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In the large room designated for the girls in the orphanage, whispers and the rustling of blankets filled the air. Dozens of beds were lined up along both sides, a dim yellow light hanging from the crumbling ceiling, and cracked walls telling old stories.
On the last bed beside the window sat Linda and Rosie, the oldest among the girls. Their faces were drowned in worry over what had happened to Elias.
The soft sound of rain against the glass brought back to their minds a painful memory…
Flashback – Three Years Ago
The orphanage courtyard had been filled with visitors, men and women in elegant clothes who had come "to see the children." The headmistress, with a fake smile, was holding little Linda's hand in front of the crowd, as if she were a loving mother.
But as soon as the guests dispersed, the smile vanished, and her face turned into a mask of anger. She grabbed a long stick and ordered the children to stand in a line.
She stepped toward Linda, who had accidentally broken a vase that morning, and beat her in front of everyone harsh blows that made her small body tremble. Rosie stood helplessly at the time, trying to scream, but the headmistress turned to her and said coldly:
"Whoever speaks… will get their share."
In that moment, they realized that kindness in the orphanage was nothing but a temporary mask, and that punishment could be harsher than hunger itself.
End of Flashback...
They returned to the present, their eyes still fixed on the image of Elias in their minds as he was dragged away moments ago like a criminal in front of them.
---
The following morning, the four friends gathered in an isolated corner behind the orphanage yard, away from the other children's eyes.
Linda stepped forward toward Elias, her eyes filled with worry:
– "Are you okay… because of what happened yesterday?"
He answered with a faint smile:
– "It's nothing… it was just a small punishment."
But William, who was sitting on an old stone, cut him off sharply:
– "Stop lying. You took the punishment for all of us, and you know it wasn't easy."
Elias sighed and looked down at the ground:
– "It's fine… I only have two months left and I'll leave this hell. As for you, you still have a long time ahead, and I don't want the headmistress to hold a grudge against you."
Then he raised his head to the sky and sighed loudly:
– "When I get out of here… I'll live on my own. I'll find a job and continue my studies at the university."
William smiled a real smile this time:
– "And I'll follow you."
Linda suddenly jumped and placed her hands on their shoulders:
– "No, guys! You promised me we would always live together… no one leaves the other!"
Rosie, with her usual smile, nodded:
– "Of course, we're family."
William lifted his gaze to the gray sky and said:
– "We'll be happy then… far away from this place."
---
In the evening, the children were playing with a flying disc, and laughter filled the yard. William threw the disc far from everyone, and Linda ran lightly to catch it. As she passed by an old staircase covered in dust, she didn't notice its broken steps. Her left foot slipped, and she fell, rolling in circles until she reached the bottom.
She stood up holding her head, dizziness unsettling her steps… then she noticed that an iron door located beneath the stairs was slightly open. Her curiosity overcame her pain, so she pushed it slowly and entered.
In front of her stretched a long and strangely beautiful corridor, illuminated by golden chandeliers, its walls decorated with old oil paintings, and its floor made of pure marble. It seemed like another world… completely unrelated to the miserable orphanage above it.
She took hesitant steps, looking right and left at the elegant closed doors before her.
"Why is there a place this beautiful here… while we live in filth above it?" she whispered to herself.
As she continued exploring, she suddenly stopped when she heard voices approaching. She hid behind a marble pillar, breathing with difficulty.
A man's voice:
– "I want to adopt more than one child… and I want them to be teenagers, not children..."
The headmistress's voice:
– "You know that this is forbidden, sir."
The man:
– "And what about this money?"
The headmistress fell silent, then laughed slyly:
– "Well… I'm pleased that there is a generous and kind man like you… I will tell you this only… you can adopt more than one child…."
Then she heard the sound of papers rustling, and the headmistress continued:
– "This is the picture of the oldest child… his name is Elias. And these are the pictures of William, the second child. As for these two, they are Rosie and Linda. They are the oldest in the orphanage."
The man:
– "Hmm… good. I'd be happy to take them all… I'll make them like my own children."
The headmistress:
– "That's wonderful, sir… we will prepare the adoption papers immediately."
Linda placed her hand over her mouth; her heart was pounding hard. She stepped away quickly, but the corridor was long and complicated. So she decided to hide behind another marble pillar…
Luckily, they did not turn around as they left…
She returned to the yard to find her friends searching for her anxiously.
She ran toward them, a strange smile on her face:
– "There's a wealthy man… he wants to adopt all of us! I heard the headmistress talking to him."
They exchanged astonished looks.
William asked her:
– "How did you know?"
So she told them everything she had seen and heard.
But Elias frowned and said sharply:
– "Adopt us? No. They're mocking us. Who adopts teenagers our age? This isn't adoption… maybe he wants us for work or for something worse."
William nodded in agreement:
– "What he's saying makes sense."
But Linda tried to convince them, her eyes sparkling with hope:
– "We'll finally live under one roof… we won't be separated!"
Rosie raised an eyebrow and said:
– "Strange… usually, they adopt only one child, not four. I feel like there's a trick behind this."
Elias cut them off:
– "Trick or not… I don't want anyone tying me down. In two months, I'll be free. I refused every family that tried to adopt me, and I won't change my mind."
Rosie and William stood by his side, except for Linda, who was still trying to plant hope in them… but the atmosphere had grown heavy, and doubt began to creep into all their hearts.
---