The Oblivion

the school

SO WE GOT to stay with Ms Ash.

Ash spoke to the Social Services, and claimed to be our foster mother. The services payed Ash weekly for keeping us, but I was just plain glad that Ash got some payment. They also explained that our school would be granted by the SS (Social Services), and that we were to begin as soon as possible.

When we heard this news, we were on the verge of screaming with happiness. School! Something I wanted since I was a child. We were all bursting with excitement to start.

Ash's house was a small modern apartment, but big enough to fit all of us. We met Ash's daughter, curtesy of Ashley. I loved the similarity between the names. Ashley was just eleven years old, like Blair, with the same smooth complexion as her mother, and long thick lashes. The only difference between them was Ashley's long hair, and darker eyes unlike Ash's gold ones. She was a bouncy, bubbly and inviting child. The non stop chatter promised zero silence for the days to come, something that we would have loved in the cave. I felt so secure in this small house.

The beautiful furniture and light was so comforting, and the way that we seemed so much like a family made me want to cry.

It was such stupidity for me to think that my happy ending would be in Cliffton, close to Ms Ash and Ashley, along with my four extraordinary friends, now renamed to Brittany, Celestia, Mia and Jim. Our old names were long past gone, and we thought that we would be able to start fresh. No more Arch. No more wilderness. We were going to be normal girls who lived their lives to the most.

But life doesn't work like that. How, how, how can I forget that I am being watched? Every second, the silence of Steve should have shaken some sense into me for a bit, but I was too blind to see. I was enjoying to much. This taught me the punishment of having too much relief in this world. I can never leave the past behind. Not even if I wanted to.

Instead, my past follows me.

Ashley had a pretty purple room, with violent painted walls and posters of animals on the wall. I would have died for such room back before the tornado. It was utterly spacious, so spacious that two mattresses were able to fit in for two of us to sleep there. Ashley was lost in blabber telling us about all her things, and excitedly answering every question of the fascinating items she owned in the best of detail. She had many dolls, which were drastically expensive in my home town. Only a few people had sold dolls, including Daisy.

Perfumes, drawers, laptops, phones, tiled floors, deodorant, hair clips, make up, all things I barley even knew about before coming to Cliffton. Ashley didn't bother hiding her surprise when we asked about those things, but she didn't mind at all giving us full information about them. Ash had her own vast room that she shared with her spouse, with massive mirrors and classy desks. I asked Ash once where her husband once, but she would vaguely reply that he was 'away.'

Speaking of Ms Ash's spouse, he never stepped in the house and I never saw his flesh, only pictures in Ash's large room. He was very tall but puny with a serious expression. I continued Ms Ash about him, but now she just pressed her lips together and shook her head.

Brook, Ariana and I squealed with delight when we saw the television set in the lounge. Ash showed us how it worked, with the use of the remote control and switches on the set. Wonders will never cease.

We slept in comfort that night. We didn't mind sleeping in our day clothes even though Ashley insisted on letting us use her hello kitty pajamas. They were much too pretty and delicate for me to use, and I was still practically a stranger to wear those clothes, so we all gently refused. I was already beginning to love this kid.