A Chance for Hope by Callen Jensen
Chapter 2
When they arrived home, Hayley limped straight to where they told her she was going to sleep in. They were a very rich family. Hayley had a queen-sized canopy bed. The cloth was red with a golden rim. She took her crutches and slowly walked to her new bed. As she sat down, she placed her hand on the cushioned mattress and slowly eased in. "Ah… this mattress is comfy. I can get used to this, but it's a bit too girly." Hayley sighed, "Well I'm not staying anyway so I'll just prepare." She stood up and sneaked around the house. Suddenly, a maid appeared and introduced herself.
"I'm Mara." the maid introduced.
"Hello Mara. Can you show me where I can get food?"
"The kitchen?" Mara instructed, "Here, I'll lead you to it." Mara then walked Hayley to the tiled kitchen, with a door that led to the dining room where a chandelier hung. "Anything else your majesty?"
"Please, don't call me majesty." Hayley explained. She then took some fruits such as apples, oranges and pears and stuffed them in her bag. She then limped back to her room, grabbed money and walked to the balcony. She left a note and slid down the balcony's column and grabbed her crutches on the way to the ground. She limped to the car and told the driver to drive her back to the orphanage. The driver refused and Hayley walked instead.
An hour passed and Jenna became worried about Hayley. She had not left her room, not even for a glass of water or a washroom break. She suddenly remembered that all bedrooms in the mansion had a mini-fridge, bottles of water, a basket of fruits and a bathroom. It was like a hotel room.
"Hayley? Are you okay?" Alvin knocked at her room, "Come down to the den, we have a surprise for you!" After five minutes of no reply, they quickly ran up the stairs to her room.
When they arrived, they noticed her door was locked. They called the guard for all the keys in the house and unlocked her room. Mona then entered the room and noticed that Hayley was now gone. Mona started to smile, and then she acted like she was worried.
"Hayley, where are you?" Jenna hesitated. She turned to Mona and glared at her with suspicion.
"I know what you're thinking, and I don't know." Mona replied calmly.
"She must have snuck out." Alvin pondered, "Guards! Maids! Driver! Come here right now!" Once the guards, maids and the driver ran up to their masters, they all looked worried. "Okay. Do any of you know where Hayley might be?"
"She asked me where she might get food." Mara informed him.
"She also asked me to drive her to the orphanage." The driver added.
"She told me she was going to meet the neighbours." The guard said.
"Food, orphanage and neighbours." Alvin muttered, "I wonder what doesn't belong."
"Maybe she wanted to give food to our neighbours." Mona suggested sarcastically. Jenna then searched around the large room for any clues suggesting where Hayley might be. Then she noticed that there was a ten dollar bill on the balcony table. Jenna, not noticing a piece of paper under it asked, "Where did Hayley get ten dollars?"
"Maybe she kept an allowance." Mona suggested sarcastically.
"I'm being serious Mona. Where did she get ten dollars?"
"I gave it to her" Mona whispered nervously.
"Excuse me? Can you say that louder, I couldn't hear you?"
"I gave her the ten dollars!" Mona yelled. Alvin, not paying attention to either of them, took the neglected note and inspected it. He shook his head and handed the note to Jenna. The note said:
'Sorry that I left the mansion, but I never did feel right about living here, and I never really wanted to be adopted. If you're going to look for me, I think it's pretty obvious where I could be going.
I hope you understand.
Sincerely, Hayley
P.S. Mona gave me the money… But please, don't punish her. She didn't persuade me to do this at all, this was my choice.'
Both Alvin and Jenna turned their complete attention towards Mona. Mona, frozen in place then started to hiccup. Mona felt gratitude towards Hayley, but also anger. As Jenna walked towards Mona, Mona started to think nervously of her punishment.
"Mona, don't worry, you're not in trouble." Jenna relieved her. Alvin then called the police and started a search party. The police then told them to stay calm and that they will contact them immediately when Hayley is found.
When Hayley took her first step out of the Upper Corona City gate, she felt euphoric. She felt free. After an hour of walking around, she became fatigued. Hayley hadn't recognized any of the buildings or stores in the area. She figured out they must have driven quite a distance away from the orphanage. Hayley knew at this moment she was lost.
"Why? Why did you leave me all alone?" She thought to herself. The word alone rang through her darkened mind as tears flooded through her face. She tried to wipe the tears away from her cheeks, but they just kept flowing down.
Suddenly, dark shadows loomed over her body. Flashes of light clashed to an electric satellite. Fire came once again. Hayley's eyes were wide, her legs shaking with trauma. Fear overtook the orphan's body.
"Th-this can't b-be happen-" A loud crack of thunder was heard, and a flash of lightning caused her to stop her thoughts. Hayley, without thinking, tried to run. She limped as fast as she could, until she was certain that she was far enough. Hayley became pale and as white as a ghost. Her crutches fell to the ground as her legs wobbled down next to it. Hayley was freezing, at the same time fuming.
"Finally," She started, "I'll be able to meet my parents again. I'm sorry…" Hayley laid there on the ground with a smile on her face, just like her parents had when they left her. Now after so many years, she will have a real, true family up at the Heavens.
A police car drove through the streets and found Hayley lying on the asphalt road. The officer saw her face, and brought her to the police station. There, Hayley awoke and they called the Meyers' estate. They then picked her up and thanked the officers.
"I'm so sorry." Hayley apologized to her adoptive parents as they drove home, tearing up and feeling guilty at how she left them worried.
"It's okay Hayley, we shouldn't have rushed you. I'm the one that's sorry for bringing you home right after your injury." Jenna consoled her.
"So, you don't want to go to school yet?" Alvin asked her.
"No, I'm not missing school; I've been gone for too long." Hayley told them as she looked out the stormy sky.
"Oh yes, I forgot to tell you dear, Samantha left your luggage at the mansion. She also left a gift for you." Jenna informed her.
"Okay." Hayley smiled back. Hayley finally knew, was truly home.
Once they arrived at the mansion, Hayley limped towards her room and found her luggage waiting for her, as Jenna had told her. She started to unpack and found Samantha's gift for her. As she removed the lime coloured gift wrap, she found a box with a letter inside it, as well as a music box. She read the letter out loud and started to tear up,
"Dear Hayley, when I found you, you just experienced a wolf attack. I raised you like my own child, and I loved you like my own child. But now, you have real parents, and let this music box be my goodbye gift to you. It is lockable, and inside, I left a charm bracelet, with its key onto it. Goodbye Hayley. Love, Samantha."
Hayley put down the note and opened the music box and heard the tune of the song she listened to as a child. Inside the music box was a snow globe that spun on a disc like most music boxes, and inside the snow globe was an intricate design of a building, with a family of orphans and their caretakers. She hummed along to its tune and found the charm bracelet. She closed the music box, and locked it with its key. Hayley walked towards her bed and closed her eyes. She slumbered and smiled, awaiting her adventure for tomorrow.
