1. The Orphans

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*pah pah pah!*

I run into the woods struggling to breathe. The temperature is dropping and I can see my warm breath releasing steam blown by the wind. My clothes are not enough to keep myself and the baby warm inside my thick jacket.

"Bah bah!"

Oops! The baby is awake!

"Shshsh! The bad guys will hear us." I whispered at the five months old baby that I was able to retrieve. I continued running through the dark night hoping when the morning will come, we're finally safe.

How did I get in this again? Why am I here? Who and what am I? I have to forget about everything right now. I have to focus taking care of Jessy and myself. We have to survive hunger and cold.

I resisted the fatigue and temperature overnight. My feet are hard and frozen, cramping from the cold but I'm determined not to give up. After miles and hours of running, we stumbled in an empty old rotting house.

"Let's rest for a few minutes, we can't stay here for long. They will easily find us." We entered the house and I immediately searched for food with the flashlight I found from the cabinet. "Shit! This is totally empty!" When I turned the faucet, the water flows and I grabbed a cup to fill it. I shivered after feeling the cold water run in my throat. I sipped some more and let the water to warm in my mouth before passing it to Jessy.

"I'm sorry, Jessy but I have to do this

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"I'm sorry, Jessy but I have to do this." I sadly look at her but her innocent face still gave a smile to me. I hugged her tight as we took a nap on the couch.

***

"Csarie, I feel tired. I can't do this anymore." My brother, Edward locked himself in his room and refused to get out. I entered his room and found him crouching in a corner filled with tears and sweat. His small body was already shaking with fear and exhaustion that my heart aches to see him like that.

I walked and sat close to him and he immediately hugged me tight bursting into tears. "We have to stay strong. This is our home and the only reason how we survived. Let's repay them by obeying their orders."

"But I'm already tired. I want to rest and play like what I have read in the book that mom left for us." I sighed in pity. How can I handle him? I'm just a sixteen-year-old girl living in our parent's house with two little kids to raise.

I wish they're still here. They were good people who will always give us care and love. Though I feel like I'm not shining in their eyes I just pretend that they're proud of me.

Edward is my adopted brother but I feel very close to him like we're really blood related. One night in July, the temperature is just fine, I was telling my parents about my training when we heard a knock on the door. We kept still where we are while looking at the door.

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