Stranded
Alone in the Orphanage again, well at least this time there is no one around to bug me, Gosh those kids can drive a girl nuts some days. Ah here's the library key, why don't they want me to read? I mean wouldn't it make more sense to have someone who can read? I don't understand them at all.
"Celeste! Celeste! We need you!" A voice that was high pitched and quite panicked was yelling out ringing in Celeste's ears. It cried desperation, a last ditch attempt.
it never ends... sigh
Celeste turns around to face a small girl who is quite red in the face, she must of ran hard to find her.
"What's wrong, Bethany!" Celeste said with a bit of concern, slowly growing with a pit of anxiety in her stomach, could something be seriously wrong. She never runs that fast... something must be seriously wrong. Celeste leaned towards Bethany, putting her book on the edge of the library table, turning her full attention to the little girl with blond hair, she was so thin lately.
"Daryl has hurt himself real bad they need you in the garden, to do the touch"
Bethany looks furtively around while she says the last part and lowers her voice into a whisper. Secretly she's always been a bit afraid of Celeste, never getting to meet the buyers, never doing overly hard work, always reading.
"Alright I'll be there in just a second I'm going to lock this room back up now, you hear?"
Bethany nodded her head and quickly turned on her heel and sprinted back up to the dormitories. As Bethany was racing down the hallway Celeste's mind was quickly thinking of all she needed to do. Sadden by the lost chance of reading and the necessary wait before she could arrive again. Celeste turned back to the book
"Maybe another time history of the ages" she places it back on the shelf where she first got it from, what's this? a small pendant is sitting on the shelf where she was going to place the book. Celeste carefully picked the pendant up, it was small with an oval face on the front an angel sat in a garden, on the back it said for the child I will never hold or know. Celeste felt a shiver run down her spine, do I keep it or leave it here? Something felt that she should take it, like it was always hers to begin with, I'll ask Mother Anna, Celeste thought, She'll know what to do.
Celeste hurried out into the hallway and locked the library behind her, she pocketed the key and the pendant she had found and quickly headed out into the garden where Daryl lay prostate a small spiked animal poking into his leg. No wonder Bethany had bolted to her. Trimes, the small spiked animal were filled with a deadly poison, could she even save Daryl? Celeste hoped she could for if not Bethany would be all alone once more.
"Little Trimes, little Trimes its time to go home, run away run away follow your route home. "Celeste's voice was by no means good, she sang it softly and poured as much meaning into it as she could, her desperate tone made the little tune quiver a little, please work, was all she could think.
Celeste sang a little song over and over the nursery rhyme from the book of animal lore, said to send Trimes home. The animal started at her voice and looked straight at her, almost darting forward he decided at the last moment to race away and left the poisoned barb in Daryl's leg. Secretly Celeste was thankful for this otherwise the healing would be near impossible.
"Daryl, Daryl please open your eyes for a moment I need you to hold this barb, yes thats right hold onto it, focus onto it with all your might." The dirty looking boy who was actually older then her, looked up with sleepy eyes, he seemed to know that he had to do what she said. His blond hair fell over his eyes, they were brown and quite dull, when he was cleaned up he was tall and lanky, and his clothing always clung. Poor Mother never could afford enough food for all her children.
Celeste focused on the wound as she cleaned it with a strip of her skirt and hummed under her breath. She imagined all the different gateways that had been wounded and imagined them healing. She imagined the poison seeping into the cloth, making it possible for the wound to heal. A white light started to emanate from her hands that were directly above his skin, the pain started to subside and the wound began to knit itself together, once it had reached a scabbing level Celeste stopped. Daryl was in no danger now, and would begin to heal, instead of dying he would have a minor scar.
Suddenly Celeste started at the sound of a very loud and obnoxious voice. It was as if the queen of the barrage of annoyance arrived. Celeste wanted to tell the woman to shut up that Daryl needed rest, who was she to be screaming about any ways.
