Delanna

6

She wakes to a sore, stabbing pain throughout her head. Delanna sits up, achy from the men that held her. The men! Where are they? She wonders. She takes a look around the room that holds her. She lies in the center of the office space, surrounded by cerulean blue walls and pictures of upset looking students.

As Delanna goes to stand, she notices a small piece of A4 parchment which lies on the dark wood desk in the far corner of the room. She picks up the paper with caution, and dares to read it's content;

***

Miss Delanna Maria Hays

Age: 15

DOB: 1/10/2001

Miss Delanna is a strange character. Arriving at our facility on the 19th of November, Delanna has seemed to mingle with the other students. The names of these children she knows are Lily Snark and Samuel Risa. If I may say so myself, Delanna is enjoying it a little bit here. She is currently unaware of our new whipping business, which she will find out about shortly. In the meantime, Miss Hays will be knocked out if she struggles. I must keep her awake for the whipping, though.

Gertrude Hecklar

Headmistress of the Italian Orphanage of Care.

***

Of all the things that could happen to Delanna, it had to be whipping! And Italian Orphanage of Care! How could they have such a fraud of a name. She shudders at the thought of the lies.

Before she could think of what to do, the large dark wood door opened. It creaked with age and wear as if it was giving Delanna a warning. Leave it you want to live. It said to her. But she couldn't leave now, someone was standing in the door. Someone large.

"You really struggled against my men didn't you Miss Hays." Miss Hecklar told her.

"I didn't want to die." Delanna replied.

"Well that's not a choice for you now is it?" The headmistress replied.

Delanna's blood boiled at the sound of the woman being so awful to her. She thought steam might start coming out of her ears if she couldn't contain herself. But is was Miss Hecklar who had the last word;

"It's mine."

Quicker than lightning, the woman took the whip from behind her back. It shone in the yellow light from the bulb above; this one didn't flicker like the one in her room did.. Hecklar lashed the whip out at Delanna. The 15-year-old had nowhere to run. She tried the door but it wouldn't budge. Locked. Delanna realizes.

As soon as the girl turned back around, Miss Hecklar held the whip up high and thrashed it down on Delanna's shoulder. The orphan screamed in pain.

"The walls are soundproof, no one can hear you now." Hecklar informed her. The headmistress swung the belt down at Delanna again, this time attacking her back. The girl yelped again, and fell to her stomach, lying on the ground in pain.

Miss Hecklar stood over her.

"Consider this as a warning. Never fall out of line, ever." She said.

A salty tear found it's way down Delanna's cheek, as another blow struck her again, and again and again....