Avarice

6.

Days begin to pass slowly and Ana tries to find solace in her monotonous routine.

She wakes up at the crack of dawn to help with breakfast, goes to school, then the local library for her part-time job, returns home, helps Ms. Jennie with any pending tasks around the orphanage, sleeps, and then repeats.

Tries to forget the incident with the two women.

It is easier said than done, of course.

For, her trip to New York has left certain marks on her, not the kind seen by eyes, but those which Ana feels the sting of in her soul each time she wakes up from a nightmare—

Of two women with sneers on their painted lips as one of them drawls

Whore

'I'm not...' she cries, unable to even say the word out loud.

The two women laugh, their voices like chalk being dragged against a board, and Ana shuts her eyes, wanting the nightmare to end.

But it only changes.

Now she stands in a small kitchen, and a man is looming down at her, at five-year-old Ana, his eyes red-rimmed, cans of beer strewn across the table as he hurls a glass in her direction, screaming loudly, "Where is my food, you ungrateful bitch?"

Ana wakes up with a gasp, her heart racing, and covered in sweat.

She drinks some water with trembling hands before tucking herself beneath the blankets.

There's nothing in the dark but herself, no cruel women and no childhood monsters, no traces of scaldingly unfamiliar yet familiar touch, nothing but her own comfort.

She is alone.

Always, alone.

(or so she thinks)

~~~~

"Psst!"

"Ana!"

The nearly eighteen-year-old startles, blinking in confusion at the hushed whisper of her name.

Setting down the small shovel that she had been using all morning to pull the weeds out from Ms. Martha's prized garden, she turns her head side to side in search of the voice until she finds two pairs of eyes staring unblinkingly at her from behind a large tree trunk.

"What are you two—"

"Sshh!"

Ana rolls her eyes, brushing her hair back with grimy fingers and smearing some mud on her forehead in the process, a smile threatening to tug at her lips at the sight of the two six-year-olds beckoning her closer to them from behind the tree trunk.

"Playing hide and seek, are we?" She snorts, crawling closer to the duo. "You're both supposed to be in your lessons right now. Ms. Martha will be angry if she catches you two skipping them."

Noah and Lily pout at her.

"She is always shouting at me anyways," Noah whines with Lily nodding along. "Don't make noise, Noah! No playtime, Noah! No sweets, Noah! Ughhhh!!!" He says in his best imitation of the Head Matron's voice.

Ana smiles teasingly at the boy, tugging his ear softly. "Is that why you are skipping your lesson? To complain about Ms. Martha?"

"No!" He pouts, shuffling his feet in embarrassment until Lily elbows him.  "We... ugh.. wanted to give you a... gift," he tells her, cheeks turning a little red as he moves his hand from behind his back and offers her a crudely twisted bunch of flowers.