Exactly 10 years later... Five children stood in a brightly lit kitchen, all busy working except for one. Who was on the floor doing one armed push-ups, but soon gave up and went back to doing two handed. Her short, highlighted light brown hair bounced up and down slightly as she moved. Her hazel-blue eyes focused in deep concentration.
"You know! Some day Madame Ira will catch you doing that instead of working, you'll get the Punishment! Or worse, she'll give you the boot!" Said a girl with mid-back blonde hair. Her brown eyes twinkling grimly.
"Shut it Kate," said the girl, sitting on the floor, "I know perfectly well what could happen. But I have been here since I was two, longer than any of you! I get done quicker, and plus I want to build up for the day when I get out of here! And get to explore around the world!" Giggles circled around the room. A mousy girl stepped off a stool at the sink, she wiped her hands dry from washing the dishes and faced the girl on the floor.
"Not longer than me, Layta! I've been here since I was five months old, and I'm the same age as you!" She squeaked.
"That's true. Sorry, Kimmy." Layta agreed. She stood up from the floor.
"Layta! Come in here please!" A cold, gruff voice called from another room. Layta screwed up her face in frustration and hardship.
"Great." She mumbled. She began to run out of the room, the mousy girl threw her cloth down and followed hurriedly.
"Wait a second Layta!" She muttered, Layta stopped and turned toward her.
"I...um... I wanted to give this to you. Happy Birthday!"Kimmy said, reached into her jean pocket and pulling out a long chain. She shoved it into Layta's hand, "I found it on the sidewalk, even still! I thought it would go with your ring!"
Layta opened her hand and looked at the necklace on her palm. The charm was of a gleaming red dragon, highly polished. Not very much detailed, but very pretty. Layta looked at her ring on the opposite hand, on her left hand. It did match with it. The dragon on her ring had the same shade of red, but duller as if made of some sort of red quartz. The details were much more highly drawn, and a phrase was engraved around it. 'Pahoqoh Zauwon Iho Itt Seminie.' Layta hadn't a clue what the meaning of it was, but she favored the ring either way. She had forgotten about it because she could never seem to get it to slip off, or come off at that matter. Layta had given up trying years ago. The gift didn't only remind her of the ring she possessed, it dragged her attention to her birthday as well.
"Wow! I forgot today was my birthday! That you Kimmy! It's beautiful!" Layta awed, she pocketed the necklace delicately. She had never received a birthday gift in her life.
"No problem...welcome..." Kimmy replied weakly, Layta had always served as a role model to Kimmy.
"Layta Arlem! Get your sorry little butt in here!" they heard the screeching voice demand.
"Oops, better go. Thank again Kimmy," Layta called over her shoulder as she ran toward the sitting room, "Coming Madame Ira!"
Layta rushed through the series of doors, rooms, and halls until she reached the bottom floor, front hall. Where the sitting room was just off to the right.
"Yes...Madame Ira?" Layta panted as she entered the room. Madame Ira was sitting comfortably in a faded, blue and black checkered chair, highly cushioned. She looked like a queen in a throne, with Madame Ira wearing her usual thin, gray, stained, dress along with heavy make-up and plenty of jewelry. Half a dozen golden bracelets shimmered on each of her wrists, and several gold and silver chains resided from her neck. Her ears barely held up gleaming silver earrings. Weighing, Layta guessed, at least five pounds.
"I'm assigning you to take out the garbage today. As well as finish your other chores!" she said cooly, her growling voice penetrating Layta defiantly. Layta was hardly able to keep her jaw from falling onto the floor, let alone her eyes bulging to three times their natural size. Madame Ira noticed this.
"Is there something wrong?" she asked, in a bitterly sweet voice. Layta regained her senses.
"W-why?" she stuttered. Madame Ira sneered.
"Senora Marsie's feeling ill today." her voice began to take a nasty tone to it. Layta whimpered.
"But that's over a three mile walk! Not including the walk to take it to the edge of the-!"
"I want it done! Now!" Madame Ira spat, shifting in her chair, as if resisting to strike Layta. Layta felt the same way, they never had to take out the garbage. Not even on the horrid 'No Break, Chore Day'. Layta didn't move.
"Do you have a problem hearing? I said now!" Madame Ira spat again, voice rising. Layta could even see flecks of spit flying from her mouth. Layta flinched.
