Flashback (1)

I was sitting outside the office of the adoption officer awaiting my fate which was being decided among the couples and the officer.

It's been a month and two weeks since my parent's death. I had been put in three different child care facilities since then for being difficult.

Being difficult meant that I was overly depressed from the trauma leading to my disconnection from the real world making it impossible for anyone to communicate with me.

Come on give me a break, what exactly did they expect, shortly after my parents died, some so called social workers came and dragged me out of my home. I didn't even have the time to process the death of my parents.

The sound of a door being flung open brought me back from my thoughts as the couples marched out of the office and down the hallway without sparing a glance.

Well that means I didn't get adopted.

Mrs Kowalski, the matron of the orphanage I was kept came and took me back to the orphanage saying words of comfort.

Poor old lady, she actually thought I was sad that I didn't get adopted. When in fact I was ecstatic. I wasn't going to give up the space my parents filled to another set of people who feel like they were obligated to me.

Immediately I got to the orphanage, I went straight to my favorite spot which is the mini garden at the back.

I usually came here when I felt like being alone and away from all the fake-ness around the orphanage.

I didn't know when I had dozed off or how long I had stayed at the garden but by the time I opened my eyes it was already dark.

I checked my pocket watch to check the time and it read 8:17pm, the other kids must be getting ready for bed by now as they already had dinner since dinner was always eaten by 7.

The orphanage had this strange ritual where every activity has a time allocated to them.

For example, everyone is expected to be out of bed by 7 in the morning, take our bath and come down to the dinning area for breakfast by 8 which is to last thirty minutes.

After which everyone goes to our respective 'classes' in quote. It's a mini hall divided into different sections for different levels of learning.

Yes! If you're thinking what I think you're thinking. We are all 'homeschooled', if you can even call it that, here at the orphanage.

These lessons go on till about 1 in the afternoon, after which everyone goes to the dinning area for lunch, also for thirty minutes. Then we all go to take a nap which is approximately two hours.

After the two hours is completed, we have the remaining time to ourselves till dinner time which is 7. After dinner we all go to our rooms to do whatever and prepare for bed, then all lights go out by 8:30.

This ritual goes in a cycle every single day and it's driving me crazy.

Anyway, I have to find a way to sneak into the kitchen before anybody catches me then I won't be able to satisfy this goddamned worms biting my bowels.

I make my way towards the corner of the building where the kitchen window is. Thankfully it was still opens I climbed in all the while making sure not to make a single sound so as not to attract any intruders.

After taking a look around, I found a plate on the counter and it was covered. When I opened it, there staring at me and smiling was FOOD!!

'bless whoever left this here' it was as if the person knew I would come for my dinner. I started digging in without a second thought.

I mean, 'it couldn't have been poisoned right? '

Oh whatever, even if it was poisoned, it wouldn't do any harm, afterall, I had swallowed countless amounts of poison yet I didn't die.

Though it landed me in the ICU for almost two weeks, but still I'm alive. So you could say that by now I was pretty indestructible.

"e-hem! "   shit! caught! I must have been so lost in my own thought I didn't hear someone come up behind me.

I turned around slowly with the spoon still in my mouth to face the very sweet demon in the body of an old woman with a raised eyebrow,

"Mrs Kowalski.... " but still thank God it was just her, it probably could have been a ghost.

"what are you doing.... "

"I can explain " I cut her off hoping to defend myself.

"go ahead then "

"w-well I kinda missed dinner and I couldn't sleep with an empty stomach"

"and whose fault is that?!" she barked, yeah barked

"m-m-mine " I stammered, ah! I fucking stammered!

"just because shit didn't go down well today doesn't give you their to do as you please, you got that?! "

"yes ma'am "

"good. I'm gonna let you go but just for tonight"

"thank you ma'am "

She stomped out of the kitchen without a response so much as a 'goodnight' but who was I kidding, I wasn't expecting her to say anything.

I just focused on finishing my food then going to bed because tomorrow was going to be another hell on earth and I was going to need all my wit if I was going to survive.