Candice

(Year 2011)

I was laying on the pile of blankets I used as my makeshift mattress, looking at the ceiling. It wasn't really something you wold want to look at for very long, but I did anyway. Today was the fourth of January. A thought came to my mind: Yoseob turns 21 tomorrow. How long had it been? Seven years since the accident... He's probably forgotten all about me by now... I thought back to that day... It was a painful memory, that's for sure...

I was just walking back to the house from the park, blowing off some steam from the fight my dad and I had gotten into. It was time for me to apologise. I didn't mean any of the things that I said to him, I really didn't! I was walking up the drive when I was suddenly blown off my feet, a white pain making its way throughout my body. I was thrown into the bushes. Then I heard it: an explosion, then another, followed by a third. My eyes widened, though I had some trouble seeing anything. As my eyesight slowly came back to me, I could see the flames... Covering the house, swallowing everything.

Dad...

That's when I passed out, the painful heat my body, trying to swallow me up as well.

When I woke up, I thought I was dead... But shouldn't there be white? Like a light or something? Instead, everything was a dull gray. There was a dim light overhead, flickering like it was about to go out. I tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through my shoulder. I guess it got hurt from being thrown like that... I heard a cough from the other side of the room.

"So. Awake, already? Hmhmhm," a strange voice snickered. Their laugh reminded me a little bit of a snake.

"Welcome to our orphanage's infirmary. You were close to death, hm? Does it hurt?" I nodded.

"Good. Pain should be experienced as soon as possible, I say. It helps not to get hopes up in the future." What was this person saying? I tried to see them, but the room was so poorly lit, all I could see was a black shape that could have been a person.

"Where am I?" I ventured to ask.

"Your father is dead and you have no other family. Where else would you think?" I noticed how they avoided my question. So I knew this was an orphanage, though it seemed filthy and prison-like. And they avoided the name.

"You belong to me, now," the voice said. "I will tell you our rules and regulations tomorrow. Tonight, you must sleep. Pleasant dreams." The way they said the last part... I wanted to throw up. Like they were expecting me NOT to have a good dream. They were right, of course. Since this night, the nightmares started. I never had any decent sleep since then.

As the weeks went by, I learned that I was to be alone, not talking to the other kids, who stayed holed up in their rooms anyway. I had chores to do to keep me busy. And the most important rule: no mail. We couldn't recieve letters, we couldn't send letters. If anyone tried, they would be punished. I heard rumours that they kill you. I didn't believe that, but there was no paper or postage anywhere, so it would be difficult to try, right?

To help keep myself sane, every night before I slept, I would write an imaginary letter to my dear friend, telling him all about what was happening. Then I would cry myself to sleep, knowing that he would never know... That he probably thought I was dead, or didn't want to write to him anymore, or something like that. And I would cry also because I would never get to tell my dad that I'm sorry.

Years passed, then. I looked forward to my eighteenth birthday, because it meant that I was an adult and could leave this place. When I finally did, though, they wouldn't let me go. Because "I belonged to them now." The words from that first night came back to me. I felt sick. And I was punished for trying to leave. My body was covered in bruises and scars from the lashes and beatings I recieved. They gave me long pants and shirts to wear, so that my mangled body couldn't be seen. I also realized that know one would ask, either. I certainly didn't look like an adult. I had stopped growing a while back, at 4'10" (about 147 cm) and I never really... filled out, if you know what I mean.

I knew what I had to do, then. I had to find a way out.

I sighed, thinking back to that memory. I tried many times to escape this place, each time ending in punishment. The only part of my body that wasn't scarred or bruised what my face and hands. I looked at the ceiling again. I had a new plan; one I hoped would actaully work. I hope I can pull it off.

Author's Note: Hey, guys! Sorry for not updating sooner, but I've been having some trouble thinking straight, lately. I tried several times to write this chapter, each time having to delete it because it didn't make much sense... But I like how this came out, now. :) It's longer that the other chapter, so.... ENJOY!

Thank you so much fanaharmani, DilEMMA6969, and cutiepi2124 for subscribing! :) I hope you can enjoy this new chapter and stay for new chapters (when I can get them out). Please let me know if there's anything I may need to change in the fututre, and how you liked it. Bye! :)