AYANA

Chapter 16- Natalia

It was Saturday night and Ayana was trying to get some sleep. She couldn't because of the reoccurring nightmares of memories at the orphanage interrupting her sleep.

Ayana's POV

{Flashback}

It was I first day at the orphanage. I had just gotten swooped off the streets, put into a car and drove to the orphanage building. I was covered from head to toe in scratches, sores and dirt. My clothes were ripped and I was barefoot. I knew I had to have smelled horrible. I was only 4 and had been living on the streets all my life.

Some big grown ups got out of the car, and led me into the big gray building. All I needed was a bed to sleep on and food to eat. That's all I needed to be happy.

When we got inside, the three men went to the front desk and starting talking to the heavyset woman sitting behind the desk. I just stood on the wall quietly sucking my thumb, waiting for them to finish. It was loud inside of there, the voices of children my age and crying babies echoed through the building. "Maybe I'll make friends!" I thought.

The heavyset woman looked me for a moment, then turned to the men. "Ela e tao magro! (She so skinny!)" she exclaimed.

I was, I ate scraps from the dumpster and grass for 4 years. If I got lucky, a kind grown up will give me real food, but that was rare.

The woman led me down a long hallway. We passed many rooms filled with girls my age. We finally got to a communal bathroom.

"Você precisa tomar banho. Quando terminar, vá para a cafeteria. (You need to take a shower. When you're done, go to the cafeteria.)" she said sternly. I nodded. She tossed me a rag and closed the door. I caught it.

No one was in there except me. The wall paint was pealing and the floor was filled with shed hair and dirt. I stripped out of my clothes and marched right up to a shower head. I turned it on and warm water came out. It felt really good, I started scrubbing my skin with the rag.

Suddenly the door slammed open. I jumped. A girl who looked a bit older than me walked in with an angry look on her face. Her hair long, straight and brown, her skin was tan, and her eyes were almond brown.

"Oi, eu sou Ayana. Qual o seu nome? (Oh hi, I'm Ayana. What's your name?)" I said politely, hoping to calm her down. I watched her strut over to me and roughly shove me to the ground.

"ESTA É MINHA CHUVEIRA PEQUENA RATA! Vá lá para limpar o seu assa frita! (THIS IS MY SHOWER LITTLE RAT! GO OVER THERE TO CLEAN YOUR FILTHY ASS!)" she yelled at me.

I just looked at her stunned. How was I supposed to know that, I just got there. I was shocked of how much anger she had towards me.

"VEJA! (LOOK!)" she picked me up by my neck. "Você deve ser novo aqui ... Mas para sua informação, eu corro este lugar, ok!?! Você tem que fazer tudo o que digo ou então ... (You must be new here.. But for your information, I run this place ok!?! You have to do everything I say or else...)" she looking directly into my terrified eyes. "Eu vou matar você. (I'll kill you.)" she told me.

I started crying. Was she really going to kill me, if I disobeyed her?

"Agora, saia do meu caminho! (Now get out of my way!)" she said before she threw me by my neck away from her.

I landed by another shower, chocked and started coughing hard while still crying. "Eu não sabia, desculpe! (I didn't know, I'm sorry!)" I said.

"FECHE O INFERNO ACIMA DO BEBÊ!! (SHUT THE HELL UP YOU BABY!!)" she yelled.

I turned my shower on. The water was freezing cold. I shivered and sniffled. "Her shower is probably the only one with hot water." I thought. It was.