A year passed. Len turned eleven.
Each night, after prayers and the orphanage routines, she watched everyone with her broken glass red eyes, that will make you bleed upon her gaze. Noted guard shifts. Memorized every weakness.
>"Tonight, at last" she took a light cold breath, "was the night I will go outside those sharp stony cage that took away the people I care about. And I will find you Reusin, my dear friend"
.... .
The announcement came: curfew. Kaida turned off her device, curled under her blanket. Len layed still, counting the seconds until the building hushed.
Slowly, she rose. Pulled on her jacket, mask, and backpack: books, scarf and a prayer mat for praying, food, and the only thing that kept her sane in this place, the Quran. (*Quran is the holy book of the islamic religion) She moved like a shadow, stepping into darknes.
.... .
In the garden, Teacher Anix waited, pale and nervous.
> "Len… you promise you won't tell? I could lose everything…"
Len looked at him, voice steady:
> "You don't need my promise to keep your secret, teacher. You've always truly cared for us. That's why you're one of my favorites."
she said a beautiful caring lie, she kept him because he is useful and easily manipulated but what he did was unforgivable. Using and abusing children, and know she will make sure he paid every sin. She intend to use his dirty light starlight and broke him and bring him down, like a fallen star, what a beautiful word that lingers on the tip of her lips.
He nodded, guilt clouding his eyes. Then he used his old hacker skills to unlock the supply gate. The doors creaked open — freedom smelled like earth and rain.
Len whispered thanks, her eyes was scaringly calm, then slipped outside.
.... .
She ran through wet grass, breath sharp in her chest, the weather was cold, but the air was fresh. She ran a long way until the wall appeared: tall, ancient stone crowned with vines that had grown on it due to how old it is. It had cracks and pumps, also sharp pointy edges that would cut wood. Twenty feet of rough history standing between her and the unknown.
She pressed her hand to the cold stone. Closed her eyes.
"Please," she prayed softly, with rage and will in her heart "let me see the world beyond."
.... .
She climbed. Hands scraped raw, arms trembling. Halfway up, her foot slipped; loose stones clattered into darkness. Her heart stopped, then pounded so loud it hurt.
She thought of the ring. The necklace. Reusin's crooked smile, Caroline's laughter. Every prayer whispered into her pillow. Every promise an adult broke until her little heart cracked. Rage simmered beneath her skin, hot enough to keep her moving.
With burning lungs and shaking limbs, she pulled herself higher, eyes fixed on the stars above, a promise that one day, she would drag them down to her. At last, she reached the top. The world beyond lay quiet, endless, silvered in moonlight.
She swung a leg over, climbed down three fourth of the other side of the wall then dropped down on the ground. Her knees buckled, dirt biting into skin, but she stood.
Len touched the ring and the charms that was in her necklace on her chest, swallowed that weird weighted yet existing feeling, and stepped forward.
The orphanage shrank behind her; ahead lay darkness, freedom, and tomorrow.
She walked on, the night coolness surrounds her shoulders, heart beating not with fear, but with will and hope.