The Connected

Chapter 1

They always tell me how lucky I am, the social workers, the other orphans, my so called "parents."

From the outside looking in I can see how my life would appear lucky. I'd been taken in by the Sorensons almost as soon as I'd entered the foster system. Paul and Lauren, my new mother and father, gave me a roof over my head, put food in my belly, and saved me from life in the system. This all means they're saints or something, right? Wrong.

My life ended the day Lauren Ophelia Sorensen looked into my innocent green eyes, the eyes of a three year old, then unaware of the horrors of the world, and told me that she would be taking me home with her.

I like Ms. Olivia's house, there's lots of kids here that I can be friends with. Just the other day my friend Emily braided my hair, then she showed me how to do it. It was so fun. My other friend Eli left yesterday though, so that was super duper sad. That happens a lot, new kids come in and we play together but then they leave after they talk to big people. They look like they are happy when they go home with the big people, always smiling real big with all their teeth, well, if they have teeth, I just lost one of my front teeth so my smile is funny too. When Eli left, Emily and I cried together while we watched the funny yellow square on the tv before bedtime. Ms. Olivia came to talk to us when she saw we were sad.

"Girls, Eli will always be your friend, but now he gets to go home with a new family and be happy all the time, isn't that a good thing?"We both nodded, it was so good. "That's what this house is for, sometimes families break and kids need new ones so they come here while they wait, do you understand?"

"Yes Ms. Olivia." We said together

"Good, now why don't you clean up your toys and brush your teeth before bed, okay?" We got up and cleaned up, like she said. You always do what Ms. Olivia says because then you get a big smile and a hug, she's pretty like a princess when she smiles and her hugs make me feel happy.

When I'm done I go to find Ms. Olivia before bedtime. "Ms. Olivia?" She turned to me and smiled, the pretty princess one.

"Yes sweetie?"

"Will I get another family too?" I ask quietly while I hold my bear.

Her eyes look sad when she answers. "Of course you will, Sang. As long as you are kind and good, everything will be alright." I like that.

I have one more question though. "Why was my old family broken?"

Her smile looks funny now. "Honestly sweet girl, I'm not really sure, we couldn't ever find who your old family was."

Oh. "Oh, okay, goodnight Ms. Olivia." She hugs me and sends me off to bed with dreams of whoever my wonderful new family would be.

***

The next week a bunch of big people come to the house. I don't like the last lady though, her hair is poofy and her breath smells funny, like the stuff the old man at the train smells like.

Her eyes are mean looking and her nails look really sharp and they're painted really dark red that scares me because they look like claws, her clothes are too tight and her smile doesn't look like a princess like Ms. Olivia's does. The man next to her keeps looking at one of those phone thingies the big people seem to like a lot, he's scary too because his eyes are empty, no feelings show on his face.

I feel my heart stop when they turn to look at me and an extra scary smile crosses the mean lady's face, her mouth the same blood color as her pointy nails. They walk over to me and I turn to run away and hide when Ms. Olivia comes over.