A carriage, pulled by one black horse, slows to a stop in front of a large
stone building. Even thought it is in the afternoon, the cloud cover makes
it seem like dusk. A middle-aged man steps down from the drivers seat and
ties the horse to a post near the entrance to the building. He hurries
around to the carriage door and opens it, helping a teary eyed woman out.
He comforts her as they slowly walk up the front steps of the Transylvania
Orphanage.
A middle-sized woman greets them solemnly, "Mr. and Mrs. Rhan, I'm very sorry about... the loss of your daughter Viviana."
"Thank you Sorin. You've been so kind to us." Mr. Rhan replies.
Sorin gives a brief smile then motions for them to fallow her down a hall. "You want a girl, correct?"
"Yes." Mrs. Rhan says in her heavy Romanian accent.
"May I ask for an age?" Sorin asks.
"Fifteen."
Sorin stops in front of a door, "Are you sure you want a child the same age as Viv..." "Yes." Mr. Rhan interrupts.
"Very well." Sorin opens the door to a large room with around twenty or more teenagers. Beds are lined against one wall with shelves of books, blankets, clothes, and toys on the opposite wall. Most of the kids scattered about he room jump slightly at the sound of the door opening and look eagerly at the couple. "Children, we have visitors."
"Hello." Several voices call out.
Mrs. Rhan gives a teary smile and looks at Mr. Rhan. "Oh, Jerith."
Mr. Rhan nods to his wife and she begins to walk around the room looking at all the children. Mr. Rhan's eyes move over the talking and playing children seeing that most of them are very nervous and jump at the slightest sound. He walks over to Sorin, "Why are they so afraid?"
Sorin looks at the children and talks in a softer voice. "Dracula... his brides came here last week. To this very room. They killed three and carried a fourth off."
Mr. Rhan's eyes fall upon a rather calm child his wife is talking to. Her clothing is different then the other children's peasant garments, having black cloth pants and a torn up black poets shirt, and her dark brown hair is stripped with blond strands. The odd teal color of her eyes is captivating yet eerie. "What about her?"
Sorin looks at Mr. Rhan and then the child and her face softens at the sight. "Your wife Lina chooses well. The child, Adrian, she is a fortunate one, but a little different. We found her asleep in the barn with the horses the morning after the attack. She was soaked from head to toe with water but we had not had rain in days. She seemed calm but refused to tell us anything but her name and age. She is a little scratched up but friendly."
Mrs. Rhan stands from her sitting position on the wooden floor, leaving the child to read, and walks to her husband. She smiles hopefully and Mr. Rhan beams a smile at his wife, then turns to Sorin, "Her."
"You will need to wait till tomorrow I'm afraid. She needs to pack, and say goodbye, and there are forms to be filled out." Sorin walks them out of the room and the parents-to-be glance back at their future daughter.
A middle-sized woman greets them solemnly, "Mr. and Mrs. Rhan, I'm very sorry about... the loss of your daughter Viviana."
"Thank you Sorin. You've been so kind to us." Mr. Rhan replies.
Sorin gives a brief smile then motions for them to fallow her down a hall. "You want a girl, correct?"
"Yes." Mrs. Rhan says in her heavy Romanian accent.
"May I ask for an age?" Sorin asks.
"Fifteen."
Sorin stops in front of a door, "Are you sure you want a child the same age as Viv..." "Yes." Mr. Rhan interrupts.
"Very well." Sorin opens the door to a large room with around twenty or more teenagers. Beds are lined against one wall with shelves of books, blankets, clothes, and toys on the opposite wall. Most of the kids scattered about he room jump slightly at the sound of the door opening and look eagerly at the couple. "Children, we have visitors."
"Hello." Several voices call out.
Mrs. Rhan gives a teary smile and looks at Mr. Rhan. "Oh, Jerith."
Mr. Rhan nods to his wife and she begins to walk around the room looking at all the children. Mr. Rhan's eyes move over the talking and playing children seeing that most of them are very nervous and jump at the slightest sound. He walks over to Sorin, "Why are they so afraid?"
Sorin looks at the children and talks in a softer voice. "Dracula... his brides came here last week. To this very room. They killed three and carried a fourth off."
Mr. Rhan's eyes fall upon a rather calm child his wife is talking to. Her clothing is different then the other children's peasant garments, having black cloth pants and a torn up black poets shirt, and her dark brown hair is stripped with blond strands. The odd teal color of her eyes is captivating yet eerie. "What about her?"
Sorin looks at Mr. Rhan and then the child and her face softens at the sight. "Your wife Lina chooses well. The child, Adrian, she is a fortunate one, but a little different. We found her asleep in the barn with the horses the morning after the attack. She was soaked from head to toe with water but we had not had rain in days. She seemed calm but refused to tell us anything but her name and age. She is a little scratched up but friendly."
Mrs. Rhan stands from her sitting position on the wooden floor, leaving the child to read, and walks to her husband. She smiles hopefully and Mr. Rhan beams a smile at his wife, then turns to Sorin, "Her."
"You will need to wait till tomorrow I'm afraid. She needs to pack, and say goodbye, and there are forms to be filled out." Sorin walks them out of the room and the parents-to-be glance back at their future daughter.