Finding You

Chapter One - Silence

Our story begins at dark. Why? I still don't know.

The orphanage always had that creepy silence at night that sent chills down Eliza's spine. Especially when there was excessive movements producing grating sounds like what she and three others were doing. Eliza was scared, scared that she and Matt would be caught and dragged back to the orphanage. The matron would probably lock them up in that dark pantry room filled with rats.

Even though this was something she and Matt had planned from the first day they met, which was two years ago, Eliza didn't feel ready to leave. There was a little sneeze and Matt stopped.

Eliza saw his face drenched in sweat and that desperate look in his eyes. She quickly pulled out a rag from their tiny bundle of cloths and wiped the child's face. She faced the child and gave him a signal with her finger to her lips. The child trembled and tears threatened to spill but he bit his lip and kept quiet. If the situation wasn't desperate she would have laughed at the face the child was making. But right now they were trying to escape, not exactly a good time for laughter.

Though Eliza had grown up in the orphanage it wasn't home to her. She'd been the matron's pet and it was her saving grace as that was the only reason why she was still alive. Being defiant never ended well in the orphanage. The matron had taught her that and she'd seen and experienced first hand what happened to those who were disobedient. You would be lucky if you only ended up with a punishment. Others had more terrible ends, they were sold. She'd seen those men come and pick the children. Their black teeth, smelly breath and beady eyes that lusted after the little girls and measured the worth of the boys had always left her shivering.

But she was being disobedient now, trying to escape with the last remaining children. There had been a better orphanage set up and the higher ups were planning to transfer the remaining children. At first she was happy, they didn't need to run away anymore. But the conversation she overheard chilled her.

The matron had told the voice on the phone that she had no more kids with her. Translated, it meant that she and the other kids, four in number were about to be sold to clean up the mess left behind.

That was why they were here now trying to escape. If they were caught, it would end terribly and the same end awaited them if they stayed behind and waited to be sold. Eliza bit her lips in resolve and smiled down at the two children whose hands clutched hers tightly.

David and Davida were fartenal twins, just six, they had joined the orphanage six months ago and grew attached to her. They both had very fair skin which compared to her chocolate complexion made her self conscious at times. They also had hazel eyes with specks of gold and green. Matt once swore that they were half-cast. She agreed with him but wondered who their parents were as the two kids were both without surname and we're raised by a kind old couple. But at the death of the couple, none of the relatives wanted them and they were taken to the orphanage.

Matt was the only one who knew his birth parents, he always said that though they were poor they were always happy. Matt was 17 the oldest in their group. He had short black hair styled in the latest galaxy hair style. The bruise on this lip was a sign of the sacrifice he made for his fashion. He was tall, like those basketballers she'd once seen on the TV at the beer parlor close by. He was also fair skinned and this had accounted to her self consciousness.

Finally the last brick was set down gently by Matt who was trying to keep silent. He signaled to her and she let go of David's hand, Matt picked him up and hoisted the bundle over his shoulder. She tied the wrapper she had used to strap Davida to her back more securely and carried a smaller bag that contained all their earnings for the past year.
They both walked out of the hole in the wall and after tiptoeing to the junction of the street that held the orphanage, unnecessary as it was, they ran.

They ran without looking back as though turning back would jinx all their efforts and turn them to salt. Even David who had access to see what was behind their backs closed his eyes.

At that moment when Eliza knew the taste of blood, a strong metallic taste that would continue to haunt her as she bit her lips trying to prevent the scream that was choking her.

Even when she felt the warmth of Davida's silent tears, she didn't slow down but quickened her steps. It was also that night Davida lost her voice.