Hellsville Orphanage

I can’t sleep… the rain taps against my window like an unwanted visitor, lightning brightens up the sky as if someone is turning on a light and shutting it off again, and a roar of thunder nearly makes me jump off my bed. As I’m perched here, like the lonely white owl that watches me when I’m unable to sleep, much like tonight. I gaze out of the window in the orphanage I’ve been confined to for the last sixteen years, a solitary tear falls from my eye. The questions that have been haunting me my entire life enter my thoughts once more.
“Why did they leave me here? Who are they? Did they not love me? Where are they now?”
The questions pound in my head over and over again... I let out a sob, who am I kidding? I’m never going to get adopted. Who’s going to want a seventeen year old girl with clothes that are sizes too big for her, because none of her old ones fit?
“Deviana?” A small voice asks.
“Yeah, Katherine, it’s me. Is everything okay?” I look over concerned.
Katherine is the five year old girl I share my room with, she’s been here just a few weeks. Katherine has curly brown hair, dark skin, and brown eyes, she is just absolutely adorable. I know she won’t be here much longer. Like a caring little sister she walks over to my bed and sits down next to me, pushing the hair out of my face.
“I’m fine,” she insists, “why are you crying?”
I wipe my eyes, “I’m scared Katy.”
“Awe, don’t be scared,” she hugs me, “you won’t be here forever Devi, I know you won’t.”
I sigh wishing I could believe her, “You’re right, tomorrows another day.”
There was a pounding at the door, “You two need to shut up and go to sleep!”
Ignoring the order Katy and I continue talking, “Are you looking forward to tomorrow?”
“What is tomorrow?” She asks.
“Tomorrow is another day where people come to see us and get to know us, and we may even get adopted.”
“I hope you get adopted, Deviana, you don’t belong here.”
“Well neither do you Katherine, you’ll go before me, just because you’re younger and more adorable.”
“But… I don’t want to go without you,” She starts to cry, “You’re like my big sister…”
“Awe, sweetie don’t cry,” I hold her, “I’m going to be eighteen in a few months, and I can leave this place after then.”
“Well, what if I’m not gone by then?”
“Then Adinn and I will take you out of here, I promise.”
“Deviana, how did you and Adinn meet?”
“What do you mean?”
She looks at me funny “How did you and Adinn meet?”
“Oh,” I look down hesitantly, “He saved my life…”
Her eyes get big, “How did he do that?!”
“It was before you came here, you know the boys my age, Adinn, his friend Zane, Derrick, Chris and Zac?”
She nods her head.
“Well Derrick had, and still does have I think, a thing for me…”
“So that’s why he glares at you and Adinn!” she exclaims
I laugh, “Yes, that’s why, but anyways, Derrick had started flirting with me, and I made it clear that I wasn’t interested but he kept at it anyways. So one day I was down in the kitchen waiting for Luscious, because he is like a really good friend of mine, and Chris Derrick and Zac came down.”
“What happened then?” she urges.
“Well, Derrick and his friends tried to take something of mine, something really important, and Adinn stopped them before they could. After the whole thing I was so shaken I just kind of passed out in his arms, and woke up the next morning in his bed. That was when Adinn and I officially met.”
“Awe, well I’m glad you and Adinn met. You’re so cute together!” She smiles at me
I smile back at her “Me too, Hun.”
She yawns, “I hope you guys…” she trails off as she falls asleep.
I smile at her as I watching her and sigh, thinking about the day Adinn and I met, as I drift to sleep…
I awoke in a bed that wasn’t my own, and a room that was unfamiliar to me. Paranoid, I look down. I’m in a shirt that isn’t mine; it smells so nice, and looking over to the corner I see the remains of the dress I wore the previous day. Recalling the night’s events, tears start to roll down my face as I hold back a sob… A wave of curiosity washes over me as I finally fully realize that I don’t know how I got to the bed I’m in.
“Where am I?” I think quietly to myself, “Whose room is this and why am I here?”
I get out of bed and start exploring the small room; there’s a lot of drawings and writing. I was admiring a drawing of a girl when I felt the presence of another being behind me.
“I see you’re up, and moving around.” A slightly familiar voice asks touching my shoulder, “how are you feeling?
“Holy snot, Batman,” I jump “don’t you scare me like that!”
He laughs, “I’m sorry, I didn’t think I’d scare you.”
“I’m not scared, just startled.” I turn to face him, “Why was I in your bed, and where did you sleep?”
“You were in my bed because I didn’t know where your room was and I stayed in Zane’s room.”
“Well, thank you…”
He looks at me confused, “Why are you thanking me? I didn’t do anything.”
“Yes you did, you stopped him last night, and didn’t take advantage of me while I was passed out in your bed.”
“It’s no big deal really, Derrick is a jerk and if he doesn’t get what he wants he’ll take it anyways.”
“Yeah, and apparently he wants me… but I don’t want him. I thought I made that clear.”
“Nothing involving the word no is clear to him. Might I ask, what is your name?”
“I’m Deviana. Am I allowed to know the name of my knight in shining armor?”
“Knight in shining armor, I wouldn’t use those words to describe me. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time is all, I’m Adinn.”
Looking into his bright green eyes, I’m rendered speechless. He has a mess of black hair with a fringe that sweeps over his right eye, and a smile that’s so warm it gives me butterflies. He looks down at me, and caresses my cheek with his fingers.
“You truly are beautiful, Devi…” He trails off.
I look down at my bare feet, “No, you’re just saying that…”
“But I’m not,” he lifts my chin so I’m looking him in the eyes, “I’ve been trying to work up the nerve to talk to you for days now, and Derrick made that hard to do.”
Avoiding his comment I turn to the picture I was admiring earlier, “Who is this girl?”
“That was my little sister…”
I turn to look at him, “What happened?”
“My family was killed on their boat… Everyone, that’s why I’m here now.”
“How did it happen?”
“Well,” He paused, “they were killed by Russian assassins, because they had information that they wanted, and they wouldn’t give it up… I escaped, so I don’t know if they gave that information up, they might even come looking for me…”
“Snap, crackle, pop!” I hug him “Even though we just met; if you ever need someone to talk to you always have me.”
“Thanks Devi. So, why are you here?”
“I’ve been here my whole life… I don’t even know who my parents are.”
There is a pounding at my door that jerks me from my sleep “Let’s go get up!” an all too familiar voice shouts.