Chapter Three - Live with
I had been right when I assumed that the tube was inserted into my skin. It was long gone and wasn't as horrible as I've initially thought it would be. It was comparable to a bite of one ant when they pulled it out.
By noon, my hand has been freed of anything as they looked pale against the warm windowpane. Kids, younger and older, were still running around with a different group of dogs. They looked happy and this made a foreign feeling make its way into the pit of my stomach. I didn't know what word to describe it. Almost like it was going to make me puke. All I knew is that I wanted to be there as well.
The more that I thought about it, the more it made me tremble that I had to look away. I couldn't force myself to watch them play while I was here. Even though they haven't given any signs, I still worried that they'll decide to lock me up.
I heard the creaking of the door but I didn't bother to check who it was. It was probably the same girl. She has been with me the whole morning.
"Hey." Her voice was softer now compared to its frilly sound from the first time. She took the spot beside me. Only this time, she left a good amount of distance.
In consideration, I took a step to my right to make more space for her but that only made her take another step in the opposite direction. The action made me frown. I didn't want her to already hate me and lose a potential friend. Even with the short hours we've been together, I've already grown dependant on her. But I had no right to complain since she had all the reasons to distance herself from me.
Turning my head slightly, I watched her between the small gaps of my hair. She looked preoccupied. My actions had made her misunderstand so even if it scared me to the very soul, I decided to speak up.
"Don't you want to see- er, the outside?" I asked quietly before quickly setting my eyes back to the kids, afraid to see her reaction. I've messed up by stuttering.
I heard her take a gasp. In my peripheral, she'd face me.
"She talks." I heard her whisper.
I glanced at her in confusion. Why didn't she pick on me for stuttering?
"I was saying, you sure love the view." I haven't bothered to tell her that I heard her the first time because she giggled and joined my window-watching. It took everything in me not to smile in her presence, the corner of my lips slightly twitching.
"I-uhm. Is that a-a bad thing?" I questioned in my usual quiet voice.
"You know, you can go out. You've been already dismissed by the doctor." She said in a happy tone.
I nodded, not really knowing what she meant. I was dismissed from what exactly? If the doctor was dismissing me, would that mean he held power as much as the mistress did? Did he cage people? I for sure didn't know what position a doctor held. All I knew is that they healed people, according to the dictionary.
"But before that, I have to fill out an application form which I need your help with." She waved the paper she'd been hiding behind her this whole time.
My ears perked up after what she said.
"My help?" I asked. I was unsure if I heard her correctly. Why would she need help from me? Doesn't she see that I'm incapable of anything? Except for ruining absolutely anything maybe.
"We'll just have to write down things about yourself." She shrugged as she led me towards the bed so we could both sit down. I sat on the bed while she sat down on the lone chair, pulling a table from the side.
"Details about... me?" I couldn't help but ask again.
"You know, just things like your age or something. Just really basic things, don't worry." She tried to assure me which slightly worked.
She had her pen ready on the paper, the ballpoint hovering as she read out what I was supposed to answer.
"Your full name?"
It hit me that nobody had called me by my name in four full years. The mistress had always called me a princess or little girl even when she was yelling. Rarely, she'd used stupid girl as well.
"My name is Ellana Roses." I replied.
My name was something bittersweet. Although I'd always be reminded about flowers because of my name, it still was the surname that my father had given me. He was the same man who abandoned our family and trusted someone to be head of the house so blindly. What he saw in the mistress was beyond me.
The lady's pen got to work, writing down the letters knowingly without asking how it was spelled. She still managed to write it down perfectly, both in handwriting and spelling.
"Your name is lovely, Ellana."
My lips twitched again.
"Mine's Kelsey by the way, Kelsey Moonlux. My middle name's Lockheart. What about yours? Do you know yours?" She looked up at this question while I avoided her eyes.
Know what? My middle name? I had no idea.
"Uhm no."
I've heard father and mother fighting because of family so I figured it was something that I couldn't ask about like a lot of other things.
"That's okay. How old are you?"
"I- uh..."
How old was I again? The last time I remembered, I turned a year older a day ago- two days ago? Three days ago?
So, "Thirteen."
"Well, what do you think about living with me?" Her question was so sudden, I only grunted like a fool.
"Do you want to live with me? Legally?" She repeated.
My eyes turned blurry so I used my long blonde hair to cover my face from her. I couldn't let her see how much that question meant to me.
If it was true that I'd escaped the mistress then it would mean that I was now basically homeless unless I take Kelsey's offer.
Who was I to say no?
The fact that I've judged her so carelessly, comparing her to my captor a while ago when Kelsey was probably one of the nicest people I know, as of now. I just hoped it stayed that way and she doesn't realize all the wrong things about me.
"Yes." I finally answered, my voice barely above a whisper.