Holding What's Mine

Chapter 9 - The Waiting

Essie

The room was warm, the smell was sweet, and I am safe for the time being....

Looking out the window to the courtyard, I was blank. A few days ago, I saw the world evolve 12 years before my very eyes.

The internet had grown

There was a thing called Wi-Fi, so you didn't need to plug in the ethernet cable into the computer.

You could use touch screens on a phone instead of buttons

Nelson Mandela died

David Attenborough had gotten older and more species had been discovered since then....

I'd missed everything and until my second day here I cried, cried because I didn't experience the change and cried because I'd missed the life I could've had.

Should've had...

But from roaming around the courtyard sinking in the sunshine due to my lack of, I took the time to enjoy the outdoors, enjoy the birds, bees, flowers and the occasional company of Doug and Patrick. The things I was once too naïve and too small to take for granted all became precious and beautiful.

But in the early hours of the morning from waking up from countless nightmares that woke me. I used the computer or the laptop for catching up. From applying to websites for maths and English as well as other subjects.

I seemed to absorb information like a sponge and in the past week I seemed to be somewhat knowing the basic skills of someone my age.

The online schools I applied to helped me a lot, but I had to be careful and this place I suspected that they would be inspecting my every move and with no-doubt had access to hackers to see what I had been up to.

Getting up as the sun reached midday, I walked to the laptop on the side of the bed. Picking it up I continued with my studies.

From being in kindergarten I had experienced and shown my skills of reading, writing and basic mathematics as a year 7 student, Needless to say I was a very smart girl. I remember the teachers idolising my intelligence applauding me, but they also sheltered me and whispered to one another that my knowledge was abnormal.

But that was not my fault.

Even in the containment of my cell, I found that I adapted to places easily. And if anybody with sense knew and understood that they would have been pleased, but when the brutes realised this they beat me, trying to slowly break my exterior and interior.

Typing, clicking and counting away, by the time it was 4 o'clock, and I had been catching 'academically' up, I had reached a year 11 education.

Because I knew if you had to survive in the world you had to be knowledgeable and aware of your surroundings.

Stretching my legs that were still thin from lack of food, I opened my door and strolled through the house.

One my first day here Patrick had shown me the main components of the house, the living rooms, music room, pool, courtyard, library and so many others that I had already forgotten.

From the tour I had also learnt that this was no ordinary place, there was good people who did bad things. I didn't sticky beak around, but I was aware of it due to the countless people I'd seen with bruises but broad and genuine smiles. But I knew they chose to do this, do whatever business they were doing.

Finding my destination, I lay on the grass.

The courtyard.

Closing my eyes, I listened to the noises of people in the house, the animals, the wind and the peacefulness of being alive. So many times, I had avoided death.