Dawn

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

     The sun shone high in the summer sky, the sound of birdsong and children playing filled the air. The playground was busy, the children laughed as they swung on the swings and slid down the slide. Mothers stood watching with travel mugs filled with hot beverages as they chatted with one another. It was a scene of pure happiness for all except for one little girl. Barely four years old, she sat alone under the slide. Her face was a little grubby and her clothes soiled. She was barely visible from her hiding place. No one paid her any attention at all, whenever any of the children came anywhere near her they quickly moved away. Tears ran down her pale cheeks as she sucked her thumb as she waited for her mother to return. Her mother had brought her here in the morning and told her not to move until she came back. This hadn't been the first time she had been left alone, but this had been the longest. Her mother would often leave her somewhere when she went to score her next fix, this time was different, this time her mother would not come back.

    I shot up to sitting like I did every morning after having the same dream I always had every night. My skin was damp with sweat and my heart pounded in my chest. You'd think after nearly 14 years I would no longer be haunted by the day my mother abandoned me, after all before her I was abandoned by my father. In fact, he was out of the picture before I was born. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, just like I did every morning and counted slowly to ten. One of my former social workers had taught me to calm myself down like this when I was seven. As my mind began to calm down, I became aware of the noises around me. I could hear Liza snoring in the bed next to me and Toby and Ethen giggling on the landing. Downstairs I could hear Cheryl and Scott arguing as per usual. The Humphrey's house was always noisy, but that was to be expected with five foster kids and a newborn. It's wasn't the worst home I'd been placed in, which there had been quite a few. It may have been a little crowded, but I would take that any day over being abused and neglected. I stretched my arms up above my head and yawned. I climbed out of bed and grabbed my work clothes and laid them on my bed. I opened the bedroom door to find Toby and Ethen playing with their train set on the other side. I gave them a smile as I stepped over them and headed for the bathroom. I grabbed hold of the handle and groaned when I found it was locked.

"Sophia, are you going to be long?" I asked as I banged on the door.

"I'll be done when I'm done," I heard her reply.

I always tried to get in there before her because she took forever, she had just turned twelve, but she seemed to think she was nineteen. She spent ages on her hair and make up every morning, so much so that she made the rest of the guys late for school. I was beyond relieved when she finally opened the door. I was less than surprised to see she caped her face in about two inches of foundation which was two shades too dark for skin tone. I tried to stop myself from laughing but a snort escaped my lips. She stopped in her tracks and turned quickly to look at me.

"What on earth are you laughing at, have you looked at yourself lately?" she sneered as she flicked her long blonde hair over her shoulder, hitting me in the face as she walked away.

I shook my head at her and quickly got in the bathroom while I could. I stripped off and jumped in the shower and let the warm water ease away the memories from my dream.

     Once I was dry, I chucked on a pair of my black work out leggings and matching black sports bra. I then pulled an oversized white vest top over the top. I looked in the mirror as I put my long hazel coloured hair into a messy bun. I stared at myself for a few moments, looking at my bright blue eyes and pale skin wondering if my father had the same. I definitely hadn't got my looks from my mother, even though she died when I was little, I could still see her one grey eye and one hazel eye and her long, wavy black hair, her skin was much more tanned than mine too. I shook the thought of my parents from my mind and quickly made my way downstairs. By the time I reached the kitchen, it seemed that the argument I heard this morning was now over and forgotten. Liza was sat at the table now, still looking half asleep, I swear that girl could sleep for days. Toby and Ethen were giggling as they shovelled cereals into their mouths. Sophia was chewing some toast while staring at her phone. I smiled as I saw baby Esther sleeping in her pushchair, I knew she had been keeping Cheryl and Scott up most nights. Scott was drinking a coffee while reading the paper like he did every morning.