By Ariel
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: mild child abuse - for now... Ariel POV
Disclaimers: From now until the end, all ideas and characters are mine. *grins* Don't take. It won't make me happy and then you won't like what will happen.
Author’s Note: I would like to thank my lovelies Tau, Lauren, and Linolin for helping me come up with a perfect name for the wicked woman.
I squeezed Mrs. Siler's hand as she led me through the door and down the hall to a small office that was lit up with a couple of antique-looking lamps. It was a bit dim and the air inside was a bit musty. The large mahogany wood desk had papers and books piled on it and there was a small desk lap with two light bulbs to the side. The desk calendar was full of scribbles made of deep red and blue pens. An old worn afghan was tossed over her large swiveling chair. I didn’t bother looking around the room since my social worker had nodded for me to sit down beside her.
I climbed up and sat on a wooden stool beside Mrs. Siler, playing with the ends of my blue flower-print sundress. The other woman came in soon after and I had the chance to see her better. She was tall, lanky and had shoulder-length frizzy black hair with the occasional silvery strand peeking through her obviously dyed locks. Her eyes were also black but they weren't warm and friendly. Immediately, I started wishing that one of the other social workers had taken me elsewhere and that perhaps I would not have ended up with a woman who was easily scaring me with one simple look towards her.
Mrs. Siler brushed a strand of my hair out of my face and then nodded to the woman. "Ariel. This is Ms. Hélène Haine. She is the owner of this orphanage where you will be staying at until you're adopted. Why don't you say hello, dear?"
I turned my eyes away from the social worker over to the headmistress of the orphanage. After a moment, I hopped off and lifted my chin, trying to make a good impression as I held out my right hand towards her as I had seen Mrs. Siler do earlier to Brian and then at the door with this woman. "Hello Ms. Haine. It is a pleasure to meet you. Thank you." I gave her a very shy smile, holding back the fear I felt when she took my hand and shook it firmly. Something definitely didn't feel right about the handshake and I let go a breath I unknowingly held when she released my hand.
“Ariel,” Ms. Haine spoke quietly to me. “Go look around the orphanage while I speak with Mrs. Siler.” The ice in her voice made a chill run down my spine. The woman had not made me a suggestion – she made an order that left no room to be disobeyed.
I quickly nodded my head, not wanting to get on this lady’s bad side. “Yes ma’am. Thank you.” I gave her a smile in hopes that the cuteness of me being a young child would at least help me make it out of this place alive. After glancing over my shoulder to see a proud look on Mrs. Siler’s face, I left the room we had been in and stepped out into the hallway. My charm had obviously worked well with my social worker but it didn’t do its job with the one I had intended it to be for.
The door slammed shut behind me, making me jump a little in surprise before I realized that once again I was alone. I didn’t really like this feeling of loneliness. It was definitely not what I was used to. I may not have remembered anything prior to about a week ago, but the pull inside me, of longing to be close to people, was too great to be ignored. Yet in some odd way, I realized that it, this sense of loneliness, was going to be my best friend for a long time. I looked up at the ceiling, eyeing the cracks warily that adorned the gray texture. I started wondering how this building remained standing with all those broken lines. But I decided quickly that that thought wasn’t very interesting, I walked down the dimly lit hall, sneezing once when I almost tripped on the red carpet; the dust that was gathered blew up into the air. The color was quite faded from age and from the lack of cleanliness. Glancing around, I realized the whole area I could see was like that and it made me think that this place just couldn’t be good for anyone’s health.
I continued my way until I came across a few battered doors. Peering inside the one nearest me, I gasped softly seeing a large bedroom. It was very clean, spotless, and it seemed to have every luxury possible. I noticed a picture of my new “guardian” hung up on the wall over the bed and my thoughts were instantly confirmed that it was her room. Not wanting to be caught nosing around, I moved further down the hallway to another door. It led to a kitchen-dining room. It looked rather rundown but it probably got the job done. Further into the room was a very long table with about 16 chairs. I guessed it was for the other kids. I walked in to take a closer look around. The chairs were not steady and there were spider-webs underneath them. I shivered and quickly left the room. I didn’t really like the webs to begin with and seeing them at a dinner table was not something I would have wanted to notice right away.
The other door led to a tiny bathroom with only a toilet, sink and a large basin. I blinked a few times and then left, not wanting to think too much about that room. I was starting to wish that I had stayed in the hospital longer, that my injuries were more severe and that it was recommended I stayed there until I was healed more. My other wish of wanting to be with my parents, whoever and wherever they were, was starting to grow. I opened up the last door I came across and nearly fell down a long flight of narrow dark stairs. After regaining my footing, I touched the wall, hoping to find a light switch. Unfortunately, my fingers found a spider’s web and I cried out, feeling tears well up in my eyes before I just turned and left, closing the door behind me.
Hastily wiping my eyes, I moved back by the front door, peering outside through the window next to it. The park across the street was dark, eerie. The streetlamps did not bring enough illumination to the roads of the area. Yet, if I looked deep inside the park into the blackened roads, concentrating hard, I could see the people of the night, walking about, doing their business. It frightened me to no end. But, despite the fear I felt being at the orphanage, I knew it was going to be a little bit safer inside than going out into those dark streets. It definitely was something I did not want to do.
I turned around and looked up the stairs the door faced. The lights were dim and I could see several doors in a row upstairs. I guessed it was where the children slept. I faintly wondered about them. The longing to be with others began to fill my soul greedily once again. Before I had a chance to go up, the door to the office opened and Mrs. Siler and Mr. Haine stepped out.
