Zora Lancaster?
"Room 4!"
Zora's eyes flew open frantically when her ears picked up the screech. She looked at the rusty old clock on a cardboard box next to her rickety old bed. Five thirty in the morning.
She heard foot stomps coming towards her bedroom she shared with three other girls who were only years younger than her.
Zora jumped out of her bed and shuck the younger girls awake.
"Maddie, Allie, Rosie! Wake up! Sister Sourbeck is coming!"
The girls eyes fluttered opened in fright; they too jumped out of bed and hurried to put on their ragged clothes that were far too big for an eleven, nine, eight and six year olds.
A large stout nun barged in just as they finished getting dressed.
"Zora, Alice, Rosaline and Madison! Why didn't you come when I called for you!?!"
The young girls looked up at Zora.
"Ummm, we...we couldn't come right away...b...because we had troub...trouble looking for our clothes in the dark."
The nun scowled. "Lies!" She spat. "Absolute lies, you four will get cold gruel this morning!"
With that she stomped out.
Zora sighed, "Just like yesterday."
Maddie, Allie and Rosie clung to her as she hugged them back.
"Come on. It's better than starving until one 'o'clock."
They all followed her out the door downstairs to the kitchen.
The place the girls lived in was an orphanage.
Zora was the oldest there yet she lived there all her life. She was abandoned on the door step with a pair of earrings wrapped in a box that said: Please look after Zora. Her mother died when in labour and her request was Zora to have these earrings. I cannot take care of her as I am preoccupied. Please take care of her. Lancaster.
Zora wasn't sure whether Lancaster was her last name or her unknown living relative's first name.
Either way it was put as her last name.
As she and her friends entered the kitchen, she saw the seven year old triplets: Annie, Bethany and Clara sitting together giggling with excitement.
Zora knew why. They were getting adopted and today they were going home with their new parents.
As she went past a dusty chalk board she saw in thick white writing a notice saying: Mr Pike visiting ten thirty.
She paid no attention to it, thinking it was just another interview for adoption. For the past eleven years, Zora had no luck with adoption. She was polite with the wannabe parents but she was always rejected. For a few years she thought Sister Sourbeck was telling lies about her trying to poison their minds that she was a bad little orphan nobody would want but then considered Sister Sourbeck would want rid of her since the day she arrived at the orphanage.
As the girls got their arctic like breakfast, they sat down and ate it without complaint.
"Zora?"
Zora looked up from her small bowl to Bethany who gave her puppy dog eyes.
"What is it Bethany?"
"When we leave today will you forget us?"
Zora laughed, "Don't be stupid Bethany. I wouldn't forget you three in a million years."
The triplets smiled.
"Hey, after breakfast I'll make sure we will never forget you."
The smiles turned to grins.
The time was nine 'o' clock.
After three and a half hours of housework the seven girls hurried to room four.
Zora pushed her bed to one side and opened a loose floor bored and took out a wooden box.
"I got this when I snuck out last month."
She opened the box that had gold thread, a pen knife and a large amount of beads inside.
"We'll make friendship bracelets and that way we'll be friends forever. Annie, Bethany and Clara you have seven beads, Maddie you have nine, Allie you have eight, Rosie you have six and I'll have eleven."
For the rest of the hour, the seven girls made their bracelets and sat clinging on to each other.
"Annie! Bethany! Clara! It's time to go! Your new parents are here!"
The triplets looked sadly towards their friends.
"We will be friends won't we? Forever and ever?" Said Clara.
"Yes, we will forever and ever. We might meet again and we might all be famous." Zora whispered.
All seven of them hugged all at once and the triplets left the room for the last time.
It was ten twenty five when the door bell rang. The remaining four girls of the orphanage peered over the banister as Sister Sourbeck opened the door.
A middle aged balding stout looking man wearing a brown suit and red tie stood outside.
"Sister Sourbeck I presume?"
"Yes, you are Marshal Pike from condor studios?"
"Yes that would be me."
The nun let him in and into the private lounge the orphans were forbidden to go into.
The girls slid down the banister silently and snuck up to the door and listened hard.
"So you would like one of the girls to be on one of your shows?"
"Yes, Mr. Condor would like an orphan to be on So Random! He does have a tender spot for orphaned children."
"What kind of child does he want?"
"Either a boy or girl aged five to thirteen."
There was a long pause.
"Well we do have a six, eight and nine year olds. They're the only three we have left."
The three younger girls gasped silently as Zora's mouth fell open. Without thinking she yanked the door open and burst in.
"You lying hypocrite! You always told us lying was a sin!"
Mr. Pike had a startled look on his face while Sister Sourbeck had complete shock.
"You have been listening you sinful sprite!" The nun charged at Zora and yanked her by her hair out the door in to the kitchen.
"You get into the pit!"
The malicious women shoved the poor girl into a narrow hole with an iron grid.
"SISTER SOURBECK WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Mr Pike yelled.
"She's a demon child Mr. Pike! Mr. Condor wouldn't want her. She's loud, spontaneous and ill mannered! "
"She sounds just right for the show! Now get her out of that hole before I call the police!"
The nun scowled at him but opened the grid and yanked Zora out.
Zora mouthed Thank you! To Mr. Pike and ran out of the kitchen. Maddie, Allie and Rosie hung on to her after they saw what happened.
The four of them ran back to their room as tears spilled down their faces.
Ten minutes later, Mr. Pike came in to their room with a look of sympathy on his face.
"Zora? I was wondering if you would like to come to condor studios with me. Would you like to get away from this place?"
Zora nodded slowly, "I would but I can't leave Maddie, Allie and Rosie. They're lost without me."
The girls clung on to her again.
Mr. Pike looked thoughtful for a few moments.
"Give me five minutes." He finally said and walked out the door.
Rosie looked up at Zora with tear filled orbs. "You wanted to be famous Zora."
"I know Rosie but I can't just leave you three here on your own with Sister Sourbeck."
"We would be okay Zora, we would be like you." Maddie said.
Zora smiled, "I wouldn't risk that Maddie."
Mr. Pike came back in with a huge grin spread across his face.
"Guess what girls you're all going to be on T.V!"
All the girls gasped with happiness.
Rosie and Allie you two will be on in The Goody Gang, Maddie you will be on Flower Power and Zora you'll be On So Random!
All the girls squealed with joy.
