He takes advantage of our weaknesses to beat us. Mohini, and the other children unable to move on their own, often receive blows. Any excuse is valid to make our lives difficult. He often tells us that the fact of existing is reason enough. Being the oldest, it was up to me to defend my comrades. That's how I became his favorite target. I often take the blows in place of others, and he even found a "punishment" just for me... this man disgusts me.

When someone comes to the orphanage, we hide. Koh smiles and plays the good Samaritan. Everyone believes him and congratulates him. But no matter how many people enter this place, none of us is ever adopted. No one wants a monster, a deformed child. Our birthdays or Christmas are just like any other day for us. Sometimes, those who have already had a family, before losing a member in an accident, talk to us about how it was. The younger ones imagine that one day, someone will look them in the eyes and smile at them. Sometimes I wonder: What could we have done wrong to the adults?

That morning was like any other day. One of the youngest children had accidentally knocked over a vase that had broken, and I had to run to narrowly take the whip blow in his place. Koh glared at me.

"Xia, move aside!"

"No! Leave him alone!"

He struck me again, intentionally this time, before grabbing me by the wrist and dragging me to his office.

"You really like being punished! You're in for it!"

He threw me violently into the room. My head hit the oak desk, slightly knocking me out. He grabbed me by the throat and pinned me against the furniture. A wicked smile stretched his lips. This smile, the only one I knew.

The punishment lasted longer than usual. In fact, I didn't see the end of it.

Opening my eyes, I recognized the floor of the office. I had lost consciousness. What time was it?