Amara

Chapter 3 - Foster Care

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"It's not the load that weighs you down, it's the way you carry it."

– C.S. Lewis

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Amara's POV: Trigger Warning! mention of violence.

We make our way up the crooked stairs and turn the corner into my bedroom. I try to reach for the doorknob, but I'm pulled back by the handcuffs connecting me and Office Hatfield. That's his name by the way. I mean I prefer Officer Buff, but each to their own. "Can I get my stuff please?" I ask slightly timid.

He says nothing in return but leans over to his back pocket to get the key. He then puts the key in the lock, and finally, I'm free. "Go on then, get all your stuff, I'll stay out here," he says to me.

I just ran away and he's choosing to trust me? Wow.

I walk into my room, thankful that he didn't follow me. If he saw what my room was like he would suspect something. I don't need this life to follow me to wherever I'm going next. I go into a couple of the drawers to get all of the clothes that I have. It's not much, but it's enough. A couple of pairs of pants and a few tops. After packing a few other things, I reach to the underside of one of the loose floorboards. And I pull out a small ring. It's a heavy gold signet ring that my mom gave me.

Well, she didn't exactly give it to me. More like she used to cry at night holding this ring close to her chest. I remember when I was younger, I would sit outside her room listening to her. I never knew what to do, so I just stayed there. And then one day she got so drunk she threw it in a fire outside. What she didn't know was that it missed the fire, and fell to the other side. So, I picked it up and kept it.

At the top of it, there is a large letter 'A' in cursive. It's way too big for me to wear, that's why I keep it under here. I always wanted to wear it around my neck on a chain, but I never had the money to buy a chain, so that's where I keep it under here.

I put the ring in my pocket, and make my way to the door. Leaving my old life behind...Hopefully.

I'm now sitting in the back of his police car. Waiting for Dumb and Dumber to decide if they will both ride in the cop car or if Chrissy is going to go in her car. Eventually, they decide that it's best if Miss Smiles just follows us to the station. Now, this morning, the last thing I thought would happen is this. But what can you do? Life, ya know. It gets to you most when you're not looking.

After a literal year. We are finally on our way to see Buff's friends. And I'm shitting myself. The last time I was in a police station was last year. I got caught trying to steal three cans of soup from a store down the road. Of course, the owner of the shop lied. Saying I was trying to steal other things. What a lovely old man. Luke got so angry at me that day. I turn cold just at the thought of it. My hand reaches to my thigh, it's like I can feel the pain again.

Most people probably wonder why I don't tell someone about what goes on at home. Well, the first reason I don't is because it's embarrassing. I don't want people to look down on me, and come to tears over my story. Wondering how I put up with it for so long. It's my business, no one else's. And the second is if they would believe me. Luke is well-known around here. Most people like him.

So I don't think anyone would believe me if I came out saying that the man hit me over a glass of spilt milk. That's not a joke by the way. I spilt a glass of milk on the floor once. The man was so drunk he slapped me right across the face. It's best if I just keep my mouth shut. Not that they'll ask, but just in case they do. I'm a closed book.

We arrive at the station. And Officer Hatfield walks me up the stairs. After making it into the building he tells me to sit down on a bench by the offices. A couple of minutes passed and now they are running my prints into the system. Imagine their faces when my pretty little face pops up on their computers. "So, you're already on the system. Didn't wanna mention that on the way over here?" He says leaning over his desk to glare at me.

"Hey, I might have a concussion after you shoved my face into the road. My apologies if I'm struggling with my memory" I say slightly under my breath.

"Right, we are going to run your details through the system. See if you have any living relatives that will take you in. But for now Miss Travis is going to take you to the group home".

I would tell him there's no point, and that I have no other relatives. But the guy pissed me off, so now he can go waste a couple of hours tracking down relatives that I don't have. "Okay," I say.

"You better not run anyway again kid. Cause I'll catch you like I did last time. Okay?" He says in a warning tone. "Yes, Sir" I'm too tired now to be sarcastic. The day finally catching up to me.

"Come on, let's get you out of here," he says.

Four hours have passed and I'm now sitting in my "new room". How fun! Not. The room is a little bigger than the one at home, but the same dirty coloured walls are lining it. The bed is nice enough, and the wardrobe is weirdly big, so I only take up about 5 per cent of the space.

My phone died when I left the police station, and me being me, I left my charger back in the showbox. I've only just got here so I don't feel confident enough to ask someone if I can borrow there's. I could read a book, but I'm not really in the mood. Mainly because the only two books that I have are romance novels. And I'm not really in the mood to read that.

As I'm looking around my room, I hear a rustle outside the door. But when I go to open it a girl and her posy, all who live here, have beat me to it. "Can I help you?" I ask.

"Yeah actually," the girl in the middle says, pushing through the door frame. Okay, come in why don't you?

She's a little taller than me, her dark blonde hair is flowing down past her shoulders. Her right hip is popped out to the side. "So you're new?" she questions in a high-pitched tone.

"Yeah," I say confused.

"How long are you staying for?" she continues.

"Ummm... I don't know. Look can you get out of my room, I'm really tired. And I don't need this right now" I tell her honestly, the girl already annoying me more.

"Aww. Have you had a long day?" she asks me in a mockingly caring voice.

"Yes actually, now please leave" My patience is wearing thin.

"What?" she shrieks.

"Please leave my room" I hate this. I hate having to be intimidating. I'm scared that I'll sound like him. I don't wanna sound like him.

"Hey, this was my room before you moved your ass in here. The quicker you're gone, the quicker I get my room back" The girl's voice is now capable of breaking glass.

"Whatever" I push past her. Making the way to my bed.

"Don't push me! How'd you end up here anyway? Mommy give you up? Daddy got sick of ya?" The group all let out a communal chuckle. The middle girl smirks and turns around to leave the room. Before I could even think I was off my bed, kicking the back of her legs, making them buckle, leading to her falling to the floor. I grab the back of her neck. Getting close to her ear. "Listen, I'm not planning on staying here long. But I swear to God. If you try to hurt or threaten me, I will kill you myself. Understand?"

Her fast nod quickly follows the end of my sentence. And after a swift shove, she and her minions are out of my room. I hate it here. It's making me turn into him. And I hate him.

I slam the door shut behind the goons, walking back over to the bed. I lean under the bed and grab my small backpack. I pull out the large gold signet ring and hold it in my small hands. I don't know why I feel so attached to this object. My mom probably stole it from some random rich guy. I let the thought slip out of my mind as I turned the object in my hand.

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Hope you enjoy the edit of this chapter. 

Keep enjoying people. It's just about to get going.

- Piranesi