Opal's Story

Stay away.

It's been a few days since Opal got her letter off her sister and I've never seen her so happy

The post drops through the door this morning and I pick it up

Mine, mikes, mine

Opals!

I go to shout her but realise this letter looks a lot more formal than the one her sister Dani wrote to her

I want to open it but I decide against it, instead laying it on the side by the door and walking away

I hope she hasn't got into trouble

OPALS POV

I come bounding down the stairs to see letters on the side excitedly I see one for me!

Please be dani!

'Opal breakfast!' Tracy shouts

'Oh your here, sorry I thought you were still upstairs' she says smiling

'I'll be there in a minute' I say, beaming

She gives a nod and goes back into the kitchen

I rip the envelope open so fast I nearly get a paper cut, taking the letter out I read through excitedly

Until I see something that makes me feel sick

Dear Opal.

This is Jenny, your sister Dani's foster mother

We recently let Dani send you a letter, only we didn't ask her to invite you round

She is settled and happy and she doesn't need a reminder of her horrific home life.

Dani won't be seeing you, or sending you any letters again.

Stay away. Let her move on.

Wait...what?

'Opal...you okay?' Tracy says

My heart starts to beat abnormally fast

'Opal come here' she says

'It's okay I'm fine, I'm just too excited!' I lie

'Why?' She says

'They've arranged a visit!' I lie again

'No way! I'm so happy for you!' She says giving me a hug

'Thanks' I say before running upstairs and re reading the letter

Stay away. Stay away. Stay away.

That was all that was going through my head!!

I clutch onto the bedpost trying to control my breathing but I can't

I let out a desperate scream, then angrily punch the wall for doing so before everything goes black and I fall to the floor

FIVE MINUTES LATER

I open my eyes to see that I'm alone but I'm actually on my bed, meaning someone must've come in

The letters gone. I check everywhere including where I hid it but it's not there

Of course...

I run downstairs and into the office

'Tracy give me back the letter' I say

'Oh Opal thank god your okay! Wait what letter?' She says

'You know what letter!' I say, tears forming in my eyes

'Opal calm down' mike says

Tracy gives me a confused look and I rush out of the office to find the letter on my bed

I'm sure I didn't leave it there

'Opal what's happened?' I hear Tracy say

I hand her the letter and start to cry

She reads through it, anger coming to her face, I've never seen Tracy angry before.

It didn't look good.

'How dare she!' She says angrily before going downstairs to see Mike, I follow on, listening outside the door.

'Tracy if the foster parents have decided against Opal seeing her sister then we cannot change that! You know that from last time!' Mike says

'We'll see about that' Tracy says

'I'm in charge Tracy. Don't you forget that' mike says angrily

'It can't be right to split up a family!!' Tracy says

'It isn't but I'm in charge Tracy. Last time was a disaster! Don't you dare put another kid through that!' He says

My anxiety takes over and I'm convinced he's going to hurt her so I take action

'Leave her alone!' I say bursting into the office angrily

'Opal I'm okay' Tracy says

'Yeah? And what if I hadn't walked in!' I say

'Then I would've still been okay' Tracy says softly, taking my hand and leading me away

'I'm sorry I don't know what came over me' I say sadly

'I understand. And I appreciate your care. But Mike would never ever hurt me' Tracy says

'I couldn't take that risk' I say

Tracy pulls me close, stroking through my hair to calm me down until I fall asleep in her arms