Girl in the Gang

Part 1: Prologue

As soon as sound of someone knocking on the door echoed through our living room, my mom looked scared. We were sitting on the couch while mom was telling me a story about her youth. That is what she did often since I was very small. It was late afternoon and I just came home from school.

'I'll... I'll be be back in a moment. Just stay here, sweety,' she told me. She stood up and walked towards the hallway. I could keep up my curiosity, so I quietly followed her. Standing at my toes, I looked through the ajar. Two men dressed in police uniform and a script facial expression stood in front of my mom - who looked startled and backed away immediately. The two agents grabbed her arms roughly and handcuffed her. I was baffled and a bit frightened. Were they arresting my mom? 

I opened the door further. 'Mommy!' I screamed anxiously and I ran towards her. I put my arms around her middle and held her tight. To avoid crying, I squinted and I fully ignored the policemen.

'Don't go,' I wailed. Two strong hands held me and took me away from my mom. I yelled and offered resistance, but it didn't work. The other policeagent pulled my mom away from me.

'Mom!' I shouted even harder than before. I focussed on the policeman holding me.  'Let me go!'

'It's okay, sweety. Don't worry,' my mom said. She sounded scared and her eyes filled with tears. Slowly she disappeared from my sight.

They took me to an old orphanage. It was a high, worn building with long windows. It looked like a haunted house, so no wonder I was scared. I came in and looked around afraid. Some kids walked by. They looked skinny and wore old clothes. Their hair were unkempt and some of them had deep scars on their faces, arms or legs. The supervisors introduced themself friendly but they seemed very strict to me. With trembling legs I followed one of them towards my room and heard the door being locked as soon as I entered. There where five other girls in the room - which was five by five meters and mostly taken by the bunk beds. They stared at me curiously. I noticed the small, dusty mirror on the wall and saw myself. Lightbrown, small eyes who - ofcourse - looked afraid and sunken cheeks. My lips were full but still cracked because they were so dry. I looked vulnerable. Vulnerable and alone.