When He Sees Me
fraid. I c
e lay stiff in bed. Only, it wasn't ants but a creeping sense of anxiety. Her hea
or something,' she grumbled in her thoughts. B
," she mumbled to herself. "Just t
ater than the other girls in her dorm, carefully planning her escape. Even so, he
arms. Inside, it held everything she had in the world-a few clothe
e whispered. "Just a few more
otsteps growing distant. Then, finally, a door creaked shut, and silence settled over t
ght air, thick with the scent of damp earth and leaves. The other girls were all still sleeping deeply, thei
. Without her, who else w
miss me," she to
making no sound on the cold wooden floor. The old hinges groaned
e thought, even as
trict rules after the board's last inspection. Warm meals had turned to watery soup, and th
straw had come
Just like that, gone. Sylvia had always known adoption was the goal, the dream eve
two oldest girls in the orphanage, turned on her. They had always been cruel in passing, throwing sharp w
breakfast and laughing when she had to clean up the mess. Then it got worse-whispers b
attention, dismissing her complaints as childish bickering. And then Sis
h such poor behavior?" the nun had sa
scream. That was the moment she knew she wasn't going to wait around, hopi
p was far, and the ground below glistened with mud from th
She scrambled to her feet, the sack pressed to her chest, and ran. The gate w
lvi
ough the darknes
gap in the gate, the metal scraping her arms. The cold air stung her lung
ee
•
chest. The rain had stopped, but her clothes were soaked, clinging to her t
gger than she imagined, louder too. Every sound made her jump-the rumble of a
, for the first time in he
ss the street, a vendor was setting up a small stall, arranging loa
Slowly, she inched closer, her gaze fixed on the vendo
ey
t her age stepped out from the shadows. He was scrawny, his clothes
at stealing," h
hed her fist
ng up his hands. "You l
trust him, but her hunger won out. She follow
. "Watch this," he whispered, slipping a pot
eyed, as he handed it
ook he
r, catching it with a smirk. "You'll starve out
ride warring with her hun
said. "I'm Dan
ll stash of food Danny had helped her gather. She had no idea whe
ive. No matter