Chapter 1: AS AN ORPHAN.
Before I tell you this I want to ask you something first. Do you believe in bad luck? Well I did. For so many years, I spent drowning in it or so I thought. I never saw the bigger picture because it was incredibly blurry and covered in smoke. Smoke from the fire that happened ten years ago. The fire that burned my whole world down literally.
"MOM! MOM!" I struggled through the tears and my breaking voice. "Avery, you have to get..." she coughed. "Out of here" "No, I can't leave you here." I sobbed. "Avery you have to go. There isn't much time." She told me. I turned my gaze just beside my room where my dad lay unconscious then back to my mom who was barely conscious then I stood up and made my way out of the burning house with a hand on my nose. When I got outside one of the firemen helped me and covered me with a blanket. "It's okay kiddo." He said but it wasn't okay. Tears fell uncontrollably from my eyes at the thought that I just lost both my parents in a fire. I was only seven years old and basically an orphan.
"Mom, where did you put my master Yoda doll?" I asked her while running around the house. "I don't know honey, just check the living room." She said. We had just come back from church that morning. Pastor Jonathan taught us about thanksgiving and being willing to help people in any way we can no matter our circumstances. You must be surprised, my mom usually doesn't let me go to the kid's section of church to sing songs and play games. She says I have to learn while I'm still a child, it's easier.
I found my master Yoda doll on the couch and I smiled at its sight. "Avery, come get orange juice honey it's good for your immunity." She called. "Okay mom." I carried my doll to the kitchen and overlooked a faulty wire that connected to the TV. After I grabbed orange juice I ran back to the living room spilling the beverage. "Don't spill a single drop." She yelled. As I sat and enjoyed the refreshing beverage unaware that some of it had spilled on the faulty wire and sparks generated gradually. I started that fire even though I was unaware and it was probably an accident but I still blamed myself for it.
Might sound like a lot of pressure for a seven year old but that was the truth. I killed my parents. "Avery McAllister." One of the sisters from the orphanage called snapping me out of the flashback. I looked up at her and she smiled and gestured me to follow her and I did. We walked to a hallway with doors both sides and we stopped at one of the doors written 'oak'. She opened the door to a room with two bunk beds but no one was inside. "Don't worry, your roommates will arrive shortly." She assured with a smile. I looked up at her and I couldn't say a word. The sister seemed nice but I didn't want to live there. I wanted my parents, 'where are my parents?' tears began rolling down my rose red cheeks.
The sister gave me a pat on the head and left. I went and buried my head in a pillow and began crying. After a while sobs turned into sleep and sounds of kids laughing woke me up. "Hey, we have a new member in our room." One of them with nutty brown hair said, "Hello!" She greeted me, "I'm Pamela but you can call me Pam. What's your name?" She said. I stayed quiet staring at all of them. "Move over!" I heard a voice coming from the back of the other kids behind Pamela. A girl with blonde pigtails made her way to the front.
"That's the new kid?" She asked, "What's her name?". "I don't know. She won't talk." She replied, the girl scoffed "She's probably just like you losers anyway." "Shut up Neesha." Pam said annoyed. Neesha had already made her way out of the room. "Don't listen to her new girl." A strange looking girl said. Her hair was black and cut short, neck length. I stared at her closely trying to study her. "Oh, I know what you're thinking." Pam said.
"Jason here was brought here by mistake. Sister Anne said she'll work on his transfer. Everyone else calls him an outcast cause he's in an all girls orphanage." She explained. "You know, how did you wind up here Jace" "I don't know. I just...I just remember growing up here." "The rest is just a blur." He said sad.
"Never mind that. How did you wind up in this room?" another girl said and they all laughed. "I'm Monica." She said smiling. I'm guessing she must be the funny one. "The only one that hasn't told us they're name is you." Pam said and they stared at me. Compelling me with their eyes. "Avery." I finally said and Pam smiled, "Nice to meet you Avery and welcome to the oak house." She told me. And I looked confused "Oh, there are different houses in the orphanage and in each a leader is placed. Ours is Pamela and Neesha is the leader of the Cedar house." Monica explained.
"They're like 15 houses. You'll know them with time." She said. "Guys, its re-habitation time you're gonna miss it!" a girl with freckles and huge glasses bursted through the door. We all ran outside and followed her to an open area inside the building but with no roof. The sister that brought me in was standing there together with the other three.
