Finding humanity

Ashley

I placed my tangled brown hair into a messy bun. I looked up into my bathroom mirror. Today is just like everyday since the fire. My eyes are blood shot red from crying. All i could see is a 18 year old girl who lost her everything. I can hear my new foster mom in the distance called my name.

"Ashley!" Then there was a pause. She called my name again but this time it sounded faded.

~TWO YEARS AGO~

The flames burst through the kitchen window. I stood on the side walk watching my 10th foster house go up in flames. Lighting that place on fire was the smartest thing i ever did. Now Mr.Rogers cant hit Jonah anymore. I mean who hits someone who is mentally disabled.

Jonah is the only family i have. Our parents gave us up for adoption when he was born and when i was 11.

i could hear the sirens coming. Jonah was away at a friend's house and when he hears what i've down he will be so proud. I always told him i was going to make them pay and now i have. Who knows maybe the next foster home might be our new permanent home.

Mr.Rogers was following the fire truck. As soon as he got out of the car he turned and looked at me. He knew. He knew i started the fire.

~TODAY~

"Ashley!" the yell was now very loud and it broke me from my memories. I looked in the mirrror one last time at the worthless human in front of me and then i turn off the light and headed down stairs for breakfast.

"I shouldn't have to call your name a thousand times. Next time you can make your own breakfast." She had a cigarette in her hand that she released from her mouth. she blew the smoke in my face.

"If you keep smoking those. you won't even be around to yell my name a thousand times." I vanished the smoke surrounding my face away with my hand. i looked down at the breakfast. Toast, an apple and water. YUM!

My other foster siblings were also surrounding the table. but their plate was full of pancakes, eggs and bacon. I get a different plate because I need to "learn manners" in order to be fully taken care of. In other words i was the runt.

I saw the mailman drive away from our mailbox and i bolted out of the front door to check the mail. It was here, It was finallly here.

I raced inside with a smile on my face. This wasnt just any letter. This could be my key out of this place. This was the last home that was or will ever be willing to take me and everything here is slowly ruining me even more. but this letter will tell me if i can actually be important and apart of something greater. Greater than a poor orphan girl who was all alone.

They will only take five people. No one knows what they plan on doing but who ever is chosen is going to change the world forever. Or at least that is what they have advertised. All you had to do was submit a video.

~Video-
"My name is ashley. My whole life i've done nothing but watch everyone i love leave or disappear. The past few years the people who are suppose to be my foster families tell me i'm nothing but dirt or trash that will never live up to do anything. I hear it so much i believed it. I had a brother named Jonah. Gosh he was the brightest kid i knew. Everyone thought just because he was different he was less than everyone. He was my best friend. I was all he had ever known. He saw the world as one big happy place which is why he never stopped smiling. My last foster home was bad. He would beat Jonah and call him names because he was different. Jonah never knew why someone would hate him. Especially since all he ever did was love ever foster parent we had. One day he stopped smiling though. I set my foster home on fire. He wasn't suppose to be in the house. He was suppose to be at an appointment. but i knew the moment my foster dad pulled up and didn't have jonah that he was in the house. I killed my best friend. i killed the one person in the world i had. So i think i'm perfect for this experiment. I want to forget what i did. i want to do something good for once. I don't wanna feel this way."
~~~~~

I tore open the letter. 

i was accepted.