Beautiful Lies

Chapter I

❛ She was falling, her hands spinning wildly in a blind panic  ❜

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            Wools orphanage was a lonely place when Cara first came to know it. It was a cloudy day in 1936, when Mrs Cole walked her up the steps, telling her that the orphanage would soon become her home. She walked into the grey building that seemed to be devoid of happiness. Cara wasn't listening to a word that came from the older woman's mouth. No, she was far too busy trying to remember where her parents had gone. She had fallen asleep on her mother's lap she recalled, the loud noises on the train fading as she got comfortable. But when she had woken up, she was sitting next to the brown-haired woman who had introduced herself as Mrs Cole.

            It had been strange for Cara, yet Mrs Cole carried on as if it were a normal occurrence. "Where are my parents?" Cara finally gathered the courage to ask. "I was with them on the train." She continued to explain, her English rusty from disuse.

            Mrs Cole pursed her lips at the interruption, "I do not know Miss Daniely, it was your uncle who put you under my care." She turned away from Cara, gesturing for the girl to follow her, as she muttered under her breath about accents and the like.

             But Cara was now far more confused than she had ever been before. Her parents never mentioned any uncles to her. She had plenty of aunts and cousins, but she knew her father never had any brothers. Perhaps it had been someone on her mother's side of the family, she thought, her mother always spoke fondly of London where she had spent her youth before moving to Germany.

             Before she could question the matron on this, she was handed over to another woman. This one looking only slightly younger than Mrs Cole, her features were much softer Cara couldn't help but notice when compared with the sharpness of Mrs Cole's face. "This is Martha, she oversees many of the younger children." Mrs Cole introduced. "Martha this is Cara Daniely, she is currently eight years of age, I trust you know what to do."

              And with that Mrs Cole left, her skirts fluttering behind her as she turned into another hallway and vanished from Cara's view. "Follow me, darling," Martha said, extending a hand for Cara to take. Her voice held an accent that although wasn't British was extremely familiar. "You'll be getting a room first." She explained as she Cara deeper into the orphanage so that the doors we passed were no longer plain white but painted in blues on one side and pinks on the other and some even had papers or other items decorating them.

              Cara remained silent. All she knew was that she wanted her parents and she did not have a single clue as to where they might have gone.

              Approaching the rooms near the end of the hall Martha slowed down, "Now Miss Daniely, you're quite lucky, you have the option of having a room to yourself or a joint room with one of the other little girls. Which would you prefer?"

              Cara gave a half-hearted shrug, she doubted it would make a difference where she slept. Though she did feel nervous when Martha started leading her to an empty room, clutching the woman's hand tighter. "When will my parents be coming back?" She asked, looking up at Martha hopefully.

              Martha let out a sigh, brushing a loose strand of hair back before hustling about the room and straightening out the blanket on the bed. "I'm not sure Miss Daniely." She answered carefully.