Perfect

Remember

**Rosa's POV**

'Hi there "sweetie", you look different in the flesh. Rachael, I thought that you said that she was pretty....Have you got another daughter or something coz she isn't pretty at all!' a mocking Robert laughs at me, I don't know what to do or say. 'Sorry Robert, if I told you the truth about my daughter, then I was afraid that you would not want to go out with me. If you want, we can get rid of her, dump her in a care home.' Mum taunts at me, I am so surprised, so has never said anything like this before. I try to run away, but Robert grabs my shoulder and holds it tight. 'You are going nowhere misses, when we are done with you, you will look like a girl again. You should be ashamed of yourself, letting your mother down, ruining the family name!' He sneers as he twists my face to face him. 'You have dishonoured your dad Rosa. The punishment for that, exile....' mum cackles angrily as she kicks me into a care home.

'Children, this is Rosa. She was exiled by her parents because she bought shame to their name. Unfortunately they handed her over to us. Just what we need, a little good-for-nothing. If I did not know better, I would say that "she" was a he, if you know what I mean children. Stay away from her, don't talk to her or even look at her. She is hideous.' a grumpy old lady wearing a grey apron lectures. Why was everyone being so mean? I did nothing wrong, or did I? I needed someone to talk to. I turned around to see a small crowd of children, all facing the other way. 'Help me, where am I? What am I doing here?' I cry as I feel a tear trickle down my cheek 'I want my mum!' I call 'I want my mum...' I whisper into my sleeve.

The next thing I know I am chained up in a small, grey, damp cell. There are bars instead of doors and windows. I feel like I am a prisoner. I can't live here. There are rats and puddles everywhere, and there is no bed. Only a small, tatty blanket on the floor. 'I hope you like your new home Rosa. You will be staying here for a while. Until you get fostered, which is EXTREMELY unlikely. The only way YOU would get fostered is if I paid them to! And I don't have that much money. So I would get comfortable if I was you.' the mean apron lady grunted 'Lunch will be at 1:30PM, pizza and chips, I think......But oh no, you won't want any because you are on a diet.....Shame, I will have to give Timmy your lunch then...' she continued 'I am on a diet, but please I am so hungry, do I get breakfast or supper?' I question nervously, my hands and feet digging into the cold, hard chains that surrounded them. 'Certainly not! The other children, of course. They have been good and honourable....but you on the other hand.....No. No breakfast or supper for you. Oh, and lunch.' she snarled, I was so scared, how was I going to survive without food?

I wake up to find that I am still in the same, dark cell. The chains have now made a red imprinted on my wrists and ankles. I stink. I haven't had a shower in days and I really need to go to the toilet. My stomach was growling, like it was devouring itself. My heart sounded weaker, like it was about to stop at any time. My whole body felt as stiff as a stone. The only company I had was the rats. The first few days were torture. But now I am used to them. But the only thing I can think about is what will become of me? Will I die here? Will I be given food? Will someone find it in their heart to foster me? Will mum come back for me? I feel a salty tear run down my cheek bone. Will she regret dumping me here? Will she regret going out with Robert? Will she leave me here, her own daughter, to die? No. She had to come back. She still loved me, didn't she? I know that dad would come back for me. But he was long gone, how I miss him.....

'Daddy, can we have the radio on, please!' I called from the backseat of the car. Mum and dad were at the front, dad was driving. 'Ok sweetie..' he murmured as he pushed a button on the CD player. 'Graham, are you sure that we were supposed to go left, not right?' mum questioned 'No, definitely right.' dad reinsured mum. We were travelling to visit Grandma's for a family get together. We never showed up in the end. I was humming away to the radio, as I did normally (if I knew the song). Then I saw this car swerve in front of us. Then, nothing. I heard screams from mum and dad. I tried to make a sound but nothing came out. A few days later I woke up in hospital, mum was by my side, she had scars and bruises on her face and arms. Her left leg was broken and she was constantly crying. 'Mum...' I murmur 'Rosa! Thank God you're ok!' she cried as she held my hand tightly. 'I thought that I lost you...my poor Rosa!' she continued. 'Mum, what happened, and where is dad?' I asked. Mum burst into a bigger fit of uncontrollable tears. 'Daddy, has gone to a better place, you will not see him again....but he will always be in your heart. Always...' she managed to whisper through all the tears and uncontrollable sobbing. I understood what she meant, although I was only 8.

It turned out that the car that killed my dad was being chased by police cars because he had stolen money from a bank. They never caught him. There was a theory where he died, or he got away, or he escaped and then ran. The scars on my body healed. But the scars on my heart never did. And neither did mum's.