The Forsaken

Chapter Two - Marianne January

The last few days of Gwen's life seem like a circus of never-ending faces, being pulled this way and that, not knowing which way is up or down. After the commotion at the hospital, a female social worker comes to take her to some place called an Orphanage.  

Gwen rides in the front seat of the woman's station wagon, a strange metal contraption one rides around in called an automobile. Gwen's never seen anything like it before, she's certain although she can't remember much of anything anymore. As they ride through town, she marvels at the wonders around her. Everything in the town is strange, mysterious, and wonderful to her. The buildings are unlike anything she has ever seen: the roads, the cars, everything foreign and magical. She can't decide where to look first. By the time they pull up in front of the

Orphanage, an old turn of the century mansion on the outskirts of town, she feels overwhelmed by how different this world is from the one she had known.  

She is beginning to pick up a few words in the strange language these people speak, understanding the basic meaning of the words: girl, child, lost, help, name, you, strange, miracle, impossible, feet, parents, and orphan; these being the words that have been used the most around her.  

Little Gwen looks out the glass windshield up at the mansion before her. She will be living here in this imposing old building. For how long? This is the Orphanage, other children like her live here as well, she has gathered.  

Maybe I can talk to the children better than the grown-ups, Gwen hopes. 

The social worker gets out of her car and walks around to open the door for the newest tenant of St. Paul's. Gwen steps out, bringing with her a red duffle bag that the nurses at the hospital had given her, filled with clothing and sanitary items that they had collected on her behalf. She wears her old clothes; the yellow dress and green hooded jacket have been washed, making her feel fresh and new, her stockings had been beyond repair so she goes without. However, thanks to the law enforcement's thorough investigation of the woods, she now has both of her shoes restored to her.  

The social worker is a very thin, very tall lady with a plain-pinched face and short graying hair. A nasty bitterness hovers around her like a dark cloud of discontent. She escorts Gwen up the walkway, up the stone

stairs, and to the massive double-door front entry of the institution.  

The lady raps her fist against the dark mahogany wood three times before someone finally answers.  

A pleasant looking middle-aged woman in a black Nun's habit opens the door. She smiles at the girl, nodding in acknowledgment as the social worker, speaks to her. After exchanging words, the social worker introduces the new woman as Sister Debbie Bernhard. The Nun turns to Gwen and holds out a hand to her. At first she is hesitant, but both ladies are insisting and gesturing that Gwen go inside, so she takes Sister Bernhard's hand and lets her lead her into the dark foreboding building. To Gwen's surprise, the social worker doesn't follow them, and quickly her new guardian closes the door after them. 

As the Sister leads her down the long corridor of dark paneled wood, their footsteps echoing on the parquet floor, Gwen can't help feeling a bit abandoned. Every time she meets someone new, it isn't long before they pass her on to someone else. Gwen hopes to stay in this place a long while; she is already getting tired of coming and going and longs for a time of peace and rest. 

Sister Bernhard leads her into a large office at the end of the hall where three other Nuns await them. After entering, Sister Bernard gestures for Gwen to take the chair in front of the large desk that the Nuns stand behind. A large window looks out on a courtyard where children play directly behind them. Gwen takes her seat while Sister Bernhard speaks to the other three Nuns. She seemed to address the woman sitting behind the desk mainly. Sister Bernhard introduces her as Mother Sullivan. The other two ladies are Sister Mary Shaw and Sister