Disclaimer: I do not own Batman
Solitude stands in the doorway
I'm struck once again by her black silhouette
By her long cool stare and her silence
I suddenly remember each time we've met
-Solitude Standing, Suzanne Vega
The door slammed open, jolting me from sleep. "Get up! All of you, get up!" Loretta's harsh voice broke through the barrier of sleepiness, and instantly I was fully alert. The sound of her heels clicking away from us, down the hall, sprang me into action. I rolled out of bed, the hinges squeaking in protest, and shivered slightly when my feet touched the cold floorboards. Taking the thin, grey blanket I stretched it smoothly over the bed until it was neat.
The other girls around me were doing the same thing. The youngest girl was around five years old, while I was the oldest. I guess that maybe I should have tried to set an example for the other girls, to show them that life isn't always so dark and dreary like it was in the orphanage. I couldn't, though. I was still so full of anger and resentment at my parent's deaths, and I didn't want anything to do with them. It seemed selfish, but really it was the same for them. They didn't want to have anything to do with me, especially since I seem to be the brunt of Loretta's wrath.
I don't know why Loretta singled me out for the abusive treatment, but what I do know is that as soon as I set foot inside the orphanage I became the object of her hatred. I didn't have any friends, and I've never had a relationship before. I used to go to school, where a couple of the girls were friendly towards me, but the friendships had never stayed. Now, here at the orphanage, we were home schooled by a sour, crass teacher who came from exactly nine in the morning and stayed until two in the afternoon. We often went without lunch, depending on her mood for the day.
It was Monday, which meant that it was my turn to work in the kitchens. While the rest of the girls went to go into the dining hall until breakfast was served, I hurried off to the kitchens. I forgot that it was my shift, so I neglected to get up early. If Loretta noticed, I would be without meals for the entire day...
I slipped into the kitchen, where some of the boys and a couple of the girls were already silently slaving away over the food. At least we weren't served gruel, but I imagined that gruel would taste so much better than the food that we were served on a daily basis. No one gave me a second glance as I picked up a plate of food and walked into the dininghall. There was a small buzz around the room as girls and boys had their heads down, conversing. I dropped the plate off at a table before repeating the process, until all four tables had all of the food.
After we all sat down, we fidgeted, waiting with baited breath for Loretta to appear. Loretta wasn't the only worker that worked here, of course. There was Maude, who did all the laundry on Thursdays, and Robert the handyman. He tried to fix things up as best as he could around here, but often was caught sleeping on the job. Mrs. Middleton was the teacher that taught the girls, while Mr. Davis taught the boys. For some reason, there were no co-ed classes here, but I didn't care.
My thoughts turned to Dr. Crane and the appointments on Tuesdays. I had one tomorrow, but I had no idea what to do. Would I tell him about the abusive treatment? Would he care? The questions seemed to mock me, and I grimaced slightly. I didn't understand why he was my psychiatrist, or even why I was being sent to him. I was sure that there were other people that needed it more than I did, but Madame Giselle insisted.
I had never met Madame Giselle, but she ran the orphanage, though she never came to visit, leaving everything to Loretta's hands. I had heard a lot of stories from the other girls, about how she owned a lot of real estate and was very rich. She lived in the nicer part of Gotham City, and never came to visit the Narrows.
Loretta walked into the room, and immediately the slight conversation stopped. "Go on, then," Loretta said as she walked to her own table. "Eat."
We all obeyed, piling food on our plates. We never went hungry at mealtimes (unless we had to skip it because of punishment), but the food was never good in the first place. I made a face at my food but ate it nonetheless. I would be getting nothing else.
While I ate, I continued to mull over my problem. What could Dr. Crane do for me that would help me? I doubted he truly cared. A picture of his smirking face flashed through my mind, and my fist balled up in anger.
I won't be able to prescribe medication until I figure out exactly what is going on with you, which means you need to be more forthcoming in your answers. Dr. Crane's voice echoed around in my mind. What medication would he need to prescribe to me? What medication could I need? Anti-depressants, or something of the like? The thought made me want to snort for some reason.
More forthcoming in my answers. I don't trust him, so why would I tell him? Although... An image of him kicking Loretta out of the room in our first visit came into my mind. Maybe... Just maybe I could reveal a bit more about what was happening. Not everything, but just maybe he wouldn't treat it as a joke.
The food was done, and I helped clear away the tables and take care of the dishes. When nine rolled around, I found myself in one of the rooms that had been made into a classroom, with rows of battered wooden desks and an old, musty chalkboard. Mrs. Middleton was already at the front of the class, ready to teach. In my opinion, she was a terrible teacher but she's the only one that was willing to work in the Narrows so Loretta hired her, or so the story goes.
With a sigh, I rested my chin on my hand, my eyes drawing themselves to the window. Just a week left until I'm seventeen... Which means just a year left in this hell-hole before I could escape. Anywhere was better than here. Anywhere.
I hope.
A/N
Hello, everyone! I'm back! I apologize for the wait. Camp NaNoWriMo has eaten my soul, and it's only a week in. *shudders*. Anyone else doing Camp?
Thank you so much for the lovely reviews! Please review :)
~Eva Sirico~
