The Lure of Adventure

This Infernal Place

The Saint Francis Home stood still in the pale purple shadows of early morning. The fog that rolled off the nearby bay gave the massive estate an eery, haunted feeling. I remember this night all too well as I was up to no good.

This is the kind of place that begs for early-morning exploration and daring stealth. The dark shadows, massive bell towers, and brooding angel statues everywhere were nothing short of the average young explorer's dream.

The Saint Francis Home houses boys on the far left side, and girls on the far right, with a long stretch of administrative rooms in between, plus the lunch room, infirmary, and various worship rooms. This is the infernal place I've called my home for the last thirteen years since I was put into care by my parents at the nice shiny age of three.

At 4:15 AM this particular night, as I was inching along the decorative brick outside my bedroom window, a car pulled into the cobblestone drive below, causing me to freeze in place and wince away from the light.

"Don't get caught... Don't get caught..." I mutter anxiously under my breath, squeezing my eyes shut as though it'd make it harder for them to spot me.

I could have sworn that I'd be spotted, and it would all be over, but the three people who got out of the car spared me no mind. It was early morning, so everything was dim and dark, but from the ambient light of a distant streetlight I could make out three figures; one a tall, rugged man, the second looked like a boy of maybe sixteen years old, and the third was a short boy, maybe ten or eleven at best.

Nothing good awaits kids brought here, especially not the ones in the middle of the night. This piqued my interest because no one comes at night... The courtyards and parking lots are vacant until eight AM when the gates open. This also catches my attention, this place is made to keep people in, so of course, there's a big wrought iron gate at the entrance with a guard. So how the fudge did this guy and his kids get in?

"Come on, boys, your future awaits." He told them in a grim voice, his tired, strained voice bouncing off all the brick structures in the quiet courtyard.

The two boys stuck close together as they warily followed him to the front door.

"Dad? What are we doing here?" The younger boy asked, gripping his backpack to his chest. They passed below where I was perched on the brick ledge above so I could only hear them then. I curled my fingers in a feeble attempt to grip the cracks between the dark grey bricks. I held my breath and pressed my back flat against the wall as I listened, careful not to let pieces of rock tumble off the narrow ledge to alert them of my presence.

"I have to leave for a little bit, so you two have to stay here. But don't worry, the Sisters will take good care of you."

The heavy over-kill gothic style front door slammed shut behind them, and I breathed a sigh of relief. +1 ninja point for superior stealth.

I scoot along the brick, gripping the wall behind me the best I can, struggling to keep my cool because I can hear the sound of rock cracking and shifting under my feet, indicating that I could be a solid five seconds from slipping to my doom. The cobblestone ground far below didn't look inviting at all, and I would have really preferred not to reach it so quickly.

The whole estate is massive and is made up of gothic-style spires and turrets, forming the grim outline of what looks like a castle poking out of the gloomy fog on mornings like these where everything is so still, calm, and serene. The interior is a maze of ornately decorated outdoor spaces, detailed stone corridors, and hallways leading to seemingly nowhere. They don't put kids in a place like this just because it's beautiful and good for the soul; it's so they get lost when they try to escape.