The Children

THE CHIlDREN 

1

The fear that filled the children was immense. Everything they heard sounded so real and yet they kept hoping that everything would turn out for the best. The school was in the middle of old France ,what came to be called Lyon,right next to the cemetery of the Fallen Priests 'Cimetière des prêtres tombés' . God was an unknown phenomenon since to them he did not exist. All they knew was that their famies had abandoned them. 

It was always very quiet during the nights but sometimes the silence would speak out loud. The songs they kept singing in the day time became songs of horror during the night. The nuns trained and taught them how to pray to the "LORD" but it was all empty and confusing. They knew "GOD" would never listen to them. They were scared and nobody could believe what they saw at night. They had decided to do what they all thought was unthinkable. Do what they knew the other 'Children' would hate. What the other 'Children' had warned them not to do. They had decided to run away. 

Marla walked slowly toward the large old crooked gate. She had to run from her life. Run from the past that haunted her. This place was the only solace she could find. Saint Catherine's. A sisters' convent and a children's orphanage. She had finally found a place where she would stay without having to pay rent. The dry leaves cracked under her black flat shoes. She was amazed by the size of the castle infront of her. It looked old and haunted. Marla got to the gate and tried to push it open but the smaller doorway did not open. Suddenly an old man appeared. He had a black beret, a raincoat, big farm shoes and a large scar on his face that ran all the way from his left eye to the left edge of his lip.  

The old man slowly looked up at the thin girl outside the gate and smiled. His mouth was full of brown and black shaded teeth. He giggled and then started talking, "Hallo Miss. How can I help you?" 

Marla was frightened by this man. She did not know why but she knew something was different about him. 

"Hallo senor. I am Marla DelArrossa. I am new here," she spoke silently. 

"Great. Another Spanish peasant." 

"Excuse me what?" 

"You are Spanish right? I can tell from your accent. Almost all the nuns here are. Most of them come here for the same reason I'm sure you have." 

"I'm sorry sir but I came here because I got a calling from God." 

The old man laughed harshly. 

"God? God? You were called by God?" The old man continued laughing, "then I'm sorry sister this is not the place for you." 

Marla was confused and frightened at the same time. 

"I assume you are the gate-keeper. Open the gate and let me in," she said firmly. 

"The name is Jaque." He said as he took out a big rusty key and opened the gate. 

"Welcome to Saint Catherine my dear," he said with a wide smile on his face. 

Marla quickly walked past him and into the compound, straight ahead toward the big, old castle. 

"I have to warn you. Once you come in, you never get out," Jaque whispered to himself.

2 

Sister Marla DelArrossa was new at the orphanage. She had only spent a week and she had already had enough. She was the only one who believed what the children said. She was the only adult who saw the darkness of the night. She was the only nun who heard the voices in the night. She was the only one who saw the horror of Saint Catherine Academy. The first day she saw them she ran to The Mother Superior,