Prologue
Mist,
A fog so thick,
Concealing,
The lies within.
Mist,
A power of grace,
An heiress,
To inherit it's traits.
Chapter 1
They told me I was special.
The day I was born, I was surrounded by mist. The nurses described it as an unexplained occurrence, the minute my innocent cries pierced and shattered the quiet of the small operating room, immediately the fog started to creep through the door holes and wrapped itself around me, concealing me from plain sight.
Was I special because mist claimed me since birth? Or because of my iridescent eye? Or was it for the fact that my mother died giving birth to me?
I had a theory. I was special because I was an outcast.
My birth, my mother's death apparently was too much for my father. In the end, before I even had a chance to breathe in my first gasp of air, he left me to the hands of the sisters. Dumping me in a rotten orphanage and hoping to get rid of me, and that was before I even knew how to crawl.
Fifteen years and a half had passed, and yet I still remained, living the same routine, still imprisoned in the confinement of this dull, lifeless hole I pathetically called home. Never have I ever have the chance to explore the world beyond the gates. I was not permitted to.
When I was younger, I didn't understand. Why other children get to go out and play where I have to stay back and scrub the floors? Why do they get field trips where I have to stay behind and clean the mess? I learned a long time ago that curiosity kills, I got the whips on my back to prove it.
Yes, the sisters whipped me. Was that unbelievable? A member of a holy congregation laid hands on a worthless, innocent soul? To cause harm to others when they pledged to serve the poor? I never thought the sisters in our Orphanage to be real sisters anyway. In fact, strange things do happen in this Orphanage, things that happened only at night, when the sun had safely tucked away in the lines of the horizon.
'Misty, Sister Judith asked for you.' A sister's voice on my door jerked me away from my trail of thoughts. I was looking out into the grey sky, imagining a world filled with colours and hope. The orphanage had an ominous feeling towards it, and the weirdest thing about it was that the compound was constantly surrounded by a thick fog, secluding us from the rest of the world. From my window, it was hard to see anything beyond the gates, not a sight of humanity except for the residents of the Orphanage.
'It's urgent.' the sister spoke again and I turned back to glance at her. She was the new sister in the Orphanage and I often see her running errands for the senior sisters. She was dressed in a black robe with her blonde hair pulled back so tightly it pulled against her skin. She looked younger that the others though. Around her neck was a pendant with a blood red ruby and she seemed to be clutching it so tightly that her knuckles turned white. The sisters do that whenever they are near me, but I never knew why.
I nodded and turned to my bed to collect the worn clothes I left there. My back was still stinging from the fresh wounds that Sister Judith had inflicted me with. The other sister gasped when she saw my lashes. I felt sorry for her, others would take satisfaction in seeing me beaten, perhaps it was because she's new. Gently, I pulled the cloth onto my skin but I couldn't help but cursed as the fabric brushes against my raw skin.
'Here, let me help you.' The sister rushed forward to put her hands on me, only backing away when I snarled at her, clutching the pendant even more tightly to her chest and muttering words that sounded like a prayer.
I hate this. I hate being hated and feared. When I was done with my clothes, I brushed my black hair with my fingers and wiped at my face with the dirty cloth. The sister hastily led me through the hallways and into the main room. She was shaking all the way and don't even dare to look at me as I entered the luxurious room. The main room was the place for social gatherings, it was extravagantly furnished and I felt like a worn furniture just by standing there. Sister Judith stood with her back against me and staring out at the window. In her hands was a cup of freshly brewed coffee, the scent of it filled the room.
'Kneel.' She simply ordered. Being the stubborn girl I was, I would have objected, but I don't think I can bear to lose anymore blood. Reluctantly, I complied. I grimaced as my knees dropped weakly onto the hardwood floor. 'You have sinned.' Sister Judith stirred her coffee. 'You know that you should have done what Sister Mary told you to. Why didn't you?' This time she set her cup down onto the coffee table harshly and turned to me. Her eyes were dark and cold. When I didn't answer, she clutched my chin tightly and tilted my head to meet hers. 'Answer me.'
