" Leave me alone, I don't want to hang out with a bunch of riffraff anymore, so leave alone, I have better people to hang out with, " She said curtly, then left, leaving Ramone, standing dumbfounded and aghast.
•••
3rd Week.
A group of children were gathered around the swing and talking.
Elliam was on the swing saying something to the surrounding kids. There were the ones Moriah met with her three weeks ago.
They were all laughing now.
"I've always wondered why you were hanging with those pieces of trash, but I'm glad you've come back to your senses,"
" Yeah, I really don't know what I would do if I was born as they, I mean there's no support for them at all once they leave this place, they're completely on their own, I kinda feel sorry for them,"
Flow, a chubby faced girl said with pity in her eyes.
Because of the inconspicuous nature of the orphanage, due to the position and how little it meddled with the internet, very few people knew about it, infact the most whom knew about the orphanage were the old families of the town and very few would want to adopt a child from there.
The children without inheritance or just orphans knew that and all hope of ever being adopted was lost.
"Why would you feel sorry for them Flow, they're just wastes of air and space, anyway, so Elliam, do you have an idea of how much money and property is in your inheritance?" Betty the snotty boy, asked enthusiastically.
Elliam narrowed her eyes and made a 'hmmmmm' sound as if thinking deeply.
"I'm not sure, but I'm assured I'll be coming into possession of a large amount of money and many many pro...." She was cut off short by an unwanted appearance.
Ramone pushed off the kids surrounding Elliam to make way for herself.
"Hey!!"
"What the heck!"
"Who on earth are you?!"
" Excuse me, get the heck out of my way and I won't push you, thank you," Ramone said as she made her way through.
When she got to Elliam, she sighed heavily and said, "And there's the star of the show,"
"Ramone, what are you doing here? You don't belong here,"
" I would have said the same thing about you too, but nevermind, why won't you hang out with us anymore?"
" Because the lot of you suck!" A bystander shouted.
" Shut it, bystander!" Ramone snapped.
" Why would you stop hanging out with us to be with a bunch of sky-nosed, snot-nosed, big headed fools like they?"
" Watch your mouth, you low-life riffraff!"
Ramone turned sharply to where it had came from and the person whimpered.
She turned back.
" I thought you'd come back to your senses but this has gone on for too long that I think you've let money enter your head,"
Elliam looked at Ramone, the moment she had interrupted, her hands were shaking and she had held onto the swing to keep steady.
In her eyes Ramone could see the dark rings around her eyes and a tired fear inside it.
Ramone could almost hear her say, 'I need help,'.
But she, herself knew, there was no help here, not for them, at least.
"Like I said, I-I just don't want t-to hang out with a bunch of r-rif-riffraffs, anymore," Elliam shouted suddenly.
Ramone stopped then took a deep breath but suddenly she was pushed to the ground by someone.
Her temple met with a sharp rock on the floor which tore it, letting out a flowing red which reflected the hot sunshine.
"You heard her! She doesn't want to be with a scrounging, poverty stricken, low-life, rag wearing, dog scum like you," Betty screamed as he gave her a kick to her stomach.
Ramone doubled over in pain and screamed with the sudden sharp pain as his foot had contacted an open injury on her stomach.
She grunted and started to stand up.
"Why, you little rat! I'm gonna....."
"You better stay down, Ramone, you wouldn't want to attract Mother Essyher's attention," Elliam interrupted while giving her a stern stare, she gestured quite inconspicuously towards the 7th floor window.
It was inconspicuous to all but Ramone could read through it.
She sighed heavily and relented as two older kids took her by the arms and up against the wall, where she was beaten to a pulp.
....
Ramone didn't know but Elliam knew that she did heavy chores after lights out, Ramone didn't know why but Elliam knew it was because of her.
Every evening before lights out she and Mother Essyher had these 'sessions'.
Elliam was indeed a bit sick as mother Essyher had said, she was after all a psychiatrist.
A child after the parents' death should suffer from the post-trauma syndrome. But Elliam did not have any of the known symptoms, she was living in her head, maybe she expressed her desolation and loneliness through fighting and violence but a child was not naturally prone to violence.
