Chapter 1: A Chance for Foster

"Sunlight, Grace," a modest lady said to an older woman that was reading some documents.

The room was lit with four lamps hanging from the corner of the two-facing walls, two from the side of the door and two at the back of the desk of the older lady. Each resembled the glow of a candle and is bright enough for the eyes to properly read.

"She is on her way right now, I just got a call from Duke that she already left the carriage station." The modest lady added, still standing in front of the old woman.

"Let's wait for her. Its not everyday that we get to foster someone like her," The old woman said.

The lady lead the old woman outside and struggled to barely open the door of the mansion. The waning crescent moon was shy of illuminating anything, prompting the lady to light an oil lamp. A faint light emerges from the pitch-black forest along with the sound of horses' steps. The carriage was silent not a single clink or clank, only the steps of the horses and the creak of the varnished wood. Ten staff from the mansion came outside as they hear the halt of the carriage at the gate. They walked as if they are an army troop and not just butlers. One opens the gate and two others assisted the coachman tending to the two tired horses. With each move as precise as a theatre play. One opened the carriage offering his hand to escort the girl off of it.

"Thank you," a polite and dearing voice said.

"We will take care of your belongings. The headmistress will talk to you." The assisting staff said.

The girl walked towards the headmistress and the lady who was holding the oil lamp. As she approaches, the light of the oil lamp made an amber glow as the light bounces from her golden hair. Her moon-pale skin is revealed when she offers her hands to the headmistress.

"Hi! I am Grace."

"I am Ofelia Haldeck the Headmistress of the Haldeck Foster Home. You are welcome here dear and we will take good care of you. But let's get you a good night's sleep first. Shall we?" Ofelia Haldeck gestured to go inside.

Grace looks back at the coachman who is talking to the lady holding the lamp about the horses.

"Thanks, Mr. Duke," Grace said. Duke, the coachman bowed at her to show his gratitude.

"Lucy, we are going inside. You take care of Duke and Ms. Sunlight's belongings." Ofelia called to the lady holding the lamp.

"3 minutes," Lucy said.

"Yes, Maam!" The ten staff simultaneously answered but not too loudly.

The mansion's architecture was inspired by a long lost artistic movement. It is surrounded by forest on every side and after the forest, there are mountain ranges at the east, west, and south but not the north part which the mansion is facing towards.

The mansion would look like it is an impenetrable fortress if it's not housing thousands of children. It is foster care for children who lost their families, are victims of financial instability, or are just the result of sexual abuse. Madame Ofelia Haldeck and the Haldeck Foster Care will be there as long as there is a child in need.

"We will be having your assessment tomorrow at 10. You just came at the right moment because next week is graduation week!" Madame Ofelia said. They were at the dormitory hall of the mansion. Each room with children already sleeping.

"It is a school too?" Grace asked.

"Yes, we assess the child that we take here and put them at their current level of intellect. If a 7-year-old is being advanced they can be in the 7th grade but if a 15-year-old is illiterate we will introduce them to the 1st grade. You are not a neglected child but you need to finish your education and we will help you continue." Madame Ofelia stopped and looks at Grace."You are an 11th grader, Ms. Sunlight?"

"Yes"

"That is good, we will have you share a room with someone at your age, gender, and grade level." Madame Ofelia turned and opened the door behind her.

The staff that carries Grace's belongings already caught up to them. Much to the surprise of Grace. They arranged her clothes in the cabinet and immediately left the room. The room has two beds on the left and right side and at the front of the door is a large window covered with a black curtain. A child is sleeping on the right side bed covering themself with blankets.

"You can rest on the unoccupied bed, Ms. Sunlight. Make sure to get proper sleep because tomorrow your assessment will be performed and written." Madame Haldeck lets Grace enter the room.

"Thank you, Madame Haldeck." Grace looks at her and around the room.

"Oh, Carol is the one sleeping with you. She is a quiet girl so I hope you get along together." Madame Ofelia added."Goodnight, Ms. Sunlight."

Before Grace can answer she already closed the door. Grace does not think much of it as she was occupied by the intricate design of the room. Every piece of furniture was designed with artistry. Every corner was carved with passion as if every piece of wood was a canvas and the artisan was the painter. A delicate brush stroke is a carpenter's precise chisel.

"I am not yet asleep," a deep girl voice from the blankets.

"W-What!?" A startled Grace answered.

"I said, I am not yet asleep." The girl removes the blanket. Although she claims that she's not asleep she had very sleepy eyes. And though she shares the same skin color as Grace her hair is as black as the night.

"My name is Caroline Vineyard." The girl said. "And you?"

"Grace Sunlight." Grace offers her right hand and Carol accepts. "But you look like you need to sleep though?"

"I do not need sleep." Caroline yawns.

"But I do, it has been a long day and tomorrow I will be assessed." Grace made her bed.

"Good luck, Grace."

"Goodnight, Carol." Grace tucked herself onto her bed and cover her body with the blanket only leaving her head. She stared at the ceiling for a while. "Do you think that I will be fine here, Carol?"

"As long as you can be on your own," Carol answered.

"Why?" Grace released a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Haldeck is an orphanage, Grace." Carol rolled on her right side and faced the wall.

"I miss Mom," Grace said. There was a momentarily silence on the room. Both girls unsure of what they were going to say.

"So.... you still have a family?" Carol asked still facing the wall, her eyes waiting for the answer.

"Yes." Grace took a sigh. "She is in the hospital, if I continue studying and finish I can be with her."

Carol mumbled some words but she eventually said it loud.