"What do you mean that those children you showed me are all you have where is the rest of your twenty year olds the register says you should have 7 I only saw 5 of them! Show the last two to me or I swear I will shut your orphanage down faster the you can say bless you! Show them to me NOW!" Mother Anna almost fell over at the woman screaming at her. She kept grabbing at her skirt trying to think of something to calm down. A little rustle in the garden drew both of their eyes to it. Oh no Celeste, it was all Mother Anna could think as the woman was trying to charge over to them. She couldn't let this wicked woman near her children anymore, the other 5 were weeping with despair as the woman's cruel comments had left them miserable. If she was looking for someone specific why did she have to be so mean!
The fiery red head was demanding to see the rest of the orphans that attended here, was she a buyer?
As if she heard Celeste's thoughts she turned her head over to where Daryl was laying recovering, and where Celeste was kneeling beside him, Mother Anna attempted to stop the women from charging over but she tossed her aside.
"How old are you two?" Demanded the tall woman. Her manicured hands were clasping their shoulders, the amount of tension that was seeping through the woman seemed phenomenal.
"Daryl here is 20 and I'm 19..." Celeste tried not to shake with fear but it was hard this woman's green eyes seemed to bore through her as she attempted to answer the question.
"And you're name miss I'll kneel beside a dirty looking young man?" The Lady sneered at Daryl as if to say men who are dirty are nothing but pigs, and I'd roast you in a second.
"Celeste. May I ask why you are being so rude to Mother?" A little braver then before Celeste, who cared deeply for her family at the orphanage, thought that no one had the right to insult Mother, so who was this woman indeed.
"She is hindering my search, I'm looking for a young adult, to buy of course, I need someone to take over my company and I wanted someone I think is suitable." Her tone lightened up a bit as if she was the closest to her goal that she had ever been.
"Oh," Feeling downhearted Celeste helped Daryl stand and then she started to leave, someone almost wanted to buy here, but she was three days too young! why do the fates impose such a destiny for me? Celeste looked down towards the ground where she noticed the woman's shoes were high heeled and as red as the nail polish she was wearing. Why would anyone want to further accent their hair?
"Hey Celeste, when is you're birthday?" The woman asked a last ditched attempt to see if she could add one more to the possible collection she was searching through.
"In three days... Why?" Celeste asked hopefully, she could be bought if she was close enough.
"You're close enough to the age I desire, maybe the register was written wrongly, come over here stand beside Daryl, the dirty young man." The woman shot a look over at Mother Anna as if to say you little scoundrel changing the register are we.
Mother Anna looked fretfully on, she didn't want this women to take Celeste, she knew thats who she would choose, oh how in the world would she get out of this pickle. The women lifted a small pendant from her hand and raised it to Daryl's face it slowly started to spin, but the women frowned.
"Damn wrong way again, well Celeste your the last one." She turned towards Celeste and a little glint appeared in her eyes, she hoped this was the one. Lisa raised the pendant in front of Celeste's face and she caught a glimpse of the face of the pendant it had a crown a rose through the center of it. the pendant started to spin slowly but then it started spinning faster and faster, to the point where you couldn't see what way it was actually facing.
The women started to smile and then laughed a great belly chuckle. "At last I've found you! I'm so glad you've grown to such a beautiful age, yes you'll do just fine." The glint that had appeared earlier was once again in her eyes she was almost feverish in her delight at having found Celeste.
"Um, my lady Lisa, I cannot sell you this young one, she's my daughter." Mother Anna spoke fretfully, she fully knew that if Celeste was taken a spiral of events would begin to unfold and nothing could prevent that.
"I very much doubt that Anna, you know quite well that if you don't make this sale I will shut you down and then some other orphanage will take the money I will give you for her." Her self satisfied grin spoke of an inner knowledge that even Anna's pleadings wouldn't be able to stop.
"At least let me keep her for another day, to get ready to leave." Mother Anna begged with the woman, hoping that she would allow this one small titbit, a chance to prepare Celeste for the coming days.
