Chapter 1; Introduction

I was a very strange girl. I was tall but weak and was pushed around by other little orphans in WestHollow's Home for the unwanted, as Mrs.Beverley would say, for I had a dream. My dream was to go to what seemed to be a fantasy land of make beleive creatures and all your wildest imaginations but the thing I wanted the most was, freedom. My bestfreind, Houston Gardenal, was sitting beside me in the dining hall. "When we get out of here, It'll be the best we'd ever felt. We will be free once we get out of this prison," I said playing around with the disgusting 'mystery' meat, that had been served everyday. I wouldn't be surprised if it was dog liver or human intestines, it reeked of an awful smell but Houston ate it anyway. "Well Max, how is two young adolescence gonna get past the locked up gates of the orphanage. What if Mrs.Beverley gets a call from people who actually want us?" Houston asked out of worryment and a bit of disbelief. I would rather be called Max then my real name Vanessa so thats what Houston calls me. "I dont know about you but, no one is going to want some 'loony' girl like me." I said tossing my food in a trash bin that was set beside our table. "But what if someone does want you? There has to be some person in this world right?" Houston asked feeling bad. "No! No one is gonna want someone like me its been 9 years since I got here, and no one has called or even noticed me! Houston dont you get it?! I'm hopeless!" I snapped as my hair ruffled up. I straightened my brown, short hair as my amber eyes filled with tears. I wiped the tears from my eyes going back to the girls dormitory. Houston frowned looked down at his tray until it was time to go outside for some daily exercises. He tossed his tray away and walked towards the outside doors but turned looking back at the two large doors that went to the girls dormitory. His black hair swaying with the wind of the outside breeze blowing against him, as his brown eyes glimmered towards the light. He sighed, "...Max, I wish you'd know how our lives are just the same..." he mumbled. He heard a small call from Theodore James and Emily Lillith. "Coming guys!" he shouted pulling on a smile and running outside to join them.

I was sitting on my bed drawing a sketch of what I think my fantasy, tomorrow land, would look like. I drew dragons, colored purple night skys, rainbow colored stars glissening in the sky. I also drew everyone I cared about in the sketch aswell. Houston, Emily, Theo, everyone of my freinds in the sketch having fun. The thought of Houston by my side in all this made my stomach turn and tie in knots. A voice came from the entrance of the room, a woman peeked her head in. "What're you doing inside on a nice day like this when you could hanging out with your freinds?" It was Ms.Meredith, she was an assistant but also like a sister to me. She was young, 22 to be exact and beautiful with her soft, wavy, red hair and her gorgeous blue eyes. "Meredith why are you here? Arent you supposed to be helping out with the younger children outside?" I asked, putting my sketchbook in the drawer beside me, as I tossed my pen aside. "Well I saw that you were upset in the dining hall. I wanted to check if everything was alright." she explained, picking up the pen from the floor and placing it on the table. "Oh well, I just got a little homesick thats all." I tried not to smile but Meredith didnt find it funny, "I dont know why you keep making jokes like this. They arent funny theyre quite depressing if you ask me." I laughed looking through the window.