"That's sister Anne." Pam pointed to the sister that was ahead the others. "She's the head." "What about.." I pointed to the sister I'd met, "That's sister Joyce." "She's really nice, everyone likes her." Pam said. There was another fat sister beside sister Joyce "That's sister Marina." Pam said. "She handles our meals. Can sometimes be a little grumpy." Sister Anne cleared her throat to get the kids' attention and everyone went silent.
"As you know today is re-habitation day." She started and everyone broke into murmurs. "What's?" I asked, "It's the day when the sister reads out the names for the adoption list." Pam said. "Adoption list?" I said, "Yeah. Every week kids are selected to be adopted in different families." She said. "Now, I'm going to read out the list so listen closely." She said and began reading out the names. "Maybe you'll get adopted." I said and Pam smiled. "I don't think so. I've been here for like eight months." She said. "Maybe Monica will." She said. As the sister was finishing the last names, "Jason Maxwell, Pamela Addison, Monica Reed and Avery McAllister." She concluded the assembly.
"YOU!" Neesha said, "You get to be adopted. But didn't you just like get here." She raised her eyebrows. "Get lost Neesha." Monica said, "Ugh!" she scoffed. "Hey guys we're all getting new homes!" Monica cheered and all of them were excited except me. I was confused I didn't want a new home with people I didn't know. I ran back to the oak house. "Avery" Jason called from a distance. I sat on my bed thinking about everything when Jason came in. "Avery, why did you run away?" he asked. "I don't want to be adopted." I said. "Why not?" he asked, "You get to live at a home and not here. If you'd been here long enough you'd want a family too." He told me.
"I killed my parents Jace." I said and he looked at me stunned. "What happened?" he sat down next to me. "I started a fire but it was an accident I promise. I didn't mean to spill orange juice.....I" I broke off. "I don't want a new family, I just want my parents." I said. Jason held my hand, "Its gonna be okay, Avery." "We'll all be here with you and make sure that we have the best remaining time here together." He smiled.
I wiped my tears and smiled too. Later that night after supper we huddled in our room and we were talking on different stories. Everyone talked about how they ended up in the orphanage and how they would live their life at their new home. "How old are you Avery?" Pam asked. "Seven." I said, "I'm eleven, Monica's ten, and Jason is" she looked up as if trying to remember.
"How old are you Jace?" she asked. "I'm eleven." He looked at me, "Oh I guess we're the oldest here." Pam chuckled. "What do you guys imagine your family's gonna be like?" Monica asked everyone. "Well, I imagine they're gonna be super chill, ya know." Monica said and Pam chuckled. "I imagine it being a nice and loving home. Hopefully they have a nice flower garden. We had one at our house once." She pushed back her brown hair behind her ear.
All I could do was play with my ginger hair avoiding the conversation. "What about you Avery?" Jason asked, "What?!" I whispered and the rest were staring at me. I looked at Jason and he smiled at me, "Come on." He whispered. "I don't want to talk about this guys. I'm sorry." I said bringing up my lower body to my head and I buried my face in my knees.
"It's okay Avery." Pam said, "We're sorry we didn't mean to." Monica said. I had told my new friends all about my story but I didn't want to make them feel responsible to make me feel better. I didn't want to feel better because I was the reason and it was my fault. I deserved everything I was getting. I lay that night sleepless thinking about the night of the accident.
I could still hear their voices and the sirens of the fire trucks. "It's okay kiddo." The voice of the fire man echoed in my head. I prayed that night and immediately fell asleep. "Fear not, for I am with you, I will help you." I woke up and looked around but nobody was there. It must've been a dream but it felt so real like the voice was right here in this room.
Jason's POV~
I don't remember much of what my parents used to be like. I moved from house to house and orphanage to orphanage. My last family fell apart after my adoptive mother passed. My adoptive father couldn't take care of me anymore. He said I reminded him too much of his wife so one night he dropped me off here. St. Benedict's home for girls.
He didn't know if it was an all girls' orphanage. It was just the only one nearby where we lived. I can still remember how happy we were even though they weren't my real parents. It kinda felt like they were. My mom would read me bible stories at bedtime. I didn't know God till I met them. She used to make me chocolate waffles every Sunday after church. It was the best part. I slept looking up at the ceiling then I turned my neck and let the moonlight hit my cold skin.
