The orphanage seemed more like a pet shop for the giant families to get human kids rather than a place for adoptions. The owner of the orphanage never cared about the humans that were here, he was only here for his pay check. All of the children were in a family room, playing and interacting with each other while the roof above was made of glass so that the giant families could look down and choose the child that they wanted to take home. I have only been here for a few days but I knew how this system was going to work. The giants only wanted the small, friendly, adorable little kids and not the older shy kids like me. I wasn't that old but I wasn't the adorable five year old's either.
I sat in the corner of the room watching the little kids play and then I looked up through the ceiling and saw that we had a lot of giant families here today. I saw one woman staring at me with sad eyes and there was a teenage boy standing next to her with the same look of sadness in his eyes for me. I saw her lean over to say something to one of the workers and then both the boy and the woman disappeared from my sight through the ceiling. Just what I thought, a brief moment of pity and then they move along. That's always what I got from these giants, especially once they were told about my fear of giants so I knew that I was going to be a hopeless adoption case.
However the human door to the room opened up and one of the older human workers walked in and came over to my corner.
"Hi there Hannah." She said smiling.
"Hi Miss Laura." I said resting my chin on my knees. She has been the nicest to me since I got here.
"You need to come with me Hannah. There is a family who wants to adopt you." She said kindly.
"You mean they want to talk to me for a minute and then send me back." I said.
"Hun, I'm sure they are going to love you. Just like I do." She smiled and took my hand.
"Wait miss Laura!" I yelled has she lightly pulled on my hand.
"What's wrong?" She asked worriedly.
"I'm so scared." I admitted. I was terrified of giants and living with them was not something that I think I could handle.
"I know Hun and they know that too. I talked to them and they understand that you're scared but they seem very loving. It's going to be alright." Miss Laura said and I nodded. She then took my hand and led me out of the room and down a long hallway which lead out of the human area of the orphanage and to the giant side. When we got to the end of the hallway my bag was already packed. My one bag of items but it was everything I had.
"Are you ready?" Miss Laura asked.
"Not really." I admitted.
"Just take a deep breath and lets go." She said and then opened the door.
I almost gasped when the woman that I saw before through the glass, was waiting right outside of the door. Her giant face took up my entire field of vision, and that was just her face. Miss Laura tugged on my hand and we walked out onto a giant desk, which I knew was the front desk.
"Hi Hun my name is Linda Clark and this is my son Josh, we wanted to take you home with us today." She said smiling gently.
I just stood there, looking up at the both of them, even though Linda was bending down to be less intimidating she was huge.
"H-hi Mrs. C-Clark." I stuttered out.
"Oh Hun its okay you can call me Linda or whatever you want." She smiled.
"Mom, dad asked when would we be home?" Josh said politely.
"Alright dear, you need to get going. I know you'll be a good girl and you'll be happy." Miss Laura said and she hugged me. I felt the tears brimming my eyes in both sadness and fear but I quickly hid them when Miss Laura pulled back and looked up to Mrs. Clark.
"Please love and respect her. Be careful." Miss Laura said.
"Of course." Mrs. Clark said sincerely.
Miss Laura gave me one last kiss on my head and then turned back through the human door.
"Sweetie, are you all ready?" Mrs. Clark said pulling me out of my thoughts.
"Yes ma'am." I said and grabbed my bag. I walked over to her and she stood at full height. I stumbled backwards out of fear. She was truly huge.
"Oh Hun I'm sorry. Can I pick you up?" She asked bending back down.
"Yes ma'am." I stuttered. Honesty the last thing I wanted was to be picked up by a giant but I knew it needed to be done.
Linda gently scooped my bag and I in her hands. I was shaking in fear and Mrs. Clark could tell.
"Hey I promise everything is going to be alright. No one is going to hurt you. I promise." She lightly cooed.
"Yes ma'am. " I stuttered again.
"Oh dear alright I know you're scared Hun. Let's just get going alright? This will all be easier to process at home." She said and turned to walk out of the orphanage.
The way I was cupped in her hands I couldn't see anything but Mrs. Clark. Has she walked to her car she kept looking down at me worriedly because I'm sure she felt me shaking in her hand.
"It's okay sweetie we will be home soon." She kept saying over and over and then we got to the car.
"Josh, can you open my door and drive home?" Mrs. Clark asked.
"Yeah, here you go." Josh said has he opened the car door and then gently closed it once Mrs. Clark was in the car. I then heard Josh get in and start the car, then we were on the way.
"Your name is Hannah right?" Mrs. Clark asked gently.
"Yes m-ma'am." I stuttered.
"Well before everyone begins asking you a billion questions when we get home is there anything you want to ask me or Josh?" Mrs. Clark was trying to be normal and calm.
"Everyone?" I asked terrified, oh please don't let there be young kids.
"Oh there's no need to be scared sweetie. At home it's just my husband, Josh, and I but down the road we do have a family that we would like you to meet." Mrs Clark said.
"May I ask a question?" Josh asked from the drivers seat.
"Yes sir." I said.
"Oh dear Hannah you don't need to do that. It's okay to be comfortable around us. We're a family now." Mrs Clark smiled.
"Anyways I was wondering how you would feel about our family movie night tonight?" Josh asked.
"Movie night?" I asked.
"We pick a movie every Friday night to watch and I make home made pizza." Mrs. Clark explained.
"It sounds fun." I said trying to sound excited, but really everything was just moving really fast because this was supposed to be my family now.
"Do you have a question Hannah?" Mrs Clark asked.
"Why....never mind I'm sorry Mrs. Clark." I started but then looked down at my feet.
"It's okay darling you can ask." Mrs. Clark persisted.
"Why did you pick me? There were so many other adorable little friendly kids but you picked me. I'm the only kid there with a fear of giants and I'm already eight years old." I could have kept going but I decided to stop so I didn't somehow anger her. But then she gently put one of her fingers underneath my chin and lifted it up so I could look at her.
"Sweetie, you are an amazing little girl and I have to wait until we get home to my husband before I can tell you the whole story but without getting into the story you need to know that I already love you so much and Josh here has been so excited for a sibling even though he is already a cool teenager. You don't need to beat yourself up, we are all here for you." She said.
