She had told me, that I was barely a month old when I was put up for adoption. Wrapped in an old towel that barely did its job at keeping me alive in the harsh winter night.

She had said while looking right into my eyes, that I was a abomination, a curse that my 'mother' would rather live without. Her words were bland and tasteless, not even a hint of disgust escaped her repulsive mask.

Lies. That was what I thought when I stared at the old battleaxe that I called grandmother from the back window of the posh car. I was finally adopted. Smiling in triumph, I looked at her in the eyes and mouthed, 'Die'.

I won, and she lost. 

I would have a new family, a new life, and most importantly--love. And she, would be stuck in that hell of a cage forever. 

I will show her, what a fool she was.

All the children in the orphanage disliked me. They hated me for not suffering the terrorizing nights of bad dreams, as I never experienced the agony of watching death. They detest me for having a heart that is whole, unclaimed by the loss of their loved ones.

But I did not care. 'Hate' was the word to describe it. I despised them, for the sneers of disgust when they walked passed me. For knowing that there would be someone, praying for them, somewhere. I loathed them, them who had a heart at least, for mine was never there i the first place.

I wanted a change. I wanted a friend, someone that cares for me, but no one seemed to understand me.

Nadia.

That was the name my adoptive parents gave me. It means hope. 

 I finally found it, the sense of belonging was comfortably overwhleming.

My saviours gave me food I had never ate before. Clothes that I once could only dream but not have.  And a family that I never had.

It was a fresh start for me.

Just as I though my life couldn't get any better, my parents introduced me to another member of the family. 

"Nadia, come meet your sister. She's the same age as you." I stared at her.

She was sick. That was what my parents told me. Nothing more. However, when i see black spots emerging from every inch on her body and her piercing scream, it is obvious that it is not just an incurable disease. It is hell on Earth. Numerous scientists have requested to examine her, to learn more about the disease and perhaps find a cure for it. My parents let them. We were in need of money after all, but I could sense that they were getting tired of it. 

Me and my sister had a special bond, so strong that I thought we were created for each other, so strong that I forgot we weren't related by blood at all. I was her defender, her protector when she was being bullied in school, her nurse when her illness came, her listener when she needed to vent her frustrations. And she was my world. 

There is this rumor going around the village. It is a rumor that started ages ago, but people continued to gossip about that topic. It was that there was a creature in the village that practised a very powerful form of magic. It could grant your biggest wishes, all your wants, if you are willing to give up something, to reward it for its efforts. Some people claimed it to be powerful, while some people just disagree. When i first heard of it, I thought it was ridiculous. I believed in facts and theory and not just gossip with no evidence. That is the kind of person I am.

A year ago, my parents started to feed me with more nutritious food as they informedme that I had to grow into a big and strong woman in the furture to protect my sister, and that it was my duty to do such thing. they gave me a separate, bigger room to myself. i knew that they loved my sister more, but I was not bothered by it. Now, that they treated me so well, I started to even think that I might occupy a bigger space, bigger than my sister's, in their hearts. Sometimes, they looked at me with a sad look on their faces. Sometimes they would mumble incessant sorries and 'we do not mean it', but I Have not figured out the reason why yet. 

Then, this morning, I woke up and my parents told me to hurry up and wear my most beautiful dress. This was very strange, adding to the fact that they gave me a grand meal for nothing last night. When I was ready, we took off and rose towards the town centre. We rode past the cabbage stand, the blacksmiths and halted in front of a large mahogany door with the carvings of some words in gold paint. 

'For what I will reward you, 

my reward should be given first.

For what you request,

I request my wishes to be fulfilled first.'

My parents pushed me to open the door and enter the room behind it. After stepping into darkness, I saw a candle light up mysteriously. Footsteps were heard and i swung my head towards the source. Travelling down that staircase was a figure wearing a black cloak covering its face. It glided towards me and it was clear that there was apparently nothing found to be wearing the cloak. In fact, all I couold see was the hollow emptiness inside it. The creature fasinated me, it made me curious about what it was. Before I could ponder any further, my parents spoke up.

"She is here," they said in unison.

"Yes, I understand," a quiet voice was heard. Not from the figure, but from the four wall surrounding us. 

Then, I realised that I was not loved by my parents but was seen as a way to let their daughter recover from her illness. I realised that they had planned it all along, that I was indeed created for her, and that we were not created for each other. In fact, my sole duty was to be my sister's protector.

I am my parent's sacrifice.