Reprisal
one.
"I'm getting out today," were the four words that everyone wished to say. Blaine Moore looked across the room at her roommate. One may think that they all lived in a jail, but Blaine didn't. It was home to her and it had been ever since her parents were murdered. She didn't talk until recently and until then, they had all thought she was crazy but she wasn't. She was far from crazy. She shouldn't have been placed in this home they call a "children's home." It was so far from a child's home. It was a place where they put children, ages 10-18. They weren't normal children though, most of them had severe problems. They cut, have tried to kill themselves, burned themselves to the point where most of their facial features weren't even readable anymore. Their white skin was burnt to a crisp and it made one cringe just to look at them.
Blaine's room mate wasn't her friend. She didn't want friends and didn't need them, besides the girl wouldn't be there for long, none of them were. They all got kicked out usually, or they went crazy and finally offed themselves like that had tried to do so many times before or they gagged themselves one too many times and were in the hospital for an eating disorder. And even if Blaine was staying and not leaving today, she still wouldn't make an effort. The tall girl looked at her as though she was insane, and to her, Blaine probably was but none of that mattered. Blaine knew that she was more sane then anyone else in this god awful place and she was finally going to get out of here.
Her roommate Carla's brown eyes and black skin were smooth looking, and if you looked at her from a distance, standing there in pig tails and checkered shorts, you'd think she was normal but that was only until you got closer. Until you saw the cuts on her neck, arms and legs. Blaine wasn't even allowed to have a hair brush in her room if Carla was in there. She would find some way to break it and try to kill herself.
"Girl, you mad. Even I 'aint that damn insane to think I get out of here anytime soon. You 'gonna be here forever, Chick," her southern accent was dominant as she spoke, laughing as she sat on her bed in the mirror-less room. They weren't allowed to have a mirror in their room. Carla didn't like the way she looked, even though, Blaine thought she could be beautiful without the scars.
"Shut up, Carla." the command came out flat, and had no value. Blaine knew that carla wasn't going to stop talking. She was always talking about something but Blaine never really listened. She had problems of her own. She was ready to leave this hell hole. She didn't want to be with her aunt, but she had one more year until she could be on her own. The 'house' was getting too crowded and Blaine's therapist said that she had been making progress but being in a house with a bunch of kids with problems wasn't going to help her.
"Damn girl, don't go gettin' your undies in a bunch. Anywho, like I was sayin' 'bout my Pa. That nigger was one hell of a man 'till he got shot up down the street from our house. You white folks don't like us down in the south," her voice dragged on noiselessly to Blaine's ears and it was only when a guard stopped at their door to scold Carla, did she noticed that she was still taking and Blaine was supposed to be listening.
"Carla, watch your language," assuming the dictating role for Carla, she quickly changed it over for Blaine. "Your aunt will be here soon, Honey."
The un-changed expression on Carla's face showed she didn't care if she was wrong. She didn't care about anything and Blaine continued to ignore her chattering as she looked around the room foolishly for something to pack. She laughed out loud, an almost sickening crackle from her throat as she really didn't laugh much.
She never had anything of her own in this place. The clothes on her back were like prison suits, but not really. They weren't striped or anything but anyone who was here and didn't have clothes wore them. They were the same old boring white t-shirt and pants. In the summer, they were shorts or skirts and in the winter you got a white jacket but it wasn't like most of them were allowed to go outside.
The few people who were able to go outside, basically just sat in the courtyard in separate areas. Blaine just wondered when she was able to go outside, she admired the garden and the pond with the golden fishes. She admired the clear blue sky and she had wished she could take a photo of them, but they weren't allowed. They weren't allowed to do anything.
"Blaine! You damn crazy girl! You in there?" Carla's voice shook her out of her thoughts and Blaine looked back at her, glaring at her with her colorless eyes. Though she got tons of chances to wonder outside, she didn't want to most of the time. She loved outside but she preferred to stay inside and to sleep or lay on her bed and think. Sometimes, she could wonder to the library and read. Or sometimes, she'd sit and plan. She'd plan on how she was going to get revenge on her parents murderer but never once had she let anyone into that thought. If they did know, she'd never get out of here and she'd never get revenge.
The door opened again and Blaine's assigned officer smiled at her. Her teeth were yellow and a large mole stuck out from the tip of her nose and her wrinkly skin was like raisins but over the years, Blaine had gotten to love the lady before her. She was like a mother, only no one would replace Blaine's real mother.
