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Chapter two
"Bwella" I heard someone screaming in the other room. A lady came out of the room clearly distressed.
"That girl has not silenced since the minute she arrived. Who is Bella?!" The lady said, to Jackie, the lady who drove me here.
"This is Bella, there sisters" Jackie explained.
Jackie pushed me forward, causing me to slightly drop my backpack. I look up at this lady who has a stern, angry expression. "That is your sister?" She asks, pointing to the door.
"NOOO! I want BELLA" I heard Alice scream again, followed by an onslaught of cries and sobs.
I nodded.
"Good, she is your responsibility now. Go get her quickly and then I will show you to your bed" The lady said.
I nodded and turned to thank Jackie, but she was gone.
I entered the room to find Alice in a crib, her little cheeks flushed red, her eyes dark with anger and sadness. She must have seen the door open because she had moved backwards, sobbing.
When I got closer, I noticed a bruise on her cheek. That was not there before.
The moment she saw me, she froze, her tense body immediately relaxed and she stood up for me to get her out.
"Alice" I mumbled, holding her close.
"You came back" She whispered, rubbing her face against mine.
I awkwardly carried her, my bag and then her bag out into the hallway, it was very hard, for my small, 7 year old frame.
"My name is Mrs. Tailor and you will call me by that name only. Follow me now" She said angrily.
I frowned, putting Alice beside me while I grabbed her hand, following Mrs. Tailor down the dark, damp hallway.
She opened the door to a room of beds, there must be about 20 of them all in rows, squished together. She points to one "This is yours. Your sharing" She said, "Put your stuff in that box at the end and then go down to the play room. There you will wait until dinner"
Then she left.
I placed our few clothes in the box and then turned to our bed, the small thing we now call ours. I saw Alice looking at it too and then she looked back at me. "Its okay Ali" I whisper "At least where together" I try to comfort her, but I can't help the small tears working there way through my eyes. I took her hand and then lead her down to the 'play room'.
The play room wasn't a 'play' room. It was a grey room with one couch against one wall, a empty bookshelf on the other and then a window showing into the grass-less backyard. There was no toys or games. Just children sitting, talking quietly, they seemed to be on a constant lookout for trouble.
2 years later
"BELLA SWAN" Mrs. Tailor screamed, pointing at me.
I drop the ball I had been throwing and stared. Shit. What have I done. She begins to come forward and I look for my Alice, wanting her to be safe.
I see my 4 year old sister sitting next to another girl, her hands tight in her grey dress. "Sorry" She mouths, a tear falling. She begins to get up, probably coming over, but I shake my head.
I frown but turn back to Mrs Tailor.
"Bella. Did you do this?" She asks, throwing the sheet at me. It was stained yellow.
"Is it my sheet?" I asked.
Mrs Tailor was furious. "Of course its your sheet! It was from your bed"
I thought back, I don't remember wetting the bed. Then I remembered Alice getting up later than me this morning. Oh! Thats why she said sorry.
I hung my head "Yes, I did that" I mumbled.
She laughed before pushing me to the ground. "You will clean this and then everyone else's bedding" She ordered.
I nodded, praying this would be the only punishment. But I was wrong.
The 16 children, including Alice, who lived here had gathered around. I smiled weakly at my sister as I went to make my way to the bedroom, but didn't get far.
A hard, sharp slap hit me across the face, sending me flying sidewards. "Get up" Mrs. Tailor ordered.
I did, because I didn't want to make things worse. "Your are filthy" She said angrily, before hitting my chest with a stick. Yes, she had found a branch.
I doubled over in pain, wheezing for breath.
"Go and clean, then stay in your room for the rest of the night. No supper for you" She said angrily.
I ran off and then quickly completed my task. Stripping everyone's beds, putting them through the washer and then getting the only other set of sheets and re-making them all. Then I hung out all 16 sheets.
Once that was all done, after about 3 hours. I collapsed onto my bed, coughing violently from the cold. Shit, I can't get sick.
"Bella?" I heard my sister mumble beside my ear.
I woke up instantly, after sleeping for two years always on guard, I had learnt to be half awake. "What's wrong?" I asked, automatically.
She climbed up and handed me a napkin. In it was a role.
I shook my head at her. We only got a small bowl of white rice and a bread role for supper. It is important for her to eat, but I didn't complain, knowing that she wouldn't let me give it back to her.
Once I had finished, I was sure to hide the napkin before pulling her against me and hugging her, keeping both of us warm.
The next day, was adoption day. Well, potential adoption day. We all sat in the mess and talked to adults who came to look at us. It made me feel like an animal.