"Fine, just so you don't feel you've done anyone a disservice I'll pay for her now any ways." The red haired woman stalked off towards the orphanage entrance, she was illuminated with a self-satisfaction, quite unlike what Celeste was used too.
Mother Anna was wringing her hands fretfully as if she was about to make the biggest mistake of her life, Celeste though was overjoyed. She turned towards Daryl and grasped him by the shoulders. Her face was light up with an overjoyed intensity.
"Daryl I'm getting sold! I can't believe it after all these years!"
Daryl smiled a little half smile gave Celeste a hug "I guess I'll have to be more careful now, who knows what will happen if you're not around to save us. I really hope you will be happy in your new home, careful though that women was scary!" His brown eyes were much more awake and were wide with concern, he was starting to get a little tearful, Celeste had always watched out for him even though he was the older one.
"It's alright I'll be fine, and besides I can always heal myself.'' Celeste positively beamed with joy as she felt like for the first time someone with stature wanted her.
"Goodnight Celeste, Mother Anna will want to talk with you before you leave." Daryl squeezed her hand one more time and turned to walk back to the dormitories, he glanced once more at Celeste's retreating back, and wished that one day he would see her again. Celeste was quickly walking over to the front gates, she saw that lady leave in her car. It was a sweet ride too, a long and dark car it wasn't driven by her, must be a limo. Celeste noticed that Mother Anna was crying and rushed over to the steps to embrace her in a hug.
"Mother Anna, oh why are you crying? Please don't its going to be alright." Mother Anna looked up to Celeste with tear stained cheeks and red puffy eyes, her voice trembled at first but she straightened up with purpose, she needed to tell Celeste as much as she could, get her ready.
"Oh child, you don't know what I've done, I need to give you your pendant, you will need its power." Celeste cocked her head at the statement, she had an inkling that she already possessed this pendant.
"What does the pendant look like?"
"It has an angel on the front in a garden and some words on the back I don't quite remember now." Celeste's eyes went wide with shock and then she lowered her head in embarrassment.
"Oh I found that earlier in the library, it was under a book I was reading, I guess I should give you back the copy I took, I'm sorry but I wanted to read so badly." Mother Anna smiled a little, it gladdened Celeste's heart.
"It's alright child you're quite special and I hope that Lady Lisa doesn't hurt you one iota, and if she does send me news and I'll take you away from there no matter what the cost. Now we have to hurry for a moment I just want to give you one more thing." Celeste watched Mother Anna for a moment leaving the front of the steps and then quickly followed after her. She went into her office after Mother Anna and watched as Mother Anna reached for a small box on the shelf, inside it was a simplistic little ring, She handed it over to Celeste. Celeste looked up at Mother Anna with a quizzical expression.
"This is a ring that will protect you and will help you grow to your fullest potential. I do hope you make us all proud. Never forget your beginnings they will help you decide who is honest and who is trying to use you." The ring was a plain band, and it fit on her middle finger, she put it quickly on her right hand, as she was watching it the ring slowly changed it to near transparency, at first she was worried but she realized that if it was visible people would ask about it with out being able to see it there would be no cause for worry.
"Thank you Mother Anna, I should get some sleep now, tomorrow will come all to quickly." Celeste looked at Mother Anna one more time, noticing how tired she looked, it pained her that she caused this grief. As she left the office she heard Mother Anna murmur. "That it will, that it will."
Mother Anna watched Celeste leave the office her heart was heavy with guilt but she did the best she could, who knows what the young women will achieve, such power for a young child. Anna went back to her musings about why Celeste was left here, 19 years ago the child had the pendant and ring pinned to her, the note said.
Give these to my little girl
One day she will face the world
Let her grow as her heart desires
Please try to make sure she never gets sold.
I did everything I could mystery family, but I couldn't prevent the selling of her, at least she was almost fully grown, 5 more years and she would have been free. Fate, some days I despise you. Mother Anna lay down on the sleeper couch she had in her office, too tired to climb up to her room, she lay fitfully on the couch waiting for the next day to arrive soon.