*re-writing*
18 year old Amarante (Amara) never knew her parents. Amara and her twin brother Petr (Peter) were raised in an orphanage in the port city of Marseille, along the southern coast of France.
Since the age of 10, she began to notice strange...
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Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord, my soul to keep.
If I die before I wake,
I pray the Lord, my soul to take.
Amen.
Amara: Age Ten
As soon as the sisters extinguish the lamps, we were supposed to go to sleep. We were not allowed to get out of bed until the morning. Whispering amongst one another during 'lights out' would earn each of us a flogging. The sisters would monitor the halls, expecting nothing but total silence. Those were the rules, and if you broke the rules, then you would be punished.
I have never known anything different. My twin brother and I were born in the 'Les Bonnes Soeurs Couvent' which in English, translated as The Good Sisters Convent.
Our mother was unmarried and with child when she arrived at the convent, seeking refuge and redemption. Her only crime was that she had fallen in love. Soon after giving birth, she died having suffered a haemorrhage.
She never disclosed the identity of our father, so we were placed into the care of the 'Enfants du Seigneur orphelinat' which in English, translated as The Children Of The Lord Orphanage in the port city of Marseille, which was situated on the southern coast of France.
Boys and girls were usually divided and housed in segregation, but Petr was different from the other children. My brother was born deaf and only I could communicate with him. It wasn't a recognised sign language of any sort, just one that we developed between ourselves. It was also the reason why Petr was still here with me. Nobody wanted the burden of a deaf child. And for once, we were glad.
Our greatest fear was that we would be separated at some point and that I would be left here all alone. We promised that if it happened, we would find each other again one day.
We both promised.
Boys tended not to stay with us for long. They were considered useful and would be placed straight up for adoption. Girls were considered a burden and a financial strain. We were not deemed worthy of an education. Instead, we were taught to cook and clean, learn our place in society, and hope to marry well.
