Message in a Bottle

~1~

"Luke!"

I wandered further up the beach, pretending that I couldn't hear my name being called out.

"Luke!"

Something glinted about twenty feet away, and I ignored my summons and raced forward to find out what was sparkling in the distance.

"Lucian Taylor, if you don't get your rear in gear this instant, I swear I'll never bring you boys back here!"

That pulled me up short, and I turned around to apologize to Mama Lee. She smirked. She knew the only threat that would get my attention was one involving my brothers. I could never be the reason that they lost a privilege, and we still had three months before one of us could drive legally.

I glanced over my shoulder at the shining object and my fingers twitched to get a hold of it. Mrs. Lee shook her head and huffed out a sigh.

"Oh, alright! Go and take a look at whatever has you so distracted, just don't even think about getting in the water, it's getting too cold! We've got to get going soon."

I grinned at her and darted toward the shimmer in the distance. I heard the playful yip of Kota's dog from behind me as I scooped the object from the sand.

My heart started racing when I realized that I'd just found a glass bottle with a roll of paper inside. Maybe it contained a treasure map, or secrets of a lost civilization!

It was smaller than you see in the movies, and I was able to easily slip it into my pocket. I don't know why, but I wasn't ready to share my treasure with anyone just yet.

Max, barked happily, and I hurried to help Kota ,Vic, and Gabe pack up.

***

I snuck down the stairs, careful to skip the creaky one near the bottom, and slid into the garage without anyone noticing. The guys were all asleep in Kota's room, and Mrs. Lee and Jessica were closed away in theirs. I'd waited all night for this, and I pulled the little bottle out of my pocket and took a seat in the corner of the garage. Max perked up, and I gently scratched him behind his collar.

Part of me wanted to wake North and share this with him, but the saner part knew that I'd be taking my life in my hands if I bothered my brother while he was sleeping.

I clicked on the pilfered flashlight and slowly worked the cork away from the top. The tightly rolled papers spilled out into my hand, and I held my breath as I unwound them.

I don't know why I'm doing this. It's not like anyone will ever read this, but I can't take it anymore.

The handwriting was delicate and definitely feminine.

I've only been here a week, but I'd take a lifetime of my stepmother's punishments to be free from this prison.

My gut clenched at the thought of the writer being punished by her stepmom, knowing that several of my teammates had gone through something similar.

"Monarch Academy will take your daughters and turn them into respectable ladies". It's a lie. It's a trap. This place isn't a finishing school like my dad said. It's a reform school. The windows have electrified mesh covering them, and we aren't students here...we're inmates. I've been here six days, and already I've been beaten black and blue by the girls in my wing. Apparently I don't belong, so I'm their "fresh meat". Marie ignores me, and even participated in the last round. She fits right in here.

I don't know what I did to deserve this. All I ever wanted in life was to be ignored, and here, I'm the main attraction. I guess I'm writing this because I'm hoping that someone somewhere will find it and come looking for me. Or maybe it's just that I know I'm not going to survive this place, and I'm hoping that by committing this to paper, some part of me will be remembered.

~Sang

I flipped the page over and found another 'entry'. My cheeks were already wet with tears for this poor girl, and I had to know if she was okay.

September 12

I've survived a month...sort of. I found a kind of secret closet that I could hide in during common times. It keeps me away from the monsters, and gives me a few moments of peace. It's taken me this long to even figure out where I am, but I'm pretty sure that this place is somewhere off the coast of Delaware. It's not much, but it makes me feel a little bit better, knowing where I am in the world.

I wouldn't say things are getting better, but I'm learning how to handle the beatings...I'm not sure that's a good thing, but it increases the chances that I'll make it out of here alive.

~Sang

I quickly unrolled the next page, desperate to see if things got better.

October 6

Today's my birthday...I think. I'm thirteen now, but only if that part was true. I broke into the office last week, trying to get to the phone, but the line was coded, so I copied mine and my sister's files instead.

I hid them in my secret cubby hole, and combed through them every chance I got. Turns out my birth certificate is just a photocopy of Marie's, but with the name and dates changed. I thought that maybe there would be something in there that would tell me why my dad dumped us here, but it left me with more questions than answers.

His contact information isn't in Illinois anymore, but in South Carolina instead, and my stepmother isn't mentioned beyond that she's in a hospital somewhere in Florida. There's a letter stating that tuition is paid in full until we each turn eighteen, but that's far too long for me to stay here.

~Am I even Sang?

She's only thirteen? How could someone dump their child in a place like that and not even send them a cake or something for their birthday? I remembered thirteen. North had just come to live with us, and we were finding our feet as a team. She mentioned that her father lived in South Carolina...I wondered if Vic could help me find him. And maybe we could find her. Get her away from that place.

I flipped the page over and found another entry.

December 25

Merry freaking Christmas. I'm getting the hang of survival here. They all saw me as the weak one, so they used me to vent their frustrations...well no more. I may have had my dinners revoked for the week, but it'll be worth it if it gets them off my back. Every time that beast, Jade, beat on me, I was taking notes. I practiced her moves in private, and yesterday, when she came after me, I fought back. Broke her pretty little nose. Hopefully that'll make them think twice next time.

Okay, but honestly, besides feeling triumphant about it, I hate it. I'm not a fighter. I don't want to hurt anyone. Before coming here, I wanted to become a doctor or a nurse...I want to make people better. Now I think that I might survive my time here, but how much of me will be left?

~Sang

That's it for this page, and there's only one small sheet left. I unroll it, and a lock of blonde hair, bound by a thin pink ribbon, falls out into my lap.

October 4

I'm taking a chance tonight and throwing this out into the ocean. Tomorrow I turn fifteen, and I know for a fact that I won't last much longer. This is my Hail Mary.

I was wrong. Jade has made it her mission in life to end me, and it's only a matter of time before she succeeds. She stabbed me with a shiv made from her toothbrush today, and it was only because I'm small that I was able to get away before she finished the job. My time is running out. If you are reading this, please help.

~Sang Sorensen