It was the crack of morning, in London. Chimney sweeps and salesmen were preparing themselves for the day, along with the thieves who were trying to find the best spots where the Bobbies wouldn’t find them. It was another cold, breezy day in the centre of London.
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Norwad Town Orphanage resided behind a mass-producing Bakery. The children there, ranging from ages 9 to 15 were still fast asleep in their beds, hoping the day would just past them by. They dreamed of sipping hot chocolate by a warm lit fire, whilst they listened to the radio. Their own parents listening to the radio alongside them. Unfortunately, these were only dreams and for most, they would not become a reality.
There was only a small group of orphans residing at the Orphanage, up to 15 kids were sleeping under that roof. There use to be twenty-five of them, but an Orphanage was never known for its survival rate. The children who once were there had passed away from causes such as disease or from the wounds of the lashes that they had received were so severe they were unable to recover. Now there were only 15 left, they were a tough bunch as most were delivered to the place at a young age but just because they were tough didn’t make it any more painless as the days rolled by.
One particular girl at the Orphanage was Rose Patel. She couldn’t remember her parents as she was conceived at a church and then brought straight to the Orphanage by a nun at the church. Since Rose’s mother was a widow the nuns and priest at the church would not allow her to keep the child. The mother had put up a fight to save her child and because of her persistence she was shot by a by passer who was forced into shooting her by the priest, secretly.
Rose had two friends at the Orphanage whom she had been more close to and they were Phoebe and Archie. Archie wasn’t his real name though. Archie had been born under a massive arch outside of London and when brought to the owner of the Orphanage they called him Archie as a joke and it has stuck with him ever since.
Rose, Phoebe, Archie and the rest of the orphans were asleep until a loud bang from a door being slammed open was heard in the room. Two footsteps were heard clumping into the room. A large figure of a rounded man was standing in the doorframe. Fifteen pairs of eyelids flipped themselves open at the frightening sound. The Orphans snapped themselves out of bed and formed an immediate orderly line, as they looked straightforward without making eye contact.
The tall man walked slowly beside the line, surveying each child. The children did not move or even scratch an itch they just stood straight and tall.
“Now” said the bold and deep voice. “You know your chores and what you are to do so get to!” he then paused with a smirk, “Oh, and for breakfast – gruel.” The man cackled like a dark villain as he proudly walked away out of the room.
No words were spoken as the group of kids separated themselves as they went off to their tasks.
Rose, Archie and Phoebe had to go clean the bedroom. Since the bedroom was on the top floor and the supervisors trusted them more than others, they were unsupervised.
Whilst Archie was scrubbing the floor along with Rose he spoke.
“Well, are we going to do it today?” he said whilst looking questionable at Rose.
“I think so, Phoebe?” Rose answered back.
Phoebe stopped and turned around unsure of what to respond with. Phoebe was always known as the worrying and concerned one out of the trio. Today was the day they had planned to escape to see the world and adventure from a better place then the current. Phoebe unfortunately wasn’t very excited about the idea.
“I don’t know! You know I don’t! I really don’t want to get caught, especially because you know the punishment for escaping.” Phoebe answered nervously looking around.
Silence then hit the trio as distant footsteps were heard clumping up the corridor. The footsteps got closer and closer until they were heard passing by the room and walking off.
“If we are going to do this we need to do it now and fast before they come back” Archie says eagerly.
The plan was to escape through the window onto the fire escape stairs. Hopefully being able to make their way down the ladder without get caught. From there they would run, just run as far from hell as they could.
All three of them rose to their feet and made their way to the window near the beds. Rose began to budge open the window. Unfortunately the window hasn’t been open in probably a century, therefore, rusting itself to the window frame.
Archie began to assist Rose whilst Phoebe kept look out. Suddenly footsteps well heard coming up the corridor at a fast pace.
“Their coming! Quick get it open!” she shouted towards the pair.
“What do you think we’re doing?” Archie yelled back.
The large figure then slammed the door open and saw the three escapees.
Rose kicked the windowpane with the glass smashing itself everywhere on to the outside fire escape. She then jumped the long distance onto the ladders, with Archie shortly following her.
“Phoebe Jump!” Archie yelled back to the window. Phoebe crawled onto the window frame and was about to jump off when the large figure grabbed her around the waist. Phoebe began screaming and punching and kicking trying to get out.
“Phoebe!” Rose let out a terrific scream. It was as if all the anger, fear and loss in the world had been sitting in her for an eternity. A million hearts could be broken with this scream.
Phoebe was pulled back in through the window as if it was slow motion before their eyes. Archie pulled Rose by her arm and started leading her down the stairs.
“We’ve got to go or they’ll get us too.” Archie said calmly into Rose’s ear as she made her way down the ladder.
Once they made their way down the ladders they ran for through the alleys behind the shops and buildings. Only stopping once to pick up an old, frail bag they had hidden a couple of weeks ago, containing their supplies. They ran for the life, they ran towards the sunrise.
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The morning sunshine fell upon the two bodies that were fast asleep in an alleyway. Rose’s eyes slowly opening at the sunshine. She sat up surveying the surroundings.
“We made it, we actually made it.” Rose said in a soft, graceful voice.
Lying back down next to Archie she fell back to sleep. Exhausted from their day of running yesterday they slept for a couple of hours.
Whilst they slept the owner of the house they were sleeping next to saw the two sleeping peacefully. He looked at the two and remembered his two kids he once had, boy and a girl, who had been taken from him. He went towards the two kids and carefully picking them up making sure they wouldn’t wake. He brought the two kids into the house and set them into the bed. The children themselves not knowing that when they wake they’d have their own father and they could sit and drink hot chocolates next to the fireplace at a home.
By Victoria Verhelst