"No, ma'am, I'll get to it." Layta mumbled harshly. She never liked Madame Ira, nobody in the orphanage did.
"You know! Some day Madame Ira will catch you doing that instead of working, you'll get the Punishment! Or worse, she'll give you the boot!" Said a girl with mid-back blonde hair. Her brown eyes twinkling grimly.
"Shut it Kate," said the girl, sitting on the floor, "I know perfectly well what could happen. But I have been here since I was two, longer than any of you! I get done quicker, and plus I want to build up for the day when I get out of here! And get to explore around the world!" Giggles circled around the room. A mousy girl stepped off a stool at the sink, she wiped her hands dry from washing the dishes and faced the girl on the floor.
"Not longer than me, Layta! I've been here since I was five months old, and I'm the same age as you!" She squeaked.
"That's true. Sorry, Kimmy." Layta agreed. She stood up from the floor.
"Layta! Come in here please!" A cold, gruff voice called from another room. Layta screwed up her face in frustration and hardship.
"Great." She mumbled. She began to run out of the room, the mousy girl threw her cloth down and followed hurriedly.
"Wait a second Layta!" She muttered, Layta stopped and turned toward her.
"I...um... I wanted to give this to you. Happy Birthday!"Kimmy said, reached into her jean pocket and pulling out a long chain. She shoved it into Layta's hand, "I found it on the sidewalk, even still! I thought it would go with your ring!"
Layta opened her hand and looked at the necklace on her palm. The charm was of a gleaming red dragon, highly polished. Not very much detailed, but very pretty. Layta looked at her ring on the opposite hand, on her left hand. It did match with it. The dragon on her ring had the same shade of red, but duller as if made of some sort of red quartz. The details were much more highly drawn, and a phrase was engraved around it. 'Pahoqoh Zauwon Iho Itt Seminie.' Layta hadn't a clue what the meaning of it was, but she favored the ring either way. She had forgotten about it because she could never seem to get it to slip off, or come off at that matter. Layta had given up trying years ago. The gift didn't only remind her of the ring she possessed, it dragged her attention to her birthday as well.
"Wow! I forgot today was my birthday! That you Kimmy! It's beautiful!" Layta awed, she pocketed the necklace delicately. She had never received a birthday gift in her life.
"No problem...welcome..." Kimmy replied weakly, Layta had always served as a role model to Kimmy.
"Layta Arlem! Get your sorry little butt in here!" they heard the screeching voice demand.
"Oops, better go. Thank again Kimmy," Layta called over her shoulder as she ran toward the sitting room, "Coming Madame Ira!"
Layta rushed through the series of doors, rooms, and halls until she reached the bottom floor, front hall. Where the sitting room was just off to the right.
"Yes...Madame Ira?" Layta panted as she entered the room. Madame Ira was sitting comfortably in a faded, blue and black checkered chair, highly cushioned. She looked like a queen in a throne, with Madame Ira wearing her usual thin, gray, stained, dress along with heavy make-up and plenty of jewelry. Half a dozen golden bracelets shimmered on each of her wrists, and several gold and silver chains resided from her neck. Her ears barely held up gleaming silver earrings. Weighing, Layta guessed, at least five pounds.
"I'm assigning you to take out the garbage today. As well as finish your other chores!" she said cooly, her growling voice penetrating Layta defiantly. Layta was hardly able to keep her jaw from falling onto the floor, let alone her eyes bulging to three times their natural size. Madame Ira noticed this.
"Is there something wrong?" she asked, in a bitterly sweet voice. Layta regained her senses.
"W-why?" she stuttered. Madame Ira sneered.
"Senora Marsie's feeling ill today." her voice began to take a nasty tone to it. Layta whimpered.
"But that's over a three mile walk! Not including the walk to take it to the edge of the-!"
"I want it done! Now!" Madame Ira spat, shifting in her chair, as if resisting to strike Layta. Layta felt the same way, they never had to take out the garbage. Not even on the horrid 'No Break, Chore Day'. Layta didn't move.
"Do you have a problem hearing? I said now!" Madame Ira spat again, voice rising. Layta could even see flecks of spit flying from her mouth. Layta flinched.
"No, ma'am, I'll get to it." Layta mumbled harshly. She never liked Madame Ira, nobody in the orphanage did.