The Orphan Whore

Chapter 8

Chapter 8: 11 Years Ago: Liz

Liz sat in the back seat of her parent's van, turning the pages of a book much to fast for her to actually be reading them. Her parents were sitting up front, her mother flipping through a magazine and her father driving quickly. It wa Liz's 6th birthday and she was going to visit her cousins. She loved her cousins and Uncle Jeff and Aunt Patti. Livy, Teddi and Rosemary were three of her best friends and they always played dress up games. They would pretend to be living in the past or that they were witches. She just loved their house. It was older than her parents penthouse and closer to nature then where she lived. The city made her feel trapped, but out in the country she felt alive! She had made a secret aggreement whit ther cousins that when she was older she would come live out there with them.

"Mommy, are we almost there?" she asked her mom, throwing her book beside her. She heard her mother sigh a little before she answered. "Yes Lizzie. Maybe 20 minuetes or so." Liz nodded and began humming a song from a movie she had watched the other day. It had been sad and a little creepy. It was abouta girl who had been forced from her beautiful palace by an evil guy who wanted to control Russia and she got seperated from her family and then some really cool dude brought them together and they lived happily ever after! "Mom, what was the name of that movie?" she asked. "Anistasia" her mother replied wearaly. She saw her father take a hand off the steering wheel to hold one of her mother's hands. Liz smiled contently as she sang a bit of the song.

"Dancing bears.....painted wings....things I almost rememeber...and a song....someone sings.....once upon a December" she sang quietly, yet clearly. Her parents, music teacher and friends always thought she had a beautiful voice for someone so young. Her parents always told her she was smart and beautiful and talented. But they hadn't been exactly the same ever since Liz had seen that doctor. He had made her talk to him about how she felt and if she felt fine and stuff like that. After a couple weeks, she stopped seeing him. That had been fine with her. It seemed the more she went, the more distant her parents got from her. Lately they had been very secretive. It had been a big suprise for her to hear that they were going to see her cousins for her birthday. Usually they only saw each other on holidays.

Then they were someplace Liz had never seen before. "Dad, I think you made a wrong turn! This isn't where they live!" she exclaimed, looking out the windows to....more city. "No, this is just a..different way to get there honey" he said. She didn't believe this. It didn't seem right. There weren't any trees or farms or cows anywhere for them to be near her cousin's house. "Dad, no. You took a wrong turn" she told her father confidently. He turned around quickly to face her, anger on his face. "Elizabeth! Be quiet!" he said loudly and angerily. He turned back around just a quickly and rsumed driving. She glared at the back of his seat. Then they pulled into the driveway of a stone building that looked battered and old. The Words over the door, painted in black, read "Watercrest Home for Children". Her parents got out of the car and her mother went to open Lizzie's door. She unbuckled hesitantly, but climbed out of the car. She looked around with distaste. "Mom, why are we-" she got cut off by her father grabbing her arm and pulling her up to the front door.

She stood in shock as her father knocked on the door. She noticed in his other hand was her pink backback that she had packed her clothes in earlier this morning. She was about to ask her dad what was going on when the door opened to show an attractive young man, maybe in his 30's. He was tall and well built, with a few traces of grey in his brown hair. He smiled at them. "Mr. and Mrs. Robertson? And this must be your daughter, Liz?" he aked, examining her. Her father nodded. The man stepped back to let them in. Liz's mother led her to a worn out couch and sat her there. "Sit still and don't go wandering off" her mother said. and then went into a room on the side of the hall with Mr.Robertson and the other man. She sat there, but not very still. She couldn't help but fidget. Then she heard someone walking down the steps. She looked up and saw a boy her age walking down. He sat next to her. "Who are you?" he asked. "Liz. Who are you?" she replied. "Tyler. Are you gonna live here too?" he asked. Liz frowned. "No! I'm leaving soon. I don't know why I'm here, but I'm supposed to be going to see my cousins Livy, Teddi and Rosemary" she said loudly. He looked at her a little sadly. "Did your parents tell you that?" he asked. She nodded. He sighed. "Parents lie Liz" he said quietly as her parents and the man came out of the room. Her mother crouched down to look Lizzie in the eye, then hugged her and kissed her on the cheek. "We love you Lizzie honey...but this is for the best" she whispered and turned away from Liz. Her father then hugged her and kissed her forehead. "Mr. Vision will take care of you now Elizabeth. Be good sweetie" he said and turned to leave with her mother. Then Liz understood. She jumped up to run to her parents as they handed the man Vision her backpack. "MOMMMY! DADDY! NO!" she screamed as Mr. Vision caught her above the waist. She fell to a sobbing heap on the floor as her parents walked away from her.

Tyler walked up to her and watched for a moment then pulled her up from the ground and set her up against the wall. "Liz....you and me can be family now. My parents left me too. We can be friends and family now" he said and squeezed her hand. Liz simply sat in silence, limp and lifeless against the wall.

And the sad and beautiful song about the forgotten life came back to her.