Violet

Chapter 5 - The Answers

- There's no escape.. -

I took a deep breath and stood up. As I was about to leave the room, a figure walked in, blocking my path.
It was a tall, thin woman, with her hair neatly tucked back in a blonde bob. At first her eyes were wide as she saw me... and then they softened. She gave a warm smile.
"Thank goodness you're awake," she said, her voice gentle. "After finding you asleep in the cold, I was afraid you wouldn't wake up."
I stared at her, unsure of what to make of her expression.
"So... you're the one who brought me here?," I asked, not taking my eyes off hers.
She frowned and sighed.
"I understand you must have a lot of questions... come, sit down." She walked past me and sat herself on the large armchair that was propped up against the wall. I stepped slowly over to the sofa opposite the arm chair and sat down.
She stared at me. I noticed that there was a look on her face that nobody had given me before.
Sympathy.
There was a burning question in my mind that slipped out before I could have any thoughts on holding it back.
"Why did you bring me here?," I exclaimed.
There was a tense silence until finally, she spoke, her sad eyes boring into mine.
"I was out on a business trip in the UK... on my walk to the buses, I saw you half dead on the ground... I knew I couldn't let you die there and... and after recognising you from a newspaper article I decided instead of bringing to the hospital I... I-I would bring you here..." Tears began to well up in her eyes.
I stared at her, completely bewildered.
"What newspaper article?" I asked her.
She stared at me, her expression almost emotionless.
"Police found your fathers body... said that you were the only family member of the victim... the day after they must've wrote about it in the papers so-"
"The day after?," I interrupted, "How long have I been asleep?!"
"You don't know?" She asked, a hint of astonishment in her tone. "You've been asleep for almost a week."
I stared blankly at her. Almost a week? How could I have been asleep for so long?
Tears welled in my eyes. "I want to go home," I yelled, "Take me home or I'll call the police!"
She looked me in the eye, her eyes softer, her expression pitiful.
"You'll call the cops? Because I brought you here instead of letting you die on the streets? Well, darling, I'm afraid that I cannot take you home... not only do you not have anyone there, but your a long way from the UK." She smiled at me. "You're in Boston, Violet."

My jaw must've dropped from how shocked I felt.
"Boston?!" I shouted, my eyes wide with rage. "YOU TOOK ME ALL THE WAY FROM MY HOME TOWN TO SOME MAD HOUSE IN BOSTON?!"
She stared at me, her eyes wide and surprised. I sensed that part of her was hurt by my 'rude' comment on the orphanage.
Wracked with fury, I stood up and stormed out of the room, glaring at her. I growled under my breath as I stomped upstairs, the heels on my leather boots clacking against the floor boards.
I marched towards the door leading to the room I woke up in. I noticed that there was now a sign on the front of the door. It was made of wood, with dark blue glitter covering it. I read what the sign said.
'Violet's Room'
I snatched the sign off the door and broke it in half. Throwing it on the floor, I trudged into the room and slammed the door behind me. I flopped on the bed and cried into a pillow.

Moments later, I heard the door squeak open. I kept my face buried in the pillow.
"'Mad House', eh?," said the voice, irritatedly.
Instantly recognising the voice, I sat up facing them, tears stained with black eyeliner leaking down my face.
Max.
He narrowed his eyes and scowled at me.
"Huh... guess you don't like the sign I made for you," He said coldly as he kicked the broken pieces of the sign into the room.
I stared at him, my lips trembling as I suddenly felt hurt by his expression.
He shook his head in disbelief and stared at me, his eyes filled with sorrow for a moment.
"You know, you've got a lot to learn about the people here," he said, sharply, "And if I were you, I wouldn't judge people by first impressions."
I had no idea what to say. Not that it mattered, because before I could muster the courage to speak, he left the room, closing the door roughly behind him.
I felt myself shaking. How could I have been so careless? These people had done so much for me and all I was doing was being completely out of line.
They'd given me shelter, warmth, food, water, a bed, even my own room... and yet I'd done nothing to them to deserve all that.
Oh, who was I kidding? There was no way I'd ever be able to change my attitude towards them after today. I was certain that the last thing they'd give to me was forgiveness.
I lay back on the bed, looking at the ceiling. Suddenly I couldn't wait until I was 18, at least then I'd be old enough to leave this place and go back home.
Back home to the family I didn't have.

- Why must you take everything you have for granted? One day, it'll all be gone... and there will be no light left in your small, pointless world... only darkness -

To be continued...