Short Stories

Gargoyles

" Mom, I-I think I want to meet my biological parents." I looked down at my feet as I confessed.

I've always known I was adopted, my mother wasn't ever scared to hide that from me and I was always very thankful for that. I grew up in a very wealthy and loving house with everything that I needed and more, but I always felt incomplete. I always wanted to know what made me unwanted. What made my biological parents give up on me? No one knew the answer to that other than them. I've always had this anger inside of me and I still do. Now i'm ready to release it.

My adoptive mother, Elenor nodded. She is a very kind and understandable woman, just like my father. He was the dad that every child ever wanted. They were never able to have children before so that is why they adopted me, Selena. I loved them both but I'm 18 years old now. I wanted to know the actual truth before i go to university.

The next day, my parents and I went to the place where they adopted me from. The second I entered the building, a breeze of nostalgia hit me. All the dark colored, ancient timber that had a heavy role inside and outside of the building. The cracked, dark green walls surprisingly, still stand tall and the plants that were scarcely found throughout the building were still alive. I feel like I could taste the flavorless food and feel the uncomfortable beds once again.

My dad, my mom and I are all walking towards the old lady at the desk. She had a shabby looking computer in front of her. She is the only thing that does not look familiar so far. She had curly chestnut hair and oval, thin framed glasses with chains attached to it. She was styled in a beige sweater.

"Uhum... excuse me ma'am. We came here to ask if you had the adoption records from 13 years ago." She did not move but only turned her gaze towards me. She had a droopy and wrinkly, skinny face.

"We no longer have the records that were written before 2008. That's when we started using computers. All the documents are now filed in the backroom. It'll take you days to find what you want." She said with a soft voice and an english accent.

"Sorry, me?" I cleared my throat. Was I supposed to find my document?

"Yes you. Give me name and date." She commanded.

"Selena Johnson. My adoption date is June 23rd, 2006." She typed some stuff into the computer and without saying anything she did some clicks.

"I am only able to tell you where the documents from April 2006 to July 2006 are. That's all i can do." I looked at her with optimism. She had a bored face that was wishing i would just give up. But after some time she sighed.

"U-4 to U-7. Good luck." She placed a key on the table. I looked back at my parents. They didn't say anything so far. I knew that they wanted me to do all the work. Because they were the ones who knew that i wanted that as well. I took the key and went to where the old lady said we should go. We ended up in front of a curved, big, brown wooden door. It looked very dry with cracks and chipping paint all over it. I put the key in the keyhole and turned it. As I opened the door, a mist of dust greeted us. My mother coughed deeply and followed that with a sneeze. She was allergic to dust.

"Mom maybe you should go." I wanted her to go. With dad. I needed to do this on my own because I couldn't dare to look for my biological parents while my real parents were next to me.

My dad took the hint from my looks and nodded. They both went from where we came. I turned back to the door. Then I heard loud footsteps coming down the staircase next to me.

"Where am I supposed to go?!" Then I heard the sound of newspapers hitting something. "Also stop hitting me!"

"I don't care where you need to go. You had to leave two years ago and you're still here, occupying space!" As the sentence ended I saw another woman that had very similar characteristics with the first one, and a young man being chased by her. I just stood there.