I swallowed loudly but still refused to answer. What was the point? Sister Mary had asked me to kill the mouse that was trapped in the cage, I refused to. How could I? The mouse was just like me, trapped in a cage with no escape, no where to go, no where to seek for help. I saw the same expression reflected in its eyes - hopelessness. But I was there weren't I? I was the mouse's only hope, I can't say the same thing for me though. I doubted anyone besides the sisters and my stranger father knew about my existence, that was why I don't have a surname. Just Misty. Who is there to save me anyway? So instead, I freed it and Sister Mary had witnessed me freeing the vermin. My 'sin' was disobedience.
'You stubborn-' Sister Judith raised her hands as if to slap me, but she stopped midway. She took a deep breath and finally released my chin with a forceful jerk, but it was obvious from her composure that she was controlling her anger. Then, to my utter amazement, her tone changed as she spoke.
'Your birthday is coming up in five months isn't it?' She went back to the windows and picked up her cup of coffee again. Like all the sisters in the Orphanage, she wore a silky black robe too, and her blonde hair was also pulled back into a tight bun. If it weren't for how cruel she had treated me all these years, I would have praised her beauty.
'Yes.' I hissed. My cracked lips were bleeding again. 'Good good.' She sipped on her coffee and instantly her blood red ruby flickered to life. She gestured to me to stand up and like the loyal dog I was then and I reluctantly obeyed.
'You shall have a party then, a celebration is in order for the day you turn sixteen!' Wake me. I must have dreamt this. Sister Judith's eagerness startled me. For the longest time, I was incapable of responding to her sudden change of demeanour.
There was a hustle behind the doors and soon after Sister Mary strode in. Her eyes seemed to twinkle at the sight of my blood stained shirt and I shivered under her cold gaze. She bow in front of Sister Judith and with such gracefulness went to stand by her side. They looked just like twins, hell, every sisters looked just like the exact replica of each other.
'Sister, I am planning to commemorate the joyous celebration of our little Misty's sixteenth birthday in five months, what are your thoughts?'
Sister Mary looked surprised, yet she smiled, flashing a set of white teeth. 'Of course Sister Judith, that is a brilliant idea.' Sister Judith actually looked pleased. I don't really understand why she cared for the other sisters thoughts, after all she was the commanding voice of the house. 'We have so much to prepare for! We must get started now.' Sister Judith clapped her hands together in utter joy. 'I'll gather the sisters.' Sister Mary responded with equal enthusiasm.
What is it about my sixteenth birthday that inspired their change of heart? I eyed their exchange wearily, knowing that nothing good would come out of this. What else can they do to me? They had done their worst, what else could they do?
As much as I tried to ignore the dubious realisation, the words keep repeating in my head like a mantra. Death.
After Sister Mary went out the doors, Sister Judith switched back to her old self. 'You are excused.' She spoke with such authority in her voice. I staggered towards the doors, before I closed the doors behind me, I heard her called out.
'I hope you learnt your lesson Misty!'
Did I ever?
* * *
Back in my room, I removed my clothing and slowly wiped away the dried blood on my back with a wet cloth. I bit my teeth to stop myself from hissing when my flesh came in contact with water. It was like pouring acid onto the gashes. Standing in front of the mirror, I examined my back. It was ugly. Lashes covered every single skin exposed, every one of them was so deep I could see my bones. But for some unknown reason, I never risked dying from it, I always seemed to heal rather quickly, but I just regarded it as good genes.
Death.
Will that be my ultimatum? I tried to stop myself from feeling, God knows how many times I was beaten for it and that I should be numb by now, but the tears were uncontrollable. I questioned my existence, what is the purpose of me living? Maybe death will finally put me out of my misery and I finally got to go to the happy place I always envisioned, a place surrounded with colours.
Another firm knock sounded from my door. 'Your dinner.' One of the sister said. I hastily wiped away my tears, I will never show weakness in front of them, never.
All these years, I was not allowed to sit at the dining table with other children, Sister Judith never wanted me to mingle around with the others, I overheard her calling me a vermin once, maybe that was why the other children always feared me.
I finished cleaning my wounds and opened the door to collect my food. Bread and mushroom soup again. I had only tasted such flavours.