"Well, uhm, you will be an 11th grader like me. Right?" Carol rolled back to the left to face Grace. "If you passed the test and got evaluated to the 11th Grade, You will only have 2 years to stay here."

"That's too much," Grace said.

"You don't know what's too much, that will pass faster than you could say pepperoni pizza" Carol teased. She smiled at her.

"Pepper..roni pizza," Grace said.

"oh haha," Carol lies on her back.

Grace giggled to herself, trying to hide it from Carol.

****

The sun rose bright on the afternoon. It was the start of the children's vacation. Perfect for them to be outside the mansion where the soft green grass grows and the towering trees dance to the lead of soft breeze of summer. These children were from 9th grade to 12th grade, each of the group gathering with their friends finally being away from the burden of their academic tasks.

The 12th grader were the ones making the most out of it. Most of the children who will graduate and grew up at Haldeck cannot believe that they were finally leaving and this would be their last week. Some 12th grader girls were crying with their best friends while the boys watched them in confusion. Some friend groups gathered in circles and talked about their experiences on Haldeck, some tried to wipe their tears and the others bursted in laughter from their stories.

"Look at them, they are corny as hell." A boy sitting on a branch of an oak tree commented while spectating the other children. He wore a gray shirt and black pants and left his slippers underneath the tree. "They don't know whats going to happen if they leave."

"Don't curse, Jack. A staff might hear you." A boy sitting under the tree said. He adjusted his round glasses after reminding his friend, he turns another page of the book that he was reading. "What will happen after they leave?"

"I don't know, and why are you still reading? You're supposed to have vacation." The boy on the branch said.

"But I enjoy reading." The boy under the tree said.

"Do what you want Neil, I wont be staying long here." The boy climbed down the oak tree and looked down at the other boy.

"You still wants to escape?" The boy with glasses looked up to the other boy.

"Jack, Neil"

A voice caught their attention and they immediately glanced to the direction where it came from, almost breaking their necks. It was Carol just right behind them. None of the boys even noticed her.

"I told you not to sneak up on me!" The boy who just climbed down the tree is Jack. His curly black hair bounced as he hopped down the tree.

"I do that to everyone," Carol answered.

"That's not the point!" Jack said.

"He still wants to escape," The boy with glasses is Neil, he closed his book, patted his pants and stood. He wore round eye glasses and white shirt and blue navy pants. His hair was dark blonde, shy of being bright.

"You do you, Jack," Carol said.

"See, she's fine with me escaping," Jack said, looking at Neil trying to convince him.

"But, you only have a year left to stay here. You will be a 12th grader." Carol said.

"No, they are not telling us the truth." Jack said.

"Nicole is telling you stories again aren't she?" Neil asked.

"That girl from the town?" Carol asked.

Jack is silent, only looking at them.

"You told us that she's from the town Jack, but how does she get here anyways? It will take half a day just to travel through the forest and another half just to get back." Carol explained with confusion.

"We told you Jack, she might be a lure to kidnap kids from Haldeck," Neil said.

"No, she's not," Jack finally said something.

"But why do you believe her?" Neil said.

"Oh no, he's inlove! Yikes." Carol butts in with her most sarcastic tone and non existent enthusiasm.

"No!" Jack denies.

"Caroliiiiiineee!!" A sweet voice shouted, it was Grace. She ran with her hands at her side holding the skirt of her white dress. Her braided golden hair elegantly swayed side to side with each skip on the green grass.

"Oh," Carol muttered.

"Who is she?" Jack asked.

"Caroline, I've been looking for you. I just finished my assessment and you did not told me that was hard!" Grace caught her breath while explaining to Carol.

"Carol is fine, Grace. Boys, this is Grace Sunlight and Grace, these boys are Neil Snowden and Jack." Carol introduced them to each other.

"Hi, I am Grace Sunlight! It is a pleasure to meet you Neil Snowden and Jack..." Grace seems to be confused but she offers her right hand to both of them. Neil and Jack both shook her hands.

"I don't have a lastname," Jack said

"Its fine, I wont remember it though," Grace jokingly answered. "The assessment was hard!"

"None of us took that," Neil said to her as he looked at Carol.

"We grew up here," Carol said.

"Where are you from?" Jack butts in to the conversation.

"From the city, My mother is Emily Sunlight and my father is Marcus Blackwater."

"Marcus Blackwater!?" Neil gasped.

"Yes! He's my father, my parents are divorced though and I chose to live with my mom." The words slipped out of Graces mouth, "Opps im not supposed to say that."

Neil and Jack looked at each other but is also confused. Carol did not know what they were thinking but she waited for what they were going to say.

"YOU ARE A DAUGHTER OF A BILLIONAIRE!?" Jack and Neil both said.

"Well he didn't raised me, only provided for me, financially." Grace embarrassed and slightly sad.

"Why are you here?" Carol said. Her eyebrows raised.

"My father said that he will take care of my mom and I can live here for a while." Grace explained as she sits under the shade of the tree. The three children followed and circle around her. "My mom is in the hospital, fighting against some sickness that she doesn't want to explain."

"What was the city like?" Jack asked.

"There's not much on the city though." Just when Grace is about to continue, a bell rang from the inside of the mansion. All of the children staying outside immediately stood up and walked towards the mansion. The staff watching the children escorted them inside, some staff checked the trees and bushes to see if some children are still outside.

"What's that for?"

"Oh, its lunch. Continue your story inside." Jack said as they went towards the mansion."Let's go, some staff might approach us. They want us to eat all together."