Erebus and Birdie

Chapter One

Green eyes gazed up at the building before them. Dark, gloomy, and not even remotely homely. The windows were somewhat dirty and the lawn was quite unkempt, but not considerably so. It was tall, around three stories high and it had an atmosphere of dread and abandonment if you stood too close.

A young girl, no older than seven, was the one to greet the feeling with curiosity and fear for herself. She stuck out like a sore thumb with her vibrant red locks, bringing unwanted attention as passersby stared at her.

The girl gripped onto the small suitcase at her side, her knuckles turning white. Her mind was blank, no memories surfaced of where she was, or even who she was, and this frightened her beyond her wits. Her family, her name, where she lived. It was gone.

All she knew was, she somehow had ended up at an orphanage full of sad and forgotten children.

Was she just that? Forgotten by the family she knew nothing about?

The girl was sad, she wanted to cry. But why? Why should she feel scared? She had no memories of loved ones she missed, friends she cared for, and it seemed not a single original thought of her own. This girl was a shell. A shell of someone she didn't know.

She tried to think of what she might say. What would she tell the people in the orphanage? The truth, or tell a story? She didn't want to be weak, but she was only a child after all. Why would, or should, she have to lie about anything?

Before she could begin her walk, something caught her attention. A sleek black cat ran towards her, its shiny blue eyes surveying her cautiously. It was small and incredibly skinny, but its fur looked soft and clean. The animal meowed as if politely greeting the girl, if cats could be polite, and began to rub against her leg affectionately.

The redhead smiled softly, it seemed she was fond of animals. She was learning things about herself at last. "Hello." She whispered, bending down to pet the feline who adored the newfound attention. "What is your name?"

The cat purred in response and she picked him up, bringing him into her arms carefully.

"I shall call you Erebus." She had no clue where she got the name or how she knew it, but it seemed to fit the little feline. The cat made no protest to this and instead nestled himself into the girl's arms like they had known each other for years.

Tearing her gaze away from her new friend, she cautiously stepped forward. Her red hair blowing behind her like fire dancing in the wind.

The young girl softly knocked on the dark door, bringing her hand back to cradle it to her chest as if it had hurt her. This was very convenient, arriving suddenly at an orphanage when she had nowhere to go. She knew something must have happened for her to lose her entire memory but she had not a clue on what that could be.

Her features formed into a frown when she heard yelling and loud footsteps. It sounded like a woman telling children to be quiet and behave, and it didn't seem like a request.

The door opened with such force that it frightened the poor girl and almost made her fall down the steps behind her. The suitcase dropped from her grasp and the cat screeched in surprise.

It was indeed a woman. She looked somewhat strict at first glance. Her brown hair was pinned back tightly, almost looking painful, and her green eyes were dull and tired. She appeared middle-aged and as proper as a woman could look in this part of town.

"Another one, hm? Third one this week," The woman spoke to herself, examining the new child and her cat, "Well, what are ya waiting for, girl? Get inside." Her voice was sharp and had no room for argument so the child quickly entered the building with the woman behind her.

"What is your name?"

She couldn't answer, she didn't know her name. What was she supposed to say? Should she create a name for herself? No, something told her not to, she must tell the truth.

"I have not a clue." The girl spoke softly, scared of the woman's reaction but all she did was sigh.

"Right, well, I'm Mrs Lewis. And I suppose you will be staying here indefinitely."

The girl nodded meekly, bowing her head to stare at the ground. Erebus gave her a nudge to which she smiled.

The orphanage appeared as dark and airy as the outside, with discoloured flooring and walls, poor furniture, and a rancid smell that could not be deciphered.

Children, some young and some older, were milling around the hallways cleaning and chatting. Eyes followed the new girl with curiosity, pity, and understanding of why she was there. She did not want to meet their gaze and so she quickly followed the older woman around the corner.

The two walked down another corridor, light peering in wherever it could. Our redheaded child did not like this place, but it was better than living out on the streets.

"I am a worker here, and you will respect and take orders without fuss, ya hear? Breakfast is at seven, lunch at twelve and dinner is at six o'clock sharp. At nine o'clock there will be lights out and you will be in bed without arguments or you will be punished, is that clear girl?"

"Yes, Miss."

"You may keep your pet but you must care for it yourself. Food, water, toilet. Alright?"

She nodded without a word, she was glad she could keep her new friend after all.

