It was January 6th, 1992 in the windy city of Chicago, and everyone was adapting to normality after the holidays. They say that January was the worst month of the year due to the perpetually subzero weather, snow piles, failure to follow the new years' resolutions, and lack of daylight — this was one-hundred percent true. January was like an obstacle blocking the path to spring; it often tricked people into wondering if winter was going to last forever. The feeling of dreariness and despondency often dogged people. For those who weren't winter lovers, January was the worst month of the year, especially if you lived in the midwest (and if you were a child or teenager still attending school).
One particular girl hated the feeling of going back to school so much, she decided to play a game of hooky. She didn't care if it was freezing out; she just wanted freedom. Granted, she was a senior in high school with a case of senioritis, so it wasn't like she was skipping just to skip. Still wasn't a smart choice to make though, especially since Tuesday wasn't particularly a good day for senior ditching. Not helping was the fact that she had recently given birth to a tiny baby boy behind an abandoned building. Despite having nobody around her to aid in the birth, she was actually competent in ensuring that her baby was healthy. She used a pocket knife and a chip clip to cut her baby's umbilical cord and used her baggy t-shirt to wipe the amniotic fluid off him. But just because she had no problem giving birth didn't mean that she wanted to keep the baby. You see, she was only an average 17-year old teenage girl with goals and interests; she didn't need to brainwash herself into motherhood, especially not as a high schooler with dwindling grades. She needed to find a home for her baby.
"Mom's gonna kill me if she finds out that I was pregnant! I cannot let everyone see that I've cut school and given birth! They're gonna think I'm a delinquent!"
She glanced down at the baby boy nestled in her arms. The baby had a rounded head with beady turquoise eyes and a tuft of reddish-orange hair. He greatly resembled his mother (at least in terms of hair color). He was also seemingly unconscious since he wasn't crying, which was something the teenager was relieved by, considering that she didn't want anybody to find out that she had a baby. Still, she cautiously scanned her surroundings while trekking through the sleek snow, leaving a trail of blood behind her. She considered placing her baby in a nearby shed, but it reeked of spoiled manure and beer. Before she could go somewhere else, she heard a loud gunshot, causing her to flinch and shake.
"Holy crap! Someone's coming after me! They probably know that I skipped school and gave birth!"
The teenager desperately tried to figure out what to do next. Unfortunately, she lived in the worst part of Chicago, so the occasional run-in with sketchy people was expected. Luckily, not many people lived in this rundown part of Chicago, so the girl ran away from the building as fast as she could without making a sound. She ran through the streets, oblivious to cars driving by. She ran past joggers, people walking their dogs, and kids riding bikes. Everyone knew she had a baby. They just did. They could tell from her blood and mucus-stained sweatpants that she gave birth. Not to mention, the blood trail she left behind as she searched the area was a dead giveaway. Some pedestrians considered calling either the police or the ambulance, but they chose not to because they knew it would be a big scene. But the girl didn't bat an eye; she was too busy trying to find a place to hide her baby.
"Please don't start crying… please don't start crying…"
The girl prayed as she scavenged through the city. She kept looking down at the baby in case he were to start crying. Before she could give up and consider taking her life away, she found a quaint little orphanage just across the street from where she was standing. Quaint wasn't a word to describe the orphanage; it was anything but quaint, actually. Not only was the building in rough shape, but the front yard was ridden with trash, car tires, and wild animals. Graffiti and holes in the barbed fence were also common sights. And a good several inches of snow coated the entirety of the property as if nobody cared to use a snowblower. At first, the girl was intimidated by the sight of the rundown building. There was a big sign that read "Sister Thornley's School For Wayward Tots" in front of the building. Yep, that was definitely an orphanage — and a terrible orphanage at that.
The teenager could feel butterflies in her stomach as she tried to open the gate to the orphanage. While she wanted to find a good home for her baby, she was still worried about people scolding her for getting pregnant at the young age of 17-years old. Teenage pregnancy… you know people frowned upon it. Despite the fear of getting in trouble, she walked past the fence anyway. The gate had no lock on it, which meant that she could go right in. When she got to the door, she placed the baby in a cardboard box and took out a pen and a small piece of paper from her purse. She wrote a brief note for a potential caregiver that would adopt her baby.
"I really hope this lady will take you in… she seems pretty nice!"
She taped the note on top of the baby's head and made a few knocks on the door. She waited until she heard some distant footsteps echo near the door — that was when she would book out of the yard, afraid that the lady would shout at her for no apparent reason. Right after the teenager left, the door opened to a short, grumpy woman. The woman was a middle-aged nun clad in a black dress with a matching headpiece. Around her neck was a golden whistle attached to chains. She looked and sounded intimidating. Her name was Sister Thornley — and she meant business. When she discovered the newborn baby boy lying in a cardboard box, she didn't feel any empathy or concern. Instead, she rasped in disgust while turning her head away.
"What's this?! A baby?!" hissed Sister Thornley, not bothering to pick up the note that was attached to the baby. "Ugh, I hate babies! They're so disgusting and annoying! All they do is crap themselves and wail! I already have enough babies to deal with… I don't need another one to burden me!"
She picked up the cardboard box and carried it out of the yard. She placed the cardboard box next to a line of trash cans, smirking as the baby began to shiver. As if things couldn't get any worse for the baby, the woman pinched his arm, causing him to start crying hysterically.
"Serves him right…" whispered Sister Thornley, chuckling mercilessly at the baby as he cried.
Sister Thornley chuckled maniacally, walking back into the orphanage and slamming the door behind her without looking back. Yep, she definitely had no empathy. Intentionally pinching a newborn baby was beyond disgusting, especially for a human like her. She had no ounce of remorse or sorrow in her body. It wouldn't be surprising if she had some narcissistic tendencies in her. A human like her should've never considered opening an orphanage, let alone one made especially for small children. It was only a matter of time before the poor baby would potentially get eaten by hungry raccoons or maggots. He was lucky to have a cardboard box as a protective shield against outdoor hazards. Sister Thornley definitely should've known better than to ruthlessly dump a baby on the side of the road like he was trash. It was only a matter of time before he would either freeze or starve to death. That was if nobody cared to adopt him.