My New Foster Family

Chapter two

When Annika turned 6 she went to Her first foster home with the Thompsons, an older couple with no children of their own. They were kind but strict, and Annika found it hard to adjust to their structured routines. She felt like an outsider, constantly on edge, worrying if she was behaving well enough to stay. After a few months, the Thompsons decided fostering wasn't for them, and Annika had to move again.

"I am sorry sweetie, we are just too old to be looking after an energetic girl like you" said Mrs Thompson.

Her next home was with the Ramirez family, they had three other foster children living there already before she got there. They were all a lot older than her, which caused her to be ignored by them alot. Their house was always full of noise and activity. Annika liked the chaos at first, as it distracted her from her own sadness. However, she struggled to get the attention and love she craved and needed. She often felt invisible, lost in the crowd. Which caused her to have low self esteem in herself. After a year, the Ramirezes decided to adopt another child and couldn't keep fostering Annika, so she was on the move once more.

Each and every move took a big toll on Annika. She became quieter, more withdrawn, and found it harder to trust the people around her. The social worker, Ms. Green was the only constant in her life, and she always assured her that they were looking for the perfect family. But with each move Annika had started to doubt that such a family existed.

Then came the day she was introduced to the Browns.

They lived in a quiet suburban neighborhood, nestled among rows of similar houses. This was the residence of the brown family, but behind its cheerful façade with bright yellow paint covering the whole house with little cracks here and there. Layed a shy little girl in a world of pain and fear. Anikka was a quiet, very intelligent girl with a passion for reading and science with a vivid imagination. As her foster parents did not allow her to go to school her only escape from reality was her books which she read any chance she got. She often found solace in her books, escaping into their pages whenever she could.

"Annika get down here and cook breakfast you lazy pig" yelled Ms Brown.

Annika, afraid of what would happen if she ignored jumped out of bed and ran down the stairs as fast as she could. When she turned the counter to go into the kitsch she saw both her foster parents sitting at the table waiting for their breakfast. That Annika was supposed to have cooked 10 minutes ago. As soon as she got close enough to them the disgusting scent of their odor invaded her nostrils which caused her to internally gag. They are truly vile and disgusting, she thought to herself. She pushed these thoughts to the back of her head and began to make them breakfast just like she does every morning for the past 10 years she has been living with them. She is expected to do all of the chores around the house including all of the cooking, cleaning, washing and laundry. Her lazy foster parents do nothing other than lie around hungover or drunk or high or both.

Ms. Brown was a woman whose temper flared at the slightest provocation. The smallest misstep, a spilled glass of milk, a misplaced book could set her off. This meant that Annika always had to be alert and aware of what she was doing and what was happening around her. As one slip up could cause her to not be able to move for days. Which just pissed the couple off more as there was no one to make their meals.

Mr Brown was a bulky and fat old man who always smelt of beer and sweat. He had a really weird stare which always made the hair on the back of Annikas neck stand up. She always felt him staring at her whenever she was in the room.

One rainy evening, after another one of Ms Brown's outbursts, Annika was lying down in her room which is in the basement on a thin mattress where all of the springs can be felt. With a yellow dirty pillow and blanket with more holes than actually a blanket to give her comfort. She was unable to move as Ms Brown had kicked and punched her so hard that all of her body had gone numb. This is not what scared her as she knew what would happen when the clock turned 12 she would get a special visit from Mr Brown. 

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Word count:809

hey Guys thanks for reading my second chapter and please vote and comment.

I promise more chapters are going to come out soon.

*EMMA HETHRON*