Living In Lies | #OnceUponNow

Chapter Five: Parents

    I was pushed out of the way just as the car was about to hit me. I fell to the pavement and heard a cry of pain. I looked back to see Lisa, the caretaker, on the ground, clutching her arm.

    "Lisa!" I yelled, running over to her to make sure she was okay. I knelt beside her as the truck's engine turned off.

    The people in the truck opened their doors and ran towards me and the worker. A man and a woman, who looked to be in their late twenties or early thirties. The lady had long, chestnut colored hair, green eyes, and was tall for a woman. The man had messy, dark brown hair, hazel eyes, and was only a bit taller than the woman.

    "Are you two okay?!" the woman frantically asked us. She then turned to the man, "I told you to pay attention to the road!"

    "I'm sorry, okay!" the man responded, "You call 9-1-1, I'll help them to the sidewalk."

    The man helped Lisa and I to the other side of the street while the woman called an ambulance and parked their car on the side of the road. The ambulance came and took Lisa away, then the couple turned to me.

    "What were you thinking?!" the man lectured, "You or that woman could have been killed!

    "I'm so sorry. I just had to get away from that place." I said, overwhelmed with rage.

    "What place? Where are your parents?" the woman asked me.

    "Dead. I live in that orphanage. I was trying to run away." I crossed my arms, looking away.

    "Oh," the woman said, "I'm-"

    "I'm sorry to hear that, but we need to get you back in there," the man interrupted.

    "No!" I pleaded, looking at them once more, "Don't make me go back there! I've been there for nine years, no one's going to adopt me! Please, let me-"

    "No, you-" the man interrupted, but was then cut off himself.

    "Nine years?!" the woman exclaimed. She turned to the man and gave him a pleading look, "C'mon, Joshua, nine years." She turned to me now, "Could you give us a moment?"

    "Of course," I said, confused as to what she was inquiring. They walked a bit away so that I couldn't hear what they said. I thought they might let me run away, but what happened next was twenty times better.

    They walked back to me and the woman spoke.

    "Okay, our names are Hannah and Joshua."

    "I'm Alice."

    "Do you have a last name?"

    "Not anymore."

    "Well it doesn't matter. Your name is now Alice Bradshaw. We're going to adopt you."

Shablam! New chapter. You're welcome.

~ The Duchess