The Amber-Eyed Girl
The cool, crisp autumn breeze fluttered throughout the lot, which was littered with an abundant amount of children.
Many of them did various activities: Playing in the small, erected playground, play cards and hide and go seek.
But there was one girl there that did none of the many activities available. Instead, she sat under a shady tree with leaves tinted in different hues of reds, yellows, browns, and even pinks due to the autumn season. She sat there silently, processing thoughts in her head that she often did while also observing other children, still silent.
Many of the kids thought of her as abnormal. She never talked, causing rumors to erupt that she never had said a single word and was mute. But what set her apart and swayed their opinion, were those intense amber eyes that frightened them. They were always seen as a blank stare, never in happiness, sadness, or even anger when others taunted her. The girl closed the said amber eyes and let a gray strand of hair fall to the side of her porcelain-skinned face that was soft, silky, and young looking. Her hair also set the children into an intense conversation about it. It was often depicted as silver, gray, white, and even at one time, blue.
She was called different names: The Mute Girl, The Weird Girl, The Multi-Colored Hair Girl, The Amber-Eyed Girl, The Emotionless Girl, The Ghost Girl... but one of the most upsetting was The Loner Girl. She had no friends, no family, no one special; she didn't even have anyone to talk to.
The girl opened her eyelids and looked down sulkily and made sure that her amber eyes were dry before going through her thoughts.
She didn't even know her parents, who dropped her off at this place, and as far as she was concerned, she didn't even know her real birth name. But it wasn't really important to know... was it? No one had ever even tried to ask her name, not even the employees of the orphanage.
She welded her eyelids tightly again and leaned against the thick trunk of the tree she sat under. She cleared her thoughts: something that she had learned to do before she could even walk and focused her senses on the sounds around her.
"Push me, big brother!" A girl that sounded to be about 6-years-old called out from the swings, directing her voice to the small, red slide nearby.
"Okay, Julie! I'm coming!" A boy that was clearly older than the young girl by about 2 years answered. Sliding down the metal slide, he walked towards the swings, making small crunches beneath his tiny feet as he stepped on the commercial grain gravel.
He set his hand on one of the thick chains of the swing and using his other hand, set it on the back of the little girl.
"Are you ready, Julie?" He asked.
The girl nodded eagerly.
"Okay," He said as he started counting down to 3, swinging her harder and harder with each number.
When he reached 3 he gave a hard push and set her flying into the air with her feet kicking out.
The girl squealed in excitement and laughed happily with closed eyes.
The Amber-eyed Girl opened her amber eyes and closed them again.
She opened them once more as they fluttered towards a short and stout man with a white bald scalp and golden-framed glasses set perfectly on the bridge of his nose and magnified his oak brown eyes while he scrunched up his nose in concentration, brushing his gray and thick mustache along with it. He wore a black suit and polished dress shoes that matched and glittered in the late afternoon sun. In his left arm was a manila colored file folder, bulging with numerous papers.
The Multi-Colored Hair Girl closed her eyes and sighed. Those were one of the few sounds that ever escaped her delicate mouth.
Gracefully and poised, she rose to her feet without any help and helplessly, walked towards the stout man.
He gave her a silly grin as if he were a little boy that was given a year's supply of candy. Taking her by the hand, he roughly dragged her through a series of enclosed hallways and entry ways that she knew so well that she could even navigate her way through it, blind-folded.
He finally stopped in front of an over polished oak wood door with a metal handle and a black plaque with the words, 'Head Chairperson' engraved on it elegantly with gold pink.
Still holding her hand tightly, he squeezed it in excitement, and knocked three times sharply on it.
"Come in," A voice that was over ridden with sweetness called from inside in response.
Without hesitation, the balding man set a hand on the silver metal handle, turned it, and swung the door open. He took a step inside the small, cubicle office and sauntered inside. Making sure that the Amber-Eyed Girl was still with him, he pushed her inside with slight force and closed the well-oiled door with ease. After being satisfied that the oak door was locked tightly enough he sat down in the padded office chair next to the Multi-Colored Hair Girl who had been smart enough to sit in the one next to his.
Both of them looked straight-ahead and waited.
The girl waited patiently, the balding man, impatiently, but at the same time excitedly, enough that he was about to jump out of his seat, which would have been very un-mannerly of him.
The big leather chair in front of them swiveled around and the figure sitting in the chair could not be seen, simply because the shadows covered their face from having the blinds closed.
"It's good to see you, Mr. Winchel," The Head Chairperson said, still in their syrupy voice.
The Amber-eyed girl was undaunted but Mr. Winchel on the other hand, winced at their tone, nonetheless, he spoke in a gruff British accented voice.
"Yes, likewise, Mr. Stephen," Mr. Winchel nodded and set the manila file folder on his lap. He laced his fingers together and set them on his lap on top of the enormous folder and spoke.
"Mr. Stephen, the reason that I have come today is to adopt one of your special little orphans," He said, his brown eyes glittering as he poured on the charm.
The Amber-eyed girl just sat there silently, observing the conversation as it proceeded.
"And I have chosen to adopt young... what's your name again?" He asked, turning to her.
She froze, her amber eyes still with no emotion and just sat there, still as a statue.
Both of them waited eagerly for her answer, the chairperson because she never said a word in front of them, and Mr. Winchel because this could be his big chance to do something both beneficial and charitable for his company that could make their reputation world-renowned.
"Amber," She whispered in a silent voice that was still eerily musical, soft, and wispy as she sank deep inside herself.
"My name is Amber."