Dabbles : Random Thoughts

XI - The Orphanage

I can't remember my past. All I knew was that my mother left me at the doorsteps of the orphanage. I had adapted quickly to the new surroundings. I made friends. I watched—as some of them found new homes and new ones kept replacing them.

I was one of the few kids that never got adopted. But somehow, I just never cared. And despite that I could leave, I decided to stay and help out.

The rumor was there even before I had come to live in the orphanage. The fourth floor, which was an old library and music room, was off-limits. No one was allowed inside that the floor had never even been cleared out of the things in it. Rumors say that when you enter the 4th floor, you'll start to hear the piano.

No one dared to step foot in it.

The rumors said that it wasn't the playing of the piano that people should be scared of. It was when the piano stops playing.

More curious than scared, I along with a few friends climbed the old, creaking stairs towards the rumored haunted floor. And as we did, the piano hadn't started playing. But instead, it was already playing. We just couldn't it hear below. We started to look around when one of the adults saw us and scolded us.

"Don't worry," I said to them. "It's probably just Maris and the other. Maybe they left a cassette tape playing in there to scare us,"

"But why though?" Pia asked her eyes wide with fear.

I gave her a smile as I patted her in the head. "The floor seemed to be unstable. They probably found out scaring kids works more than telling them,"

I had no idea how wrong I was.

That night, as we slept—I was awoken by the sound of the floor woods. I never thought much about it. Someone was probably just sneaking out. But then, something woke me up once more.

This time, it was a sharp, ripping sound next to me. I opened my eyes and fear gripped at my whole being. In front of me was something not human. It was tall, boney thin, and it was covered in blood as if he bathed in a tub full of the scarlet liquid. Its big, round, and crazed eyes glowed red in the dim-lit room. A horrendous, relished smile on its lips, revealing its yellow, sharp teeth.

I knew I should scream; tell everyone to run. But my body seemed to be frozen in place. I couldn't speak. I couldn't move; much less speak. I watched as it killed everyone in the room. I watched as it ripped their bodies apart as if they were made of papers. I was surrounded by the wet sound of the bones being torn apart.

I dreaded the second. I don't want to see them killed. I don't want to see what I was seeing. Why hadn't it killed me yet? I was the one near the door. It should have grabbed me first but why hadn't it?

It turned to me. My eyes wide but I still couldn't move. Everyone was... everyone was dead. It stretched its boney arms towards me and I gasped. There was a pain. That was the last thing on my mind. Pain and its bloodshot, evil eyes staring straight at me.

I can't remember my past. All I knew was that my mother left me at the doorsteps of the orphanage. I had adapted quickly to the new surroundings. I made friends. I watched—as some of them found new homes and new ones kept replacing them.

"This is Kali," Maris said with a smile.

Thump.

What?

"He will be joining us starting today. Be good to him, okay?"

Thump.

Ever since he arrived, Kali and I had been glued to each other. We grew up to be inseparable. And we were one of the few kids that never got adopted. But somehow, we just never cared. And despite that we could leave, we decided to stay and help out.