Penelope

Prologue

I woke up to the telephone blaring its single tone ringtone. I sat up in the bed and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. Suddenly I heard heavy footsteps pound through the hallway,each step getting closer. I heard the door across the guest bedroom I was staying at while my parents were over seas open. A light turned on and flooded into the room. I watched as my Aunt Florence walked into the family room and fumbled for the phone. With the touch of a button the baring stopped and she held the phone up to her ear.

"Hello?" she said sleepily. There was a pause,a long one, as the person on the other end talked. Suddenly Florence's expression changed.

" Well that a shame, a definite shame." she said shocked, more awake now.

"What am I suppose to do with their child,Penelope?"

I perked up when she said my name. What about me? I got out of my bed and leaned against the doorframe, listening as carefully as I could.

"How long would the trial be?" She said with slight annoyance. Trial for what?

Suddenly heavier footsteps pounded down the hallway. Uncle Joseph. I quickly dove onto my bed and threw the covers over me. His footsteps covered the last of the phone conversation. I herd them talk in harsh whispers. Slowly, I made my way to the doorway into the family room.

"You know I don't want anything to do with my family! I want to focus on our family."Florence said with contempt.

"The least we can do is just try. You don't have to adopt in the end. It's not our fault that you are the only family member. Just give its try, after all, her parents are-"

"Are what?" I stated, cutting of Uncle Joseph."What about my parents?"

They both stared at me as if I was a child diagnosed with cancer.Pitiful. Sympathetic. Sorry. They looked at each other and Uncle Joseph nodded at Aunt Florence. She walked up to me and embraced me in a hug. I stood there awkward and confused.

"I'm so sorry." She said shakily into my hair. I pull out of her hug.

"Sorry for what?" I asked. Florence drew in a long breath, stalling.

" Your parents..... the flight they were on has gone missing. they don't know where the plane or your parents are. They believed they crashed into the Indian Ocean."

I looked up at her with wide eyes,rapidly filling with tears. Dead.Gone.Obliverated.Lost.

Those were they words that kept going trough my mind like a broken record.

I pushed my aunt away and ran into the room. I slammed the door shut so hard it shook the house. Then,thankful for the lock, locked it and dived into my bed and shoved my face into the pillow. I herd five month old Ernest crying from his room. Too bad. At least his parents aren't dead.