"Mrs Cole will want to meet you. She is the matron of this orphanage." The woman told her, never losing the authoritative tone it held. She intimidated the girl slightly and this made her uncomfortable.

They stopped outside a nicer looking door, one with the name 'Mrs. Cole' written on it. Mrs Lewis raised a hand and knocked on the door and the two heard a faint, 'come in.' from the other side.

The door was pushed open, revealing a typical looking office. A desk, filing cabinets and pictures all over the walls. An older woman with short greying hair, warm green eyes, and pale skin sat behind the desk. She smiled upon seeing her worker and another young child following shortly behind.

"Margaret, who is this?" This woman seemed much kinder than Mrs Lewis, and this made our girl more relaxed than before.

"She has no name, seems a bit lost."

Mrs Cole's smile only widened further, feeling sorry for the child but also happy to have a new little girl. She let her sit at the seat in front of her, dismissing Mrs Lewis to tend to the other children.

"Aren't you a beautiful young lady," Mrs Cole exclaimed with a gleam in her eyes, "Now tell me, what do you remember?"

Red hair fell over her face, like a curtain, as she looked down. Erebus's deep blue eyes gazed into her green ones. "Nothing," she spoke mournfully, meeting the matron's stare, "I can't even remember my birthday." A short laugh escaped her lips with tears brimming in her eyes.

The older woman frowned, "Poor thing. Must have gotten a good hit to the head, or even something traumatizing happened, hm?" Mrs Cole thought aloud, "No matter, you will be taken care of here, sweetheart, I can assure you." Her smile returned and the girl matched it.

"Thank you."

"Of course. We'll have to come up with a name for you but for now, we'll get you settled." Standing from her chair she motioned for the girl to follow, "I will let Birdie show you to your room."

Just as she finished an excited and overly happy girl, around the same age as our redhead, popped up from around the corner. She exhibited quite an unconventional appearance, with unruly dark brown hair and skin that was considerably darker than anyone else. Her eyes were a warm jade that sparkled with life and happiness.

"Hi there, I'm Birdie." The girl grinned, dimples on either side of her mouth on full display.

The redhead gave a small wave with the hand still gripping her suitcase, "Hi," Her voice was soft and she was shy, who wouldn't be when you have no memories? Her hand brushed over Erebus anxiously but her face never showed it.

Birdie's eyes lit up when she saw the feline, "Oh wow, you have a kitty? It's so cute," She squealed, moving forward to pat Erebus, "What's its name?" The feline was loving the attention of both girls.

"His name is Erebus."

"His blue eyes are so pretty," The brunette complimented before turning back to the taller girl, "And so are your green eyes."

"Birdie." Mrs Cole warned, giving her a stern gaze.

Birdie averted her eyes shamefully and had the new girl follow behind her down the hall. The pair reached an open door and they peered inside. Two beds were pushed against each wall, a set of drawers in the right corner, two chests at the end of each bed, one window high in the middle of the far wall. One bed seemed to already be taken as it was neatly made and colourful quilt lay over the covers.

"This will be your room," The brunette informed, "You'll be sharing with me so I hope we can become good friends." The redheaded girl spied the sheets stacked perfectly on top of the mattress, "Don't worry, I will go grab you some blankets." And with that, she skipped her way out of the room.

Erebus was set down on the floor, along with the suitcase, and he went around looking at things, although there was not much to look at. The girl grabbed one of the sheets and let it unfold and fall to the ground, it was white and slightly worn but she didn't mind as she began to make the bed to the best of her abilities. The room was small but it was big enough for two small girls and Erebus, she was just glad there was at least a window.

Birdie then entered the room with a green blanket in one arm and a red one in the other, "I thought these colours were suitable," She giggled, handing them to the girl.

"Thank you."

The redhead tucked in the coverings and made sure they were straight. Something told her Mrs Lewis wouldn't appreciate an untidy room.

"So," The brunette spoke, jumping onto her own bed, "What happened to you? If you don't mind."

The redhead shrugged, "I don't know what happened. I don't remember anything."

"Nothing?"

"Yes, nothing."

Birdie frowned as she looked up at the pretty girl, "That's sad," She told her, "Well, I guess we'll just have to make some new memories for you."

Emerald eyes turned to her supposed new friend seeing her smiling back at her, eyes shining brightly like the ocean on a stormy night, it brought the edges of her lips up slightly. This girl was a sweet thing and appeared quite un-troubled but everyone's story was different and hers could be very problematic, she was in an orphanage.

"I'd like that."