Mother Essyher used hypnotism on her to induce the normal symptoms of the post traumatic experience but not for any chivalrous reason but more for reasons best known to herself.
Hypnotism made one to slip into a sleep like state through the patient's seeing or hearing perception or both and opened one's subconscious to the hypnotist. And since the subconscious mind controlled the conscious mind, as long as the hypnotist did it correctly, she could influence the person however she wanted.
But in Elliam's case, she had been at the highest point of one of the two most strongest human emotions; Fear.
She wasn't in a sleep like state or near a sleep like state, she was instilled deeply with fear.
Fear that had seeped into her veins like hot liquid paranoia, that kept her awake and more alive in night than in day and made her days feel like hot wide eyed dreams that faded into the other, a long dream that made her wide eyed and dark eyed, that made her skin pale and made her feel nervous and on edge like her legs had disappeared and she stood on ones made from hot air.
She seemed a shell of herself but on the bright side, she was suffering. Suffering from symptoms of a post traumatic experience. She stayed up late at night thinking of her mother's loud and droll stories and her father's colorful meals. And their house and her room and the garden they'd just started cultivating and the new television she hadn't gotten to watch on yet.
Sadness and depression enveloped her and soon enough she did need children's therapy sessions, not with Mother Essyher of course, thank God.
.....
Ramone on the other hand stayed well away from Elliam, although at times was worried for her.
•••••
4th week. Thursday, Elliam's visiting day.
Nomen's P.O.V.
It's been a month or less since I last saw the little kid, I wonder how she's doing now. Hopefully mixing and making friends with other children.
It was really convenient, putting her in the place, it was both a boarding School and an orphanage, I was really glad when I found the institution but although I was assured by the old families that they were authentic, there was something dark and sketchy about the place but nonetheless, I had made a promise that I would visit as often as I could.
All this while I had been really busy, I had to clear my schedule to make time to visit her. I was glad I finally had time to visit her but unfortunately I couldn't keep her for the holidays. I'd take her and some other kids for outing though.
•••••
Later in the building.
I sat in the office waiting for her to come. Strangely they insisted we met in the front house. For 'precautionary measures', they'd said.
Soon Elliam was ushered in.
My eyes widened in shock when I saw her. She looked worse than I saw her last time.
Her skin was ashen, she now had a stoop and most of all she was thin! Very thin.
I looked at her worriedly as she made her way to the chair and sat in front of the table.
I waited for the door to close before speaking.
"Hey, Elliam, how's it going?"
She suddenly straightened up and stretched her lips in a tight smile, her eyes were widened.
"It's going fine, Mr Nomen, I really like it here, I have nice friends, the classes are good and..."
"Wait wait wait," I was confused, from the way she looked, this place was anything but likeable.
"Elliam, you said you liked this place?"
"Yes, this place is the best, the food is amazing, the classes and teachers are good, I learn a lot of things everyday in class, and all everyone is amazing, I have so many friends..."
She went on and on, talking animatedly like she was programmed for that.
I listened to all she said and when she was done, I asked, lowering my voice,
"Elliam, are you sure there's nothing you'd wanna tell me?"
She stopped and stared at me then leaned forward and ask in a voice so low and deliberate, it sounded mocking.
" Like what, Mr Nomen?"
Mr Nomen again, she had never called me Mr Nomen before.
"Like.....They mistreating you or any other kid or starving you..... Anything,"
"Why would I want to tell you that, if I told you anything like that, I'd be lying. Mr Nomen I love this place, it's really nice and I don't think I would want to leave,"
She said looking me right in the eyes.
I sighed in resignation, then glanced at her once more, in that short look I gave her, I saw in her eyes a small trembling ball of light.
'Must be the sunlight's reflection,' I shrugged the uneasiness off.
"But..... Elliam, you know if there's anything, anything at all, that you wanted to tell me, you can," I said, giving her a small paper.
She looked back at me then took the note.
....
The remaining thing I could do was to report back to the government, I only hoped all she said was true.
•••
Days came and went and soon it was winter/Christmas season...
A time of happiness and warmth, even for the children of Mother Goose's.
For our young protagonist, however, a time of unfortunate disaster for Elliam.