Emma

Preface

Six-year-old Emma Lu hears her mother stumble outside and fumble with the apartment door keys. Emma immediately runs to her room - hopping over empty bottles - shuts off the lights, and hides under the flimsey bed her mother could afford. The only light seen was the yellow glow leaking in through the crack from the slightly ajar door. She could hear her mother open the door and make the rusty hinges squeak. Emma heard the door squeak shut and footfalls coming toward her door. Emma felt safer if she closed her eyes. The steps got closer and closer until they stopped outside the door. Emma squeezed her eyes tighter and waited for the screaming to start. All that was in the air was silence. Then, someone's cold, boney fingers wrapped around her ankle, yanking her harshly out from under the bed. Emma was then thrown against the wall. Something inside her head snapped, causing what felt like bruising. That someone's hand came out and slapped her, making her face sting and numb up. "How dare you hide from your mother," Emma's mother's voice slurred. She was obviously drunk. The drunk mother sneered dispicably in the dim, dim light. "Next time you'll learn-," The woman in the drunken state stopped and got up abruptly, stopping in the doorway, "No dinner tonight," She said, and walked out, slamming the bedroom door behind her.

~

Eight-year-old Emma Lu opened the door to the police and strange persons. Emma - not wanting to be rude - let them in. The policemen stayed outside, while the strange man and woman that had been outside came in and sat on the old, rickety couch. They looked around noticing the many bottles, the dirty floors, and - above all else - the smell. The small little apartment wasn't the livliest place to live, but it bit the needs of Emma's mom. The carpet was brown and moldy and stained with a liquid that smelt terrible. The kitchen tile was not spotless, but rather dirty with mud from someone tracking it in.

Emma knew them coming here would not end well.

They asked her questions about herself and about her mother. After all of the questions, they stood and whispered silently. Soon Emma was being walked out of the apartment door and asked to get in the backseat of a green Sedan. The strange people got in the front seats and drove her to someplace unknown. On the way, the bruising pounded harder.

The man and woman drove Emma to a very big building that said 'Child Services' above the doorway. They all walked inside and the man, Eric, asked Emma to sit in a bouncy, fluffy chair for awhile. The woman, Laura, told her to be patient and wait while they did paperwork and made a few phone calls. About two hours later, the strange people took Emma and drove her to a secluded house towards the middle of the woods. The house was very big - three stories in all - and was painted a soft creme color with white trimming. The house did not appear to have very many windows. Eric asked, "Do you like the house?" and Emma replied with a chorus of nods, delighted to see such a glorius thing. Laura then said, "This is going to be your new home." Emma didn't understand and was confused. She knew this could not possibly be her mothers' new house. She couldn't be able to afford it.

Eric parked on the narrow drive and they piled out. As they did, a middle aged woman came rushing out of the house, greeting them with a nod. Her smile was kind, but her eyes were steely. Cold and cruel. But Emma didn't know that yet.

"Is this the sweet little girl we've been waiting for?" the woman asked. "Her name is Emma Lu," Eric replied simply. Laura knelt down on the dirt road and held both of Emma's hands. "You're going to be okay?" Laura asked her, and she nodded. The petite, cold looking woman guided her inside the magnificent house to find a clean kitchen and tables. The woman, whose name was Celia, walked her down the hallway and stopped at an open room on the right. Emma guessed it was the living room. The living room was clean, all except for the couple of Coke cans piled around the top of a small table. The table was set next to a blue recliner that was facing a small tv. Sitting in the recliner was a middle aged man sipping another can of Coke. He was dressed in kaki pants and a red, collared shirt. This man had hairy arms, and a balding head. Emma wondered if his arms had absorbed all the hair that was supposed to be on his head. As she pondered this, Celia started to talk to the man. "This is our new arrival," She said, her calm, collected voice now ten times scarier. "Well? Take her to her room. You know the procedure," The man replied, never taking his eyes off of the tv. Celia nodded curtly, grabbed Emma's wrist, and walked further down the hallway briskly, yanking Emma along with her.