My scream echoed through the hallway, shooting my arms in the air as I cried for help.
"Sister, please! Sister, please stop!!!" I cried, with mucus and tears mushed all over my face by her slaps.
"Sister please!!!"
Sister Regina slammed my body to the floor, causing me to hit my back on the sharp edge of my bed. She turned to the side, picking up a cane from the floor.
She walked closer, thrusting her left hand to my face, with a Rosary tangled between her fingers.
"I'll ask you again Lola, why didn't you say your morning prayers!?"
I sobbed, with tears pouring from my eyes."I'm sorry sister..."
"I said. why didn't you pray Lola!!!"
I shut my eyes, moving my red swollen palms to my face, "I'm sorry..." I sobbed. "I overslept, please I'm-..."
Before I could finish my sentence, she began slashing and wiping the cane against my body. I screamed.
"Say it! Say it!" She pushed my Rosary to my face.
"Say your prayer you God-forsaken satan! Say it!"
I rose my head slowly, feeling a drop of blood running into my eyes. I stared at her, looking into her eyes.
"Hail. Mary ... Mother of-"
She stroked my face.
I screamed, slamming my palms against my mouth, so as not to anger hear my cries.
"I said! Say it! Aloud!", she held my neck.
I shivered on the floor gasping for my breath as she choked me. She released me, letting me gasp for air.
I slowly drew my stare from the floor to the open door. There my other orphan sisters stood, terrified and pitiful, as they watched me with teary eyes unable to help.
"Lola! Say it!!!" She slapped me.
I held my cheek, lying sideways on the floor.
"Hail Mary... Mot-... Mother of God..." I couldn't continue, feeling the pain on my face go in flames.
"I knew it! You can't say it because you're nothing but pure blood of the devil himself".
I shook my head as she spoke pleading. She swung her foot at my chin, pushing my weak battered body further to the wall.
"Say it, Lola! Say it! Say it, Lola!!" I held my wounded jaw crying, hearing her scream.
"Lola! Lola!..." Everything slowly started to fade into blackness, with my eyes shutting. "Lola! Lola!"
"Lola? Lola?" I pinched my eyelids together.
I felt a gentle pressure over my arm, slowly thrusting my body back and forth on a grainy surface.
My eyes slowly opened. My sight was blurry, but I immediately made out the figures on the shelves in the storeroom.
"Huh?"
I started to recall my dream, a memory of one of my daily routines here at the orphanage. But unfortunately for me, I couldn't forget any.
"Lola? Lola?" I heard a warm elderly voice call from behind. It was Mother Stella. A fortyish years old grey woman, calm, sweet, caring, and protective of all of us... At least when she's around. I gradually pushed myself up, seated on the bag of rice.
"Mother Stella?" I scratched my eyes sleepy.
"Lola darling? What are you doing here?"
"Doing where?" I rubbed my eyes trying to come back to reality.
"Here! In the storeroom", her expression was full of worry and confusion. With my brain still half asleep, I answered, "I slipped".
"Slipped?" She looked surprised. I held my eyelids together, letting out a yawn and nodding.
"How did you slip into the storeroom from your room?".
I rubbed my palm over my face, unable to understand her question. I slowly tilted my head to the side, seeing my siblings by the door, all waving at me with pity.
"Yes..." I answered again without thinking. Mother Stella pulled back and thought, then looked back at me.
"No, no, no, no, no, no... come, my child". I heard her say, wrapping her arms around my waist, gently lifting me.
She rested my head on her shoulder, patting me gently as she turned to the door. My siblings immediately moved to the side, allowing her through.
KNOCK KNOCK!
Mother Stella knocked at Sister Regina's door, shaking my sleepy self on her back.
"Regina?" She called out calmly.
"Mother!?" She responded.
I could hear her footsteps rush to the door, and then unlock it.
"Mother?" She pulled open the door.
Mother tapped me, trying to wake me. She slowly got up, her placing me on the floor.
"Lola?" She tapped my cheeks. I widened my eyes, staring at her nodding. A soft smile stretched on her face, as she stood up straight, turning to Regina.
"Good morning, mother", Sister Regina said, giving her a slight bow. Regina's eyes slowly traced at me, then at my mother's feet.
"Regina? Why was this child sleeping in the storeroom?"
Sister's brows immediately shot up to the roof of her forehead.
"What!! The storeroom?" She held her chest, turning to me. She quickly went down on her knees in front of me, rubbing her palms over my face.
"Lola sweetie? What were you doing in the storeroom this morning?" She said with an innocent voice.
"It's not this morning", Mother started, "She slept there!"
I stood there watching them. Mother Stella was unaware of the fact my room was on the third floor, the floor under construction. She thought I shared the same room as my sisters, and unfortunately, she never stayed long enough to know the truth.
"Oh my!" Regina threw her arms around me, hugging me tightly. She released me, slowly standing up.
"Mother, I honestly don't know how she got there? I don't understand how she left her room to the storeroom".
"Oh really? Who else has the key to the storeroom?"
Sister's face immediately went cold, being caught in a corner.
"Oh!" Sister slapped her face. "I'm so sorry, mother, I accidentally left the keys on the lock, and..."
She stood directly in front of me, intentionally blocking me from mother Stella's sight.
"... Maybe she left her room without my knowledge, finding her way to the storeroom".
My eyes immediately cleared as I felt her sharp nails dig into the skin of my cheek. I immediately knew what I had to say.
"What rubbish!?" mother began, "How and why will she leave her room for no reason and go to the storeroom, sleeping on a bag of picked rice for the breakfast in the next five days!?"
"But mother..." Regina tried to defend.
"Don't but me, young lady!"
Sister Regina dropped her head in shame.
"I don't understand why you will be so cruel to this young girl and give her such work at such a young age!"
"But mother I didn't tell her to-..."
"To what? Pick the half bag of rice I saw her asleep on!? Do I look like a fool to your sister Regina? Why would you-"
"I did, Mother..." I pinched my hair behind Sister Regina.
"What?" Mother tilted her head, trying to catch my eyes.
Sister Regina moved aside, making me visible. "What did you say, Lola?", Mother went down on her knees, placing her palms on my face.
"... I went there willingly to pick the rice last night..."
I slowly rose my head to the evil nun, who hung her head down seeming innocent.
"Because...", I looked back at mother, "... Because I heard you instruct sister Regina to do it, but because she had been busy with us the whole day, I decided to go help".
"And that was the only time you could help? At night? Alone?... There wasn't even any lighting in the room, Lola".
"I wanted to surprise her, mother... That's why I went there late. And I was too scared to take a lamp in there because I was afraid I may be careless and burn the place".
I fell my head down, pinching my fingers. Mother sighed, taking a glimpse at sister, then back at me.
"Come, dear, let's clean you up". She wrapped me in her arms, lifting me as she gently patted my back, walking towards the stairs.
"Don't ever do that again, that's not your job", she whispered in my ear.
My eyes were fixed on the woman at her door, staring and smiling straight at me, as mother and I walked away.