Silence is Key

Chapter 3

It's dark and I can still hear the noises from far away. Sometimes you just can't trust a bloody bitch without knowing what she'll do. I can't trust anyone. I'm alone and I'm scared. My eyes are still trying to adjust to the dark room and my vision a little off. I hope I'm still alive after today. Wish me luck.

I close my journal and look around. The walls are checkered with the classic black and white reminding me of the checker board I used to have growing up.  I stare down at the ground. All carpet that is slightly stained a dark color. Presumably some sort of food substance. My eyes start to slowly fall back to rest as I lay down against the wall waiting for some sign of hope I'm able to get out of here. The place is silent and It goes black.

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As I wake up I'm able to see a light off from the distance. I don't know what time it is since there's no clock around here that I could see. I get the strength to push myself up from my slumber and notice a bowl of what seems to be rice and "steak" by my side. 

"How the hell did this get here?" I ask myself.

 My stomach starts to growl as If pleading to be fed. I'm told not to eat food from strangers but this is the one exception. If I die I'll know why. I take the fork next to the bowl and stab a chunk of the mystery meat spooning up some rice as well and take a large bite. It tastes juicy with a little bit of salt and seasoning of some sorts. It's gross but better than nothing so as I take the last big bite of the food I lay back to my side and sigh. Suddenly I hear a noise of someone's footsteps. Soft but easily audible to the ears. 

"Hello?" I call out.  The footsteps stop.

"I know you can hear me!" The noise gets louder as if whoever it is is getting closer towards me. I step back. Holding my breathe trying to stay silent.

"Good morning Elizabeth.."She says. I don't correct her this time.

"K." I say back as I walk toward the bed my back facing her.

She opens the door with that disgusting smile still on her face. She has her hands behind her back as if she's hiding something. The woman walks towards me and sits next to me on the bed opening her hand. It was a picture of me as a baby with my mum wearing her apron she would wear in every picture I've seen. Her smile lovely as though happy with her life. A life in which I was in.

"H-how did you get that? A-and where?"

"I knew your parents growing up. I didn't think to tell you this but since you brought it up on our walk I thought I might as well. Your parents, they were good people you know. I used to come over to their house to take care of you when you were little and when I heard that you moved to an orphanage I came to get you. I'm sorry about what happened. Yes, they were a little odd and would do dumb things but-

A tear runs down my face.

"Yeah but no one leaves their infant alone in a trash can. I never asked for perfect. I just asked for love. For a family to care"  

"They weren't capable of raising a child. They weren't ready I guess." She says faintly.

I look up at her. My eyes red and puffy. I wipe the rest of the tears away and pause.

"Then why-" she interrupts me.

"I know this whole thing is strange for you but we need to set up your room and we haven't yet  done so so this is the backup." her smile faded into more of a slight grin. Less creepy than before. It's silent. My face looking confused.

"I'll show you around..." She says as she gives me a hand gesture to get up and follow her towards the door. I grab my bag and yet again follow her. 

We start to walk into the light making my eyes squint at the brightness of the room. I rub both eyes enough so that they adjust to the lighting. The walls of this room are a subtle yellow. I'm still quite weirded out by the whole thing with my parents and all and how she somehow knew me. It feels as though everything has happened all at once. Which in a way has.

We walk towards the darkness yet again. Darker than my soul as I like to say. My senses try to navigate my way around and my nose picks up the smell of something sweet. Sort of like apples mixed with berry. Like the smell of that juice the cleaning lady used to buy us from the store. When she came to the orphanage for an early cleaning.    

The floors are no longer wooden as they are now a soft (un-stained) carpet.

I look around. Newly painted white walls. A table in the center filled with different foods and drinks. The corners; boxes full of books. I crouch down near one of the boxes of books and start taking the books out one by one. Most Ive never heard of before. I take one out from the bottom of the box.  The Demons Below Us. I hold it up to Sierra.

"Who wrote this?"

"I don't know I found that on the ground next to your room at the orphanage thinking it was yours and that you might have dropped it on your way out."

I shrug and place the book back in the box along with the others.  I turn back around to Sierra and she gives me a smile. 

"Now that you've seen your room are you ready to meet the children?"

 "How many if I may ask?"

"Oh around 50."  

"Is this a joke?" I look at her confused. Her face with no expression what so ever.

"Why would you think that?"

"Like I mean is this a joke? Not to put this in a bad way but why adopt 50 bloody children If you can only have limited amount of room?"

She laughs. "Elise you have so much you don't know about me. I find my ways "

I don't say anything because she's right. I don't know anything about her although I wish I did. I wish that I knew what I was doing hear but I fear to ask. I'd rather not ask for my own sake. Since yes indeed, I barely know her or what she's capable of.  Yet again though I barely know myself other than I'm alone.

I turn myself back around.

"Hey can I meet the others?"

"The children?"

"Yes." 

"You may."

I follow her. The stranger that she is to me.