I took a deep breath and turned my gaze back to the ceiling. I thought about how I drifted apart from god ever since I left that house. Honestly I don't know when I'm gonna go back but I hope its soon.
End of Jason's POV~
"Wake up sleepy head." I heard a familiar voice in my ear. I moaned and slowly opened my eyes. I smiled when I saw Pamela. "Good morning!" she said and I nodded getting up. "Tell her what day it is." Monica barged in. "Avery" she started as I listened closely. "Today we're going camping." She said and my eyes lit up.
I love camping. "It's a tradition here at the orphanage. To say goodbye to the kids going to new homes." Monica chimed in. "What are we talkin' about?" Jace came in. "And where have you been." Monica raised her eyebrow at him.
"Cleaning up." He shook his head getting Monica all wet with water from his hair. "Ew!" she distressed. "What do you usually do?" I asked, "Just usual camping stuff. Bon fires, roasting marshmallows, camp songs, camp fire stories." Monica said. "And don't forget the" Jace said, "BEARS!!!" he screamed in Monica's face.
"Get your morning breath and your wet a hair outta my face." She snapped.
After breakfast the buses were ready and everyone was excited for the camping trip let alone the re-allocation. We got settled in the buses and I sat with Pam and Monica and Jace sat behind us. All they did was bicker. I smiled at the conversation I was having in my head. For the first time I wasn't thinking of the accident and my parents and I thank God for that.
We arrived at the camping site and it was impeccably beautiful. There was a lake that glimmered in the sunshine. Tall trees, a hill just opposite the lake. Sister Anne clapped her hands to grab kids' attention. "Now, now children make sure you behave yourselves. Stay close and don't wander off on your own. Make sure to give the kids leaving a good time in fact that's why we're here isn't it? So be good and remember to have fun." Kids started running out of the bus and scattering.
Some had even jumped in the lake already. Some kid even climbed up a tree I chuckled. I hope they're okay up there. "Avery, come on lets go for a swim." Monica yelled. "Last one in is a rotten egg!" Jace jumped in "Geromino!" he yelled. "Avery it's okay." Pam grabbed my hand and we slowly got in the lake and began splashing water at each other and for the first time since my parents died I felt happy.
The night fell upon us as quickly as dew drops on a leaf. I had so much fun today and I was totally distracted. All that was missing was my master Yoda doll. Sometimes I can still feel it in my arms. "Hey!" Jace smiled and I smiled back. "Want a marshmallow?" he asked and I nodded and he handed me a stick with two pieces on it.
I moved closer to the fire. "What's goin' on here?" Monica sat down next to us and so did Pam. "I'm more of a cotton candy kinda gal." Monica said and we all chuckled. "Popcorn works best for me." Pam said. "You guys know any camp fire songs?" I asked, "Hmm, not really." Jace thought.
"Maybe you can sing us something Avery." Pam suggested giving me a really wide smile. I shook my head repeatedly in disagreement. "Come on." Pam whispered. "Avery, Avery...." Monica chanted then Jace and Pam too. Next thing you know every kid at the fire was chanting my name. "Okay." I said in a low voice.
"It's not a camp fire song though." I muttered. "How great" "Is our God." I sang. "Whoo, go Avery." Monica shouted. "Sing to me how great is our God. How great is our God." I breathed out and opened my eyes staring at everyone and they were silent for a while then cheering and applauses and I smiled.
"Group hug." Monica yelled perky and we huddled together. It was bedtime so everyone grabbed their sleeping bags and quickly began falling asleep.
Sister Anne stayed awake keeping watch staring at the fire. My friends were all in their sleeping bags so I followed them and made my way to my sleeping bag before Neesha shoved me out of the way, "Move!" I struggled for balance. I grabbed her to stop myself from falling but she shook free tossing me aside and making her fall too.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" she screamed raising her hands. "Why is this sleeping bag wet?" she yelled. She had landed on my sleeping bag which was dry before. She stood up, "Avery's a bed wetter." She pointed and everyone stared at me.
"Neesha stop this at once!" Sister Anne said sternly. "You're a bed wetter Avery." She said again, anxiety caught me faster than a road runner on hunting season. "I.....it wasn't" I stuttered. I began hearing voices and staring at other kids' faces, they were whispering to each other.
They grew louder "I didn't" "No" I stuttered. The voices grew louder than before. I covered my ears with my hands, "Stop it!" I said. "Stop it! Stop it!" "STOOOOP IT!" I yelled.
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