Kayla

Chapter 5

I always wondered what it was like for the homeless people to live on the streets.

I mean, it should be easy, right? They have no rules to follow, they don't get yelled at, and they can finally be free.

It was raining really hard and I was just smiling. I grew to love the rain, it was calming.

I was all the way across the small town, I think. I don't go walking that much, Mrs. Ian would never let me.

Stupid Mrs. Ian and all her yelling. I just can't do anything right. Of course I can do everything right. She's just mean.

At the end of the misty street was a short, kind of stocky and overweight woman. She became clear now; she looked concerned and rushed over to me with two big brown grocery bags in her hands.

"Sweetie, are you lost?" Her eyebrows were raised in confusion and concern. "Where are your parents?"

"I'm not lost." I ignored her second question. She was blocking the rest of the sidewalk through the town.

"Honey, it's so chilly out here and you're so young. It's getting real late. It's not safe out here," she told me and looked worried.

"Okay." I told her.

"Here, come with me darling. Let's get to my car and I'll drive you to my home, I'll call to try and find your parents okay?" The woman asked me and I just shrugged and nodded. I followed her to her car, and we drove to her house. It seemed pretty far from here.

"May I ask your name?" The lady asked me.

"I don't tell strangers about me," I answered her honestly. At least that's one thing I've learned from Mrs. Ian. Stupid Mrs. Ian.

"Oh honey, I just need to know your name, so I'm not calling you all these nicknames." She laughed as she gripped the large steering wheel. I was sitting in the back and this car was still cold.

"Kayla." I said quietly.

"Oh, that's a pretty name. You can call me Jane," she turned slightly and smiled at me. I just looked out the window. The rain really started to pick up after we got in the car.

"How long have you been walking around out here?" Jane asked.

"I don't tell strangers about me," I answered and the woman was silent. Finally she shut up.

"I'm sorry, swe–Kayla, I was just wondering." She replied and the rest of the car ride went by quietly.

We got in the house and it was really small. It was small and the outside of her house wasn't pretty. The grass in her yard was dead and it looked like she had flowers, but they were all dead and soggy from the rain. But when we got in her house, it was really pretty. It was small but decorated nicely and it looked like no one else lived here. I sat down on the couch and the woman set her grocery bags on the coffee table.

"Well, I can turn the television on for you. You can watch some cartoons or something. I'll call the police for you." The woman hung up her jacket and I got up quickly.

"No." I replied.

"No?" she answered, raising an eyebrow.

"No cops." I said sternly.

"Why not? You don't want anybody finding you so you can go home?" She asked, a hand on her hip.

"No. I'm good," I said, and turned around to watch the television box.

"Well that's odd Kayla. Don't you wanna get home to your mom and dad? They're probably worried sick about you." She walked into her small kitchen and unloaded the two big bags of groceries.

I just didn't answer. I am not going back to that house. Plus, I was going to be put back in an orphanage. Why would I want to go back there?

What if they found the letter I left them? I hope they did. I don't regret anything. Why would I?

And who cares if I miss any more school? Why would anyone worry if I return there? I would just get bullied again and again.

"Alright." The woman sighed. "I'll let you stay the night here. I know there is gonna be a 'missing child' report all around, but as soon as someone asks me if I've seen you, I am going to tell them the truth."

"Why?" I asked her.

"Because I don't lie. I've done a lot of wrong in my life, especially as a young lady like you. Now I'm trying to do good, so I'm gonna do the right thing and make sure you get home," she said sternly and sat beside me on the couch.

"Of course, the real right thing to do would be to turn you in now, so you can get home. But you seem to not want to go home, why?" She asked me.

"I don't want to." I replied.

"You're not a talker, are you?" She laughed.

"No." I said and she left me alone for a while to finish watching my cartoons. She was just cleaning around and stuff.

The next morning I woke up in the woman's bed. She let me have her bed and she slept on the couch. I walked down the stairs and the lady looked horrified, she had the news channel on.

"Again, please be on the lookout for this girl. She is about ten years old, height of 4'11, she has pale skin and short brown hair and blue eyes. She was spotted last at an intersection between Greg's Corner Store and the car-wash. We have reason to believe this little girl might be seriously dangerous, as her foster brother was mysteriously murdered days before she left, and the murder weapon was found in her bedroom after she disappeared."

"So, if anyone sees this little girl, again, named Kayla Parker, please report her to the police."

The woman shut off the television box and stood up, horrified.

"You.." she tried to search for the words. "That's why you didn't want to go home.. you!" She walked over to the telephone hanging on the wall and I lunged behind her, grabbing the telephone cord and wrapping it around her neck tightly.