Surreal ✿ M. Wheeler ✿

✿ prologue ✿

Josefina sat at her window, watching as yet another family left happily with their newly adopted child. Her fingers drummed along the wooden windowsill​, hoping that one of them would get a splinter so she could leave her room. It wasn't like she couldn't leave her room, she just hated seeing the other girls and boys that she shared the home with. Especially since they would constantly stare at her, not even trying to be subtle about it.

It didn't come off as shock to her that the other children in the home believed she killed her parents. There was no amount of denying the accusations that she could give, they still didn't believe her. It's okay, though, she hated the other children and there was nothing that the nuns could do that change her mind about how she felt. Her parents were still out there, and she was going to find them.

She got off of her knees and walked over to her bed, digging under her mattress for her mother's jewelry box. When she found it, she pulled it out and sat on top of her bed while holding the box in her hands. This was all she had left of her mother. Usually girls had something more personal left over from their mothers, like a necklace or a bracelet. Hell even a hat would count. But not Josefina, she was left a jewelry box.

It wasn't anything big. The box used to play music, but it broke long before Josefina was born. Now it was just a broken box. The other orphans made fun of her for it. But when you have no recollection of your parents other than them being there one day and gone the next, you learn to live with what you had. She loved the box to pieces.

"Josie," someone called knocking on her door. Josefina looked at the door as one of the nuns, Sister Georgia, walked into her room.

"Oh come on in, just waltz into my room," said Josefina, sarcasm dripping from her voice. She didn't like the foster nuns that worked in her house that well.

"You have guests," Sister Georgia said, ignoring Josefina's sarcastic statement. The woman turned to look at a group of people who stood by the door of Josefina's room.

The seven year old then sat back on her bed as they walked into her room, like they owned the place. She looked at Georgia, a frown forming on her face, "Who are these people and why are they in my room?"

Georgia was about to answer when the woman took a seat next to Josefina. The girl looked at her with disgust on her face. "I'm Julie Jackson... we were dropping by hoping to take home a new edition to the family. Isn't that right, Jeremy?"

The man in the corner nodded his head. He then pointed to the boy who was staring at Josefina's empty desk, "And that is Jefferson."

"Then why are you in my room? There aren't any normal kids that you want to take home with you?" Josefina asked with raised eyebrows.

Julie looked at Jeremy and then turned her attention back to Josefina who was looking up at her with confusion. "Well, Josefina, we were hoping that you'd be the one to come home​ with us."

"Why?" she asked, genuinely confused. She ran her fingers along the rough edges of her mother's box as she stared at Julie.

"Well," Jeremy paused as he got off of the wall and crouched right in front of her on the floor. He smiled up at her, "we've always wanted a daughter. Why not make you our daughter?"

"You'd be the perfect addition to the family. I mean... only if you want to be a part of our family," Jefferson asked.

Josefina looked at the people that surrounded her in the room. Her brown eyes going over all of them as she clutched the box in her hand.

As much as she wanted a family, she didn't want to get adopted. Her parents were still out there, she had a feeling that they were. People don't just disappear, especially not without their daughter. It wasn't fair that they wanted her to move on. Yes, it's been years since the disappearance of the two, but she couldn't find herself to forget about it. Not when she held her mother's prized possession in her hands.