Searching Hearts

2. Pipen Aungersun

   Pipen looked around at the walls of the orphanage she had called home for the past ten years. She relived the memories she had, some good but most bad. She shook herself out of her thoughts and continued silently packing her bag. She stuffed what valuables she had in it and folded her blankets. She tied them with a long piece of ribbon shed found and made some sort of a pack. She slung it around her shoulder and turned around, her eyes meeting each of the girls who slept in her dorm.

   Her feet started padding silently on the floor, as she headed for the door. She pulled it open, being careful of the creaking that came with it. Once she was sure it hadnt disturbed anyone, she slipped into the hallway. She made her way to the big doors and start slipping on her shoes. Her mind was brought way back to the reason she was in the orphanage.

   Pipen Joy Aungersun was born in Germany, into a very poor family. Her mother had complications giving birth and fell ill. A few months later she died, leaving Pipen with her father and brother, Warren.

   Life was good to Pipen until the war started. When she was nine, officers came to her doorstep and took Warren away. They heard no word from him and had no clue where he was. At the age of ten, her father sent her away to America, to keep her safe from the war and help her start a new life.

   Pipen could never forget that day. She remembered walking to the car, her hand in her fathers. He hugged her tight and helped her into the car. She settled in the back and he loaded her luggage. He said goodbye to the couple she was with, old family friends, and the car started forward. He waved and blew her a kiss, which she returned. She watched as he walked back into the house. She was just about to turn around when the thing happened that has haunted her every day since then.

   The second he stepped into the house, she watched as a bomb hit it and the whole house exploded. She remembered screaming and frantically trying to get out of the car. The woman she was with held her back and tried to soothe her painful cries. All Pipen could do was stare in horror at her burning house and cry for the father she would never see again.

   On the trip to America, the couple she was with contracted a disease and died, each within a day of each other. Pipen ended up in America, all alone. She wandered from house to house, begging for food or anything else that could help her situation. Finally, someone took her in and called the orphanage. She was sent there and has had to endure the cruelties that were inflicted.

   She grew up the next five years teaching herself to be strong. Crying was a sign of weakness. Hold her emotions down so no one can see them and have leverage against her. She refused to let anyone see the real her, never getting too close to any of the other girls.

   Pipen felt a tear roll down her cheek and she roughly wiped it away. She shook her head, ridding herself of her past. She slipped her other shoe on and grabbed her bag. Making sure her pack was secure, she opened the front door. Taking one last long look, she closed the door and stepped out into the unknown.

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Quick A/N. Pipen's last name is pronounced: Aunger-sun. Aunger as in hunger, but without the H. Then sun is pretty easy.

Whatcha thinkin??? Leave some comments and tell me your thoughts. I know the chapters are pretty short right now but they'll get longer I promise.:)