Lonely Winter
Chapter 1
Janel pressed her nose against the cold window pane and watched as her breath fogged up the glass. She could not see outside anyway because it was snowing. It seemed to her that it snowed all the time now. Indeed, she could not even remember the times when it was warm and sunny. That seemed like a dream from long ago.
She hated winter. Winter was cold, mean, ugly, and black like a starless night. It held no laughter, no fun, and no happy memories. It was winter when they had come and taken her brother and mom away from her.
She closed her eyes and as always, the scene flashed through her mind's eye again. The yellow light shining off her mother's golden hair just like hers and her mother's sweet loving smile, as she unpacked a shopping bag with gifts. The laughter and the light jokes, the happiness and the feeling of safety and love. It had been her birthday, and she had just turned eight and was about to blow out the candles when there had come loud raps on the door making the small door shake and an authoritative, cold voice on the other side of the door had shouted that they were the police and that they had to open the door. Janel's mother had tried to lead her into another room and was telling her that everything would be ok when the police had broken down the door. They had big guns and were wearing vests and they had immediately hand cuffed her mother and started giving her the prisoner rights. Then they had taken her mother despite her mother's pleas of innocence.
A fat police woman had taken Janel but Janel had lipped out and run to the window trying to see her mother one last time. She had just had one glimpse of her mom looking up and giving her a small smile before the red faced police lady had grabbed her ear and pulled her away from the window.
That day had been the last day Janel had seen her mother. Her father had been long dead and since she was unwanted she had been taken to the State Institute for orphans.
Janell opened her eyes and didn't see the snowy window in front of her, still locked in an inner battle. She could still remember the she had felt and the fear and confusion. And she had not been able to even give her mom a good bye hug. For the policewoman had claimed that they were no longer mother and sister, a family, but she, an orphan of the state and her mom a prisoner.
Janel had never felt warm and happy after that, winter perpetually in her soul and mind, never even seeing summer when it came, too cold and broken to love again, just wanting her family back together again. Her eyes filled with tears and a cold icy tear rolled down her cheek and dripped off her chin.
As Janel sat in the corner of the window seat, crying, her heart wrenching and shaking, so lonely and unloved, four noisy girls came into the room. She sat very still and prayed that she could just disappear into the air and that they would not notice her tall skinny form by the window and her tears but that was wishful thinking.
"Aww, missing little mommy?" one girl said her silky cruel voice.
"Nah, she is remembering her mother, though the madams said she has none no more, she continues to fantasize that she has a family still. Ha!"
"I know right! I mean, a mom in prison and with all her disillusions, she should go to the crazy house already, and everyone knows it's just a matter of time." This smug voice came from a tall willowy girl who was obviously the leader of the little evil clique. Janel let the words go over her like water. She was used to it, having it aimed at her ever since she had arrived there, six years ago. The madams who ran the orphanage had tried their hardest to make her forget her family and the past, through threats and treats, but that had only made her cling to it more strongly.
Suddenly one of the girls slapped Janel across her wet cheek, leaving a red handprint behind. Janel was startled and turned around to see one of the mean girls glaring at her.