“Ariel.” My social worker called out to me, making me turn around and look at her. She smiled, yet from the corner of my eye, I could see a dark smirk appear on Ms. Haine’s face. Another chill ran down my spine and this time I couldn’t hold it back. “Are you cold dear?” Mrs. Siler asked me softly when she saw me shiver. This woman was too good and I found myself wishing again to be joining her back on her journey to Tokyo.
“Hai, sukoshi, Mrs. Siler,” I answered her quietly. She pulled me close and hugged me. The final moments with her were approaching rapidly and there was nothing I could do to stop them from coming. I sensed her emotions despite the fact she was holding them back as much as possible. It must be hard for people like her to do this all the time and I was awed by the strength she possessed.
“Ariel, dear. I have given Ms. Haine all the information I got from you as well as from the hospital.” The tone of my social worker’s voice was soft, caring. I liked it very much and I found myself yearning for more of it. I hugged her again, turning my face away from the smirking headmistress without making it seem as if I were being rude. I was being left alone again and I didn’t like it one bit.
“Yes, I think Ariel and I will have a very good relationship.” The woman’s shrilly voice sliced through Mrs. Siler’s tender, nurturing aura. I turned to look at Ms. Haine with slightly wide eyes. “Won’t we dear?” I nodded meekly when her black eyes flashed with an evil light.
Nodding a bit more bravely, I gathered my wits and responded, “Yes Ms. Haine. I am sure we will.” My Japanese customs came to me and I pulled away from my social worker and bowed slightly, politely, towards my new guardian.
“Good,” the woman replied. The now dark, disgustingly sultry sound of her voice alerted my senses and I knew once again that trouble was going to be heading my direction. And soon.
Mrs. Siler sighed softly. “Very well. I must be heading off. Brian is waiting outside with the limo.” She turned to me and gently touched my cheek. “May God bless you child. You are a strong and beautiful soul.” The warmth in her eyes as she spoke to me had broken through my attempt to be calm and a few tears ran down my cheeks. “Don’t cry. Everything will be fine. You’ll see. I will keep in touch.” She kissed my cheek, wiping away my tears and blinking back her own. “I know you will be good.” She let me go, shook hands with Ms. Haine and opened the door, walking away towards the limo where Brian waited patiently for her; the wonderful woman looked back not once.
I met the chauffeur’s green eyes as he stood by the driver’s side door for a moment and sniffled when he winked at me. I waved goodbye before he stepped inside, getting ready to drive them both off, away from me. Ms. Haine placed a hand on my shoulder and I felt her nails dig into my skin as she pulled me back and slammed the front door shut, securing the locks with loud clanks and clicks.
“Well, Ariel.” Ms. Haine looked down at me, her smirk growing on her face as she trailed a finger along my jaw. “You really are a cute one. So much unlike the other children here.” Her black eyes trailed over my small body, nodding a bit as she turned me around, inspecting me, so much that I began trembling from nervousness, fear, under her scrutiny. “It’s your first night here. Let’s make sure it is memorable. Hmm?” Her voice suddenly made me want to run out and chase after Mrs. Siler and Brian. But, the darkness of the park entered my mind and I stilled. There was no way out.
“Let’s go!” She hissed as she grabbed me by my upper arm and yanked me down the hall, past her office, her bedroom, the kitchen, the bathroom and stopping in front of the door with the stairs. She must have noticed the fearful look on my face when she pulled the door open and flicked on the light. “You know, Mrs. Siler isn’t going to help you now. You’re under my roof now, so you listen to my rules. So here they are. Rule number one: no talking back to me unless I speak to you.” She dragged me down the stairs, smirking darkly at me when I bit my lip and held back my tears. “I see you have been doing that one quite well, little girl.”
“Rule number two: you do your chores. When I want something done, you do it.” She stopped by another door and pulled it open, revealing buckets, mops, brooms and other cleaning items under and next to a disgustingly dirty sink. Cobwebs hung all over with tiny little spiders on them. A few mice ran around the dingy basement floor and some were huddling in the damp area of the closet.
Ms. Haine pulled me to stand in front of her, making me face the closet as tears streamed down my face. She lowered her head to my ear and whispered icily, making me hold back a gasp from her closeness. “And finally, rule number three…” Her voice turned dark and then I felt the entire room freeze. “When I put you somewhere, you stay there until I get you out.” Suddenly, Ms. Haine pushed me into the closet and slammed the door shut, locking it from the outside and moving something heavy in front of it.
The dim light bulb that was hanging on a thin wire flickered once and then shut off, leaving me alone in the dark room. The sounds coming from the tiny mice on the damp floor were unnerving but when I leaned back against one wall, I felt myself get caught up in some spider webs. I let out a whimpered cry before I reached down and found the bucket from where I had seen it from the outside; grateful it was overturned, and sat down on it. I pulled my legs up to my chest and leaned my forehead against my knees. Tears streamed down my face incessantly and my sobs were harsh, making my breathing become a bit more difficult.
I was forced into a dark closet. A group of mice almost at my feet’s reach. Spiders and their webs all around me, starting to cling to me. The darkness kept getting closer, surrounding me, suffocating me. I did not like this one bit. I had been lied to…cheated.
But there was one thing, just one major thing, which made the entire situation I had been thrown into even worse…
I was completely alone.
TBC...
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