Chapter 4

"Mom!" I instantly ran towards my mom's emotionless body, "Mom! Wake up! MOM!" I started shaking her but it was useless. I spotted a piece of paper with my name on it in her hand. I put it in my pocket and I, quickly, ran for the apartment door. I ran into our apartment building's corridor and started to scream, "HELP! HELP ME PLEASE!"

One of the doors opened; a man in his early 20s walked out, "What's wrong, kiddo?"

I pointed in my apartment, "My mom! She's lying on the bathroom floor and she's not waking up!"

His eyes opened wide, "Call the police!" He then quickly ran inside.

I followed him in and looked for the phone. After a minute of searching, I found it in the kitchen. I dialled in the number and waited for someone to pick up.

A heard a woman's voice, "Hello, please state you name and your emergency."

I took a deep breath trying to calm myself down, "My name is Malerie Night. I just found my mom motionless on the floor. Please hurry!"

She replied, "We're sending an ambulance right away. We won't be long."

I hung up and ran to the bathroom where I saw the man with his ear against my mom's chest. Probably trying to see if she has a heart beat. He then put his hand on top of my mom's face.

"What are you doing?"

He looked at me, "I'm trying to see if she has an airflow."

I asked, "Well, does she?"

His face seemed to darken, "Sorry, kiddo, but I-"

I heard a siren, "There here!" I ran out into the hall.

I saw two men holding a stretcher, "Where is she?"

I pointed to my apartment, "In the bathroom."

The nodded and ran in.

The hall started to fill with other inhabitants, all of them asking questions about the noise and about the ambulance.

Moments later the paramedics ran out with my mom on the stretcher. I followed them all the way down to the ambulance. They put her in the back and hopped in. I did the same. As we drove away, the paramedics attempted to revive her. I watched and worried. I knew there was nothing they could do for her; death already had her in its grasp.

"She's breathing!" A man with brown hair yelled.

A girl with red hair nodded, "Now, we just have to make sure it stays that way."

When we finally arrived, they quickly rushed my mom into the emergency room. I followed them into a corridor with many doors. They ran into a room and told me to wait there. I simply nodded. Afterwards, they closed the door. After a minute of pacing around, I got tired and sat down on the floor against a while in the hallway.

I sat there looking at the ceiling trying to keep me entertained, but then I remembered the piece of paper that was in her hand. I took it out of my pocket and had more trouble than I should've had attempting to open in it. It was a note. I began to read it:

Dear Malerie,

I'm sorry I left you. I didn't want to do this, but I couldn't handle it anymore. Though I seemed happy when I was next to you, but every night I would cry until I had no more tears to cry. I know you haven't been treated the best at school, but don't let the other kids mess with you. You can do wonders, Malerie; don't let anyone tell you otherwise. I love you and don't you ever forget that, my four-leaf clover.

Love,

Linda Night.

I began to cry. If she loved me so much, why would she abandon me? I know for a fact that if I had a child, I would never abandon it. No matter what.

Moments later, a doctor came out of the door, "Hello, are you Malerie Night?"

I wiped the tears off with tip of my sleeve, "Yeah."

He frowned, "I'm sorry but your mom didn't make it."

I held back the tears and nodded, "Thank you for trying."

He just stood there awkwardly not knowing how to respond. Clearly, he's never had to tell anyone that a loved one has passed away. Especially, if the person he had to tell that to was a child. He just nodded and awkwardly walked away.

I curled up in a ball and, once again, cried. I was alone. My family is gone. My mom and my dad. I wonder what will happen to me now… No one will want to take care of me. Happy Birthday? Yeah right…

A few minutes later, the same man that helped me when I yelled for help in the hall of my apartment building came running into the corridor.

"Malerie?"

I looked up, "You? Why are you here?"

He replied, "I followed the ambulance right after it left. I came to make sure you're ok."

I shook my head, "Well, I'm not."

He nodded, "Yeah, I heard…"

I just tilted my head upwards, "I just can't believe she would try to kill herself… I thought she loved me."

He frowned, "She did. Every once in a while she would tell me how amazing you were and how she felt horrible for not being able to provide for you."

I snapped back, "So, instead, she decides to abandon me? Of course, that'll solve the problem. Kill yourself and your kid will be perfectly fine!"

He didn't reply.

After a couple minutes of silence, I spoke again, "Thank you."

He turned his head to me, "What?"

"Thank you."

He asked, "For what?"

"Thank you for telling me the truth."

He seemed confused.

I explained, "In my apartment, I asked you if she would be alright and you told me the truth. I would have preferred you telling the truth instead of lying and providing false hope."

A small smile appeared on his face.

I continued, "And thank you for coming all the way here just to check up on me. No one would have ever done that for me."

"I don't see why not. You seem like a great kid."

I smiled, "You never told me your name."

"Grant Marro."

I nodded, "Well, it was a pleasure to meet you."

"The feeling is mutual."

Right afterwards, a man in a black suit walked up to us. He turned his head to Grant, "Would you mind giving us some privacy?"

Grant nodded, "Sure. Hey, Malerie, I'll be right down the hall, call me when you're done." Grant stood up and walked away.

The man asked, "Hello, Malerie. My name is Eric Gruner and I'm a social worker."

"What do you want?"

"I'm here to tell you that you're going to an orphanage."