We all sat on different tables, small ones. I kissed Alice on the cheek, whispering that I loved her. For some reason, I felt like I was going to loose her.
She smiled before sitting down at her table. "I love you too Bella" She said simply, before turning to smile at Mrs. Tailor, who was glaring at me.
I sat at my table and slumped in my seat, watching all the adults come in and sit at a table, except for mine.
I was the furthest away, and no one ever looked over at this direction. My head shot up though, when a couple sat down on Alice's table.
Oh no.
She stared at me, silently asking if this was okay.
I swallowed my own fear of being left alone and nodded. The adults, they looked okay. The woman was a motherly looking lady with caramel hair, and the man was a blonde haired person, who looked like a movie star. I smiled at her, wanting her to get out of here.
They talked, but unfortunately I couldn't hear what they were saying. I watched though, and was surprised when Alice pointed to me.
The lady frowned sadly, then whispered something in the man's ear.
She then came over and sat down. I saw Mrs. Tailor move awkwardly. She knew I had a bruise.
"Hello dear" The lady said "I am Esme, Alice says your her sister"
I nodded.
"What's your name honey?"
"Bella" I said simply.
She frowned at my cheek "Where did you get that?"
I shrugged "I fell over while playing outside" I lied.
She smiled, seeming to accept my lie.
She nodded sadly "Well, your sister is beautiful honey, and we want to adopt her"
My mouth opened from shock. Why was she telling me this?
"The reason I am speaking to you is because, unfortunately, we already have two boys at home, one of them is 9, we don't want to make him feel threatened by adopting someone his own age. So, we can't take you as well" She explained, looking sincerely upset. "We want to know if you'll let us take Alice. We promise that she will be happy with us. We will never hurt her. And when the time comes, you may visit her as much as you like"
Tears began to form.
"What do you say?" She asked, looking back at Alice.
This made me look back as well. She was laughing as the man told her something funny, then he tickled her. She let her head fall back and laughed and squirmed. I had never seen her so happy.
Her eyes met mine and in that instant, I knew my answer. Her smile disappeared but her eyes, her big brown eyes stayed bright and happy.
I turned back to Esme and nodded "I want her to be happy" I whispered. Although the words killed me.
Esme smiled brightly "Thank you dear, I know that must be hard. We promise to take good care of her. And when you get your own family, you give us a ring" She said, handing me a piece of paper with her number.
I looked at it and then clutched it tightly. "Can I say goodbye?" I whispered, tears threatening to fall.
I wiped them, determined not to let her see me sad.
Esme nodded and stood, motioning for me to come too.
"Alice, honey, your sister has said that she wants you to be adopted" Esme said to her.
Alice's eyes widened but rested on me. I nodded and she flung herself at me. "I'll never forget you" She whispered.
I took the piece of paper out of my pocket. Something that I have not left for the past 2 years. "I want you to have this" I said, pressing it into her hand.
She stared at it with shock. It was a faded, torn, creased photo of myself, her and our mother. Mummy was cradling Alice and I was sitting behind our mother, one arm of mine was around her neck and the other was holding Alice's hand. We were all smiling, we were all happy.
"Are you sure?" She whispered.
I nodded "I want you to remember mum, you barely do and with this, the picture will help you."
She hugged me again and I hugged her back. Then, Mrs. Tailor came over.
"If you will follow me" She said, nicely. She needed to keep up appearances.
Esme and her husband stood, then they waited, looking back at there new daughter. My old sister.
She stared at me before kissing my cheek. "Goodbye Bella. I'll always love you" She began to let tears fall.
I didn't know what to do. So I wrapped my arms around her and then whispered "So hush little baby, don't you cry, It's time I came and said goodbye".
She immediately recognised it as part of the nursery rhyme I sang to her every night. Then I saw panic in her eyes "Who will sing to me"
I saw the adults eyes sadden. "Your new mummy and daddy will. You can teach them the song, and then every night, you can think of me as they sing it"
She nodded and then hugged me once more.
"Don't look back Ali, just walk out that door" I said sternly, knowing if she did look back to me, I wouldn't be able to let her go.
She sniffed before taking Esme's hand and walking out of the door.
I sat down at her table and then covered my head with my hands. There, I cried.
I don't remember being woken up, or being moved to my own room. Mrs. Tailor didn't do it, because she wouldn't be so nice. I sat up in bed and found everyone still asleep. It must be really early, or really late. I made a count head. 13. That means a total of 3 kids left yesterday, including Alice.
Simon is gone, making me now the oldest here and so is Kira, Alice's friend. I prayed silently that the three of them, my sister especially, all got to a good home.
Review please, you'll cheer me up.
:)
~Bexta
