Destiny of the Dragonborn

Escape

A young girl held up her hands to shield herself as the caretaker continuously beat her up. She bit her lip to prevent herself from screaming in pain because if she did, they'd beat her more.

It hurt so much...tears escaped from her dark brown eyes as whip after whip the pain intensified.Finally the caretaker had enough and left her alone, she curled up in the corner,crying to herself,she sniffled,clutching onto the necklace she always hid.

She only knew that it was given to her ever since she was born, she never knew her parents, she was an orphan.She felt someone touch her shoulder and saw another girl her age, it was Layla, her friend.

Layla hugged her, whispering, "I'm sorry you were hurt because of me Cheryl..." Her friend sobbed at her pain.

Cheryl, the girl, tried to give her a reassuring smile. "It's ok...Layla...you're...my friend...it's what...friends...do..."she said weakly,returning the hug.Layla smiled back and soon it was time for them to eat.Cheryl stared at her bowl of soup with a piece of stale bread at the side.

Her stomach growled and she ate at her food hungrily, every kid in the orphanage was hungry.Cheryl looked across her to see Anna, who looked hungrily at everyone else's food. She felt pity for the other girl, she was worst off, she hadn't had food for days so Cheryl took her bowl and walked up to the caretaker.She looked up.

"What do you want?"she snapped.

"I'd...I'd like some more please..."she said softly,holding out her bowl. The dining room became deathly quiet, so quiet that you could hear a pin drop onto the ground.

The caretaker stared at her in shock, as did the other kids in the room.There was a loud smack and the clatter of a bowl dropping onto the ground. Cheryl winced and put a hand on her cheek where the caretaker had slapped her.

"How dare you ask for more! You should be happy for what you have!"the caretaker yelled.

"B-but...I'm very hungry miss..."Cheryl whimpered.

"Go! Go to your room!And stay there!"she yelled.

Tears of pain,sadness and anger flowed down her cheeks as she nodded,clenching her fist before she turned,head down and ran towards her room as fast as she could, away from everyone.She had no supper that night, and she had to go through a week without food or water.

One day when she and Layla were at their usual corner, she whispered.

"I'm going to run away Layla, away from these horrible people..."Layla gasped in shock.

"But...where would you go Cheryl? This is a big world we're living in. I doubt you'd survive for a day out there."

"Anywhere but this place, far far far away from this place...and I'd manage somehow. I wish I could bring you along Layla, it's going to be lonely there, with no one to talk to,"she said in her young,determined voice.

Layla looked at her and saw that rare spark in her friend's eyes. The spark that told anyone that she was going to do the impossible, a miracle, do something wonderful, that spark of wonder and determination and knew that there was no point in trying to convince Cheryl not to go try and do what she wanted to do.

Layla sighed. "I know...but...promise you'd come back one day...and find me...and take me with you..."she begged.

"I will Layla, I promise."Cheryl said,hugging her.Layla hugged back.

"When are you leaving?"

"Tonight at midnight, I have all my things already packed, remember that note that was left with me? I snatched it away from one of the caretakers and some money to help me with. I've also stolen some food from the pantry, and a knife, it'd come in handy out there,I need something to defend myself with."

"Be careful when you go out alright? There are bad people out there."

"And good people, if I'm lucky enough to meet one of them."

The two little girls then talked idly about wishing to be able to play outside, feel the grass underneath their feet, breathe in cool fresh air, to be able to see the flowers and animals...it almost seemed like a dream.

They had been in the orphanage all their lives,they never got to go out and play.

"I'll get you out of here Layla, when I'm older and stronger,no, I'll get every little boy and girl here out."

"But how long will that take?""I don't know...maybe weeks...months...years..."she said softly,hugging her knees.

"That's an awful long time."

"It will be long to you, because 1 year will be like 10 years in here, outside this horrible place, a year will seem like a week or a month,it will seem like only yesterday."

"That sounds almost too good to be true."

"But it is Layla, it is."

"You must tell me when you come back, how it feels like."

"Of course Layla."

It was close to midnight and no one was awake except for Cheryl, she listened carefully for the caretakers before she reached underneath her pillow and grabbed her bundle of her belongings and softly dragged it from under it.

She got off and landed on her sock-covered feet, she picked up her shoes and quietly ran to the storeroom, she slowly opened it,because it'd creak and then slowly closed it.She put on her shoes and climbed on top of the crates and slowly opened the window, it was a tight fit, but she was small enough to fit through.She took a deep breath, tucking her bundle underneath her arm and squeezed through....

And dropped down to freedom.