"Your aunt is hear, Blaine dear," her voice shook as though she could go at any minute, but Blaine would never wish such a thing on someone, well, anyone except one person.
Blaine said goodbye to her room mate without a tear and followed her officer down the white hallways. She walked slowly, remembering everything that happened the past 10 years she had been here. A young girl ran down the hall way, screaming wildly as her officer chased her down. Her giggles rung in Blaine's ear until she turned the corner, and Blaine's officer laughed, mumbling about how she was thankful that they were trying to help these poor souls. A cry from one of the rooms signaled a flashing light and Blaine stepped to the right side of the hallway as three officers ran through the hallway to save someone who was trying to kill themselves or their roommate.
The goodbye to the receptionists at the front of the building wasn't necessary. Just because Blaine had been there years didn't mean she got close to anyone who worked there. She didn't cry. She wasn't sad. She wanted to leave.
"A car is waiting for us," snapped a small, sharp voice. Her aunt was new to her. The petite body wasn't new to her though. She was used to tiny women and children. It didn't shock her that you could see her aunt's cheek bones. Her aunt was supposedly rich, or at least that was what her therapist said. She told Blaine that she should get to know her aunt, and that she had wild stories from the past when she backpacked around the world. Now, her aunt was a lawyer and traveled to different states to help people get their money or justice. It wasn't weird to Blaine that she knew nothing about her own aunt and truthfully, Blaine didn't want to.
Out of order, she knew to follow the small women in front of her to the car. She didn't look back and didn't plan on it. She was out and she could get revenge on the man who killed her parents finally but she couldn't think about that just yet. She had her whole life ahead of her to plan revenge.
A sleek black limousine sat among the other raggedy beat up piles of rust the workers called cars. It stood out against the rusted orange, red and blue cars that the workers bought from their minimum wage jobs. It wasn't like they got paid a lot to take care of the children. Most of them ended up getting out and killing themselves anyways.
It wasn't until Blaine was sitting next to her aunt did she realize that her aunt may have been shorter and older then her mother, but her facial features and hair were an exact replica of the mother that Blaine lost.
Blaine stared at the women in silence as she watched her lips move, telling the driver that he could start moving. She got 'it'.
The fact that Blaine's aunt called her it was completely irrelevant to her ears. She ignored it and watched the beautiful lady some-how, in Blaine's mind, magically morph into her mother. A younger, more beautiful version of her aunt now sat before her Blaine could no longer tell what was real and what was not real, but she let the memory take over her again but she dare not reach for her mother and all but suddenly, she heard a scream.
Blaine's room mate wasn't her friend. She didn't want friends and didn't need them, besides the girl wouldn't be there for long, none of them were. They all got kicked out usually, or they went crazy and finally offed themselves like that had tried to do so many times before or they gagged themselves one too many times and were in the hospital for an eating disorder. And even if Blaine was staying and not leaving today, she still wouldn't make an effort. The tall girl looked at her as though she was insane, and to her, Blaine probably was but none of that mattered. Blaine knew that she was more sane then anyone else in this god awful place and she was finally going to get out of here.
Her roommate Carla's brown eyes and black skin were smooth looking, and if you looked at her from a distance, standing there in pig tails and checkered shorts, you'd think she was normal but that was only until you got closer. Until you saw the cuts on her neck, arms and legs. Blaine wasn't even allowed to have a hair brush in her room if Carla was in there. She would find some way to break it and try to kill herself.
"Girl, you mad. Even I 'aint that damn insane to think I get out of here anytime soon. You 'gonna be here forever, Chick," her southern accent was dominant as she spoke, laughing as she sat on her bed in the mirror-less room. They weren't allowed to have a mirror in their room. Carla didn't like the way she looked, even though, Blaine thought she could be beautiful without the scars.
"Shut up, Carla." the command came out flat, and had no value. Blaine knew that carla wasn't going to stop talking. She was always talking about something but Blaine never really listened. She had problems of her own. She was ready to leave this hell hole. She didn't want to be with her aunt, but she had one more year until she could be on her own. The 'house' was getting too crowded and Blaine's therapist said that she had been making progress but being in a house with a bunch of kids with problems wasn't going to help her.
"Damn girl, don't go gettin' your undies in a bunch. Anywho, like I was sayin' 'bout my Pa. That nigger was one hell of a man 'till he got shot up down the street from our house. You white folks don't like us down in the south," her voice dragged on noiselessly to Blaine's ears and it was only when a guard stopped at their door to scold Carla, did she noticed that she was still taking and Blaine was supposed to be listening.
