Home Is Where The Heart Is

~Chapter One

~Isabella's POV~

How long have we been here? The thought wandered in and out of my mind. I knew the answer to it. I knew it all too well. No. The bolder question in my mind was how long would we be here.

I had been here since I was little. Six years of age, to be exact. Alex had been here as long as she could possibly remember-- Alex. The best friend I could have ever ask for. I constantly found myself feeling bad for her, I mean, she didn't know her parents at all, unlike the majority of us orphans here

I looked toward her. She seemed peaceful in her sleep. I wondered what she was dreaming. I wondered that a lot. I wondered what was on her mind everyday because trust me, I worried about her and every little thing possible. I had silent worries that my best friend of seven whole years was hurt in some way.

I shifted my weight after thinking something bad could happen to her. To our friendship. Returning to my book, I tried to concentrate on the words. I was not successful at all. My head was too heavy with millions of possible scenarios. Scenarios that might get us split up. What if one of us got adopted? The other would be left alone in this kind hell. Thoughts running through my head which would scare any small child who saw them. I felt sick. I swear I was going to vomit down the side of the bed. Luckily for everyone else in the room, I did not.

I got up from my brass framed bed, and moved to the door of the room. The room all the girls shared. There was only 14 of us. Plus the other 17 boys which totalled as 31. It often got tedious with so many voices around me. Too many people. Too much noise.

I was stopped by the sudden whisper of a familiar voice. I was tired, and expected to see Alex sitting up in bed but I was proved wrong when I looked around to see where the voice had come from.

To my left is what scared the shit out of me. The kind of thing that scares the shit out of you only because you didn't expect it. The voice repeated itself.

"Where are you going, Izzy?"

The voice was high pitched. A child's voice. The voice that belonged to Sara Reeves, A 7 year old who arrived last month. She was standing a few feet away from me, her eyes round. She looked sleepy, more dazed than anything. She stared up at me waiting for an answer. I turned to the door before replying in a hushed whisper. A whisper so calm. One not like my own

"I'm just going to the bathroom, Sara. You need to head back to bed" I lied.

She turned around and climbed into her bed, which was neatly pushed against the wall like everyone else's. The beds were lined up in the long room, parallel to the one next to it, each had their own oak bed side table. I opened the door almost instantly and quietly shut it behind me. The last thing I wanted to do was draw attention to myself.

The room before me- The hall. It was a large room, full of chairs neatly placed on top of the tables. The lights were on and staff rushed around I hid behind a Simply carved pillar made of wood, waiting for the coast to be clear.

Why are they up at four in the morning? Cleaning? This early? I thought, but I soon got that out of my head and sneaked to the back door. I needed air, it was as if I was going to suffocate in what seemed like the most unlikely place to do so in.

I eventually stumbled outside, Shutting the door behind me as quietly as I could. (Which wasn't very quiet, might I add) I almost collapsed when I touched the grass of the small backyard. I slid down the side of the building until I was sitting. I didn't care if my ass was going to get wet from the condensation on the grass.

Why did I feel sick? Thoughts can't hurt anyone. Thoughts can't come true. Was it even the thoughts that made me feel this way? Maybe I was just getting a stomach bug. Maybe I caught one from Noah Sanders who was sick a few weeks ago. No.. No. That wouldn't happen.