When He Sees Me

fraid. I c

e lay stiff in bed. Only, it wasn't ants but a creeping sense of anxiety. Her hea

or something,' she grumbled in her thoughts. B

," she mumbled to herself. "Just t

ater than the other girls in her dorm, carefully planning her escape. Even so, he

arms. Inside, it held everything she had in the world-a few clothe

e whispered. "Just a few more

otsteps growing distant. Then, finally, a door creaked shut, and silence settled over t

ght air, thick with the scent of damp earth and leaves. The other girls were all still sleeping deeply, thei

. Without her, who else w

miss me," she to

making no sound on the cold wooden floor. The old hinges groaned

e thought, even as

trict rules after the board's last inspection. Warm meals had turned to watery soup, and th

straw had come

Just like that, gone. Sylvia had always known adoption was the goal, the dream eve

two oldest girls in the orphanage, turned on her. They had always been cruel in passing, throwing sharp w

breakfast and laughing when she had to clean up the mess. Then it got worse-whispers b

attention, dismissing her complaints as childish bickering. And then Sis

h such poor behavior?" the nun had sa

scream. That was the moment she knew she wasn't going to wait around, hopi

p was far, and the ground below glistened with mud from th

She scrambled to her feet, the sack pressed to her chest, and ran. The gate w

lvi

ough the darknes

gap in the gate, the metal scraping her arms. The cold air stung her lung

ee

•

chest. The rain had stopped, but her clothes were soaked, clinging to her t

gger than she imagined, louder too. Every sound made her jump-the rumble of a

, for the first time in he

ss the street, a vendor was setting up a small stall, arranging loa

Slowly, she inched closer, her gaze fixed on the vendo

ey

t her age stepped out from the shadows. He was scrawny, his clothes

at stealing," h

hed her fist

ng up his hands. "You l

trust him, but her hunger won out. She follow

. "Watch this," he whispered, slipping a pot

eyed, as he handed it

ook he

r, catching it with a smirk. "You'll starve out

ride warring with her hun

said. "I'm Dan

ll stash of food Danny had helped her gather. She had no idea whe

ive. No matter