"Carla, watch your language," assuming the dictating role for Carla, she quickly changed it over for Blaine. "Your aunt will be here soon, Honey."
The un-changed expression on Carla's face showed she didn't care if she was wrong. She didn't care about anything and Blaine continued to ignore her chattering as she looked around the room foolishly for something to pack. She laughed out loud, an almost sickening crackle from her throat as she really didn't laugh much.
She never had anything of her own in this place. The clothes on her back were like prison suits, but not really. They weren't striped or anything but anyone who was here and didn't have clothes wore them. They were the same old boring white t-shirt and pants. In the summer, they were shorts or skirts and in the winter you got a white jacket but it wasn't like most of them were allowed to go outside.
The few people who were able to go outside, basically just sat in the courtyard in separate areas. Blaine just wondered when she was able to go outside, she admired the garden and the pond with the golden fishes. She admired the clear blue sky and she had wished she could take a photo of them, but they weren't allowed. They weren't allowed to do anything.
"Blaine! You damn crazy girl! You in there?" Carla's voice shook her out of her thoughts and Blaine looked back at her, glaring at her with her colorless eyes. Though she got tons of chances to wonder outside, she didn't want to most of the time. She loved outside but she preferred to stay inside and to sleep or lay on her bed and think. Sometimes, she could wonder to the library and read. Or sometimes, she'd sit and plan. She'd plan on how she was going to get revenge on her parents murderer but never once had she let anyone into that thought. If they did know, she'd never get out of here and she'd never get revenge.
The door opened again and Blaine's assigned officer smiled at her. Her teeth were yellow and a large mole stuck out from the tip of her nose and her wrinkly skin was like raisins but over the years, Blaine had gotten to love the lady before her. She was like a mother, only no one would replace Blaine's real mother.
"Your aunt is hear, Blaine dear," her voice shook as though she could go at any minute, but Blaine would never wish such a thing on someone, well, anyone except one person.
Blaine said goodbye to her room mate without a tear and followed her officer down the white hallways. She walked slowly, remembering everything that happened the past 10 years she had been here. A young girl ran down the hall way, screaming wildly as her officer chased her down. Her giggles rung in Blaine's ear until she turned the corner, and Blaine's officer laughed, mumbling about how she was thankful that they were trying to help these poor souls. A cry from one of the rooms signaled a flashing light and Blaine stepped to the right side of the hallway as three officers ran through the hallway to save someone who was trying to kill themselves or their roommate.
The goodbye to the receptionists at the front of the building wasn't necessary. Just because Blaine had been there years didn't mean she got close to anyone who worked there. She didn't cry. She wasn't sad. She wanted to leave.
"A car is waiting for us," snapped a small, sharp voice. Her aunt was new to her. The petite body wasn't new to her though. She was used to tiny women and children. It didn't shock her that you could see her aunt's cheek bones. Her aunt was supposedly rich, or at least that was what her therapist said. She told Blaine that she should get to know her aunt, and that she had wild stories from the past when she backpacked around the world. Now, her aunt was a lawyer and traveled to different states to help people get their money or justice. It wasn't weird to Blaine that she knew nothing about her own aunt and truthfully, Blaine didn't want to.
Out of order, she knew to follow the small women in front of her to the car. She didn't look back and didn't plan on it. She was out and she could get revenge on the man who killed her parents finally but she couldn't think about that just yet. She had her whole life ahead of her to plan revenge.
A sleek black limousine sat among the other raggedy beat up piles of rust the workers called cars. It stood out against the rusted orange, red and blue cars that the workers bought from their minimum wage jobs. It wasn't like they got paid a lot to take care of the children. Most of them ended up getting out and killing themselves anyways.
It wasn't until Blaine was sitting next to her aunt did she realize that her aunt may have been shorter and older then her mother, but her facial features and hair were an exact replica of the mother that Blaine lost.
Blaine stared at the women in silence as she watched her lips move, telling the driver that he could start moving. She got 'it'.
The fact that Blaine's aunt called her it was completely irrelevant to her ears. She ignored it and watched the beautiful lady some-how, in Blaine's mind, magically morph into her mother. A younger, more beautiful version of her aunt now sat before her Blaine could no longer tell what was real and what was not real, but she let the memory take over her again but she dare not reach for her mother and all but suddenly, she heard a scream.