Tori's Misfits

Prolog: Tori explains who, where, and why. Tori’s POV: I live in a world where supernatural beings exist. Many years ago, a fight between species for supreme control broke out and spread through all known sectors. The devastation affected all communities and species. When the war ended, many children of all species lost their homes and families. Some of them were orphaned, others were separated from their relatives. Some communities were wiped out completely, leaving only young survivors behind. Some children found new homes within their own kind, but many others were left alone. As more unsupervised children wandered around or ended up in human agencies, human leadership discovered our existence. They tried hard to keep it a secret from their people and started working with leaders from our world to find a place for all of us “special” children. This was not easy because most of us exist like humans until we reach the age of awakening when our supernatural abilities appear. So, they decided that we would be placed under the care of a committee made up of varied species and kept away from both human and supernatural societies. The Unified Care Committee was formed by choosing one Elder from each allied species. Their job was to collect, care for, and monitor children who were displaced by the war. They oversaw providing the money, the place, and the staff for our upbringing and helping us to adjust once our species were known. They found large, isolated areas that could fit the staff and the children. But finding a place was not enough. They also had to make sure that these places were well protected by a diverse staff. They had to provide everything we needed, such as education, medical care, guidance, and entertainment. They made each orphanage like a small community. The people who worked at the orphanage made up the community with the committee having the final say on important decisions. As the children who were affected by the war grew up or were reunited with their kind, there was less need for these special orphanages. The committee stopped paying attention to what was going on in these places over time. Allowing many of the homes that were good and helped the children to become neglected and corrupted. One of these is the Home of Hope where I live. It is located deep in the Ozark Mountain Region. The original leader of the orphanage was replaced by a group that wanted to use us as their property and teach us that we had no value except what we could do for them. The person in charge of the Home of Hope is Madam Kim, an old witch who is good at black magic. She is mean and runs the orphanage with an iron hand. She loves having power and hurting others. She uses the warriors that train in the community to help her control both staff and children. We suffer in this home where we are raised to obey without question. We have little to no education. The girls are taught to do housework while the boys help until they awaken and then are trained as warriors, to be used to overthrow the current leaders. We are branded with numbers on our left forearm, and this is how we are called by all staff. As it became harder to get younger children, older ones started coming too. Madam Kim made sure to let both the human and supernatural communities know that she was still open and always willing to take more children. Even though the war of species is over, there are still fights between different packs, covens, and rogue attacks that leave children homeless. In recent years, some older children have come to the Home of Hope and told us stories of a different life. They remembered having a family and dreams, and they still held on to them. Despite the staff's control, we formed friendships and soon a group of four of us wanted a different life. We are Jaccia, Carli, Tori, and Jace. We are among the oldest at the orphanage, and we know our time to leave is near. Either we will escape, or Madam Kim will get rid of us. Jace was moved to the warrior side for training more than a year ago when they found out he was a bird shifter. We are careful not to let the staff know that we have our special abilities, so they will not send us away. I have a wolf inside me but have not shifted yet. My wolf Tia can use her abilities to help protect me, communicating with me by sending information to my mind. Carli can communicate with what she calls mother nature and animals. She thinks she is a white witch, and she practices her ability to talk to all living things as much as she can. Jaccia is the youngest of the group. She is a loving girl who remembers her life before the orphanage. She hasn’t shown any abilities at the time but loves to learn new things and asks a lot of questions. Although it is hard, the group of us sneak off and meet when able. This is usually in a clearing in the woods at the back of the orphanage’s property. Since deciding to escape from the orphanage, these meetings have become planning and training sessions more than just hanging out. Jace is teaching us girls what he learns as a warrior, Jaccia teaches everyone to read, and then we work on their escape plans. Jace uses his trips to the nearby town and his free time there to help us plan our escape. He found us a safe place to hide, and he has been adding as many supplies as he can. He has also worked on planning a route for us. According to Jace, there is a new war starting among the supernatural species, and we can use the chaos caused by the refugees coming to town every day to help us hide. As we start seeing life outside the orphanage and its cruel leaders as more than a dream, we become more determined to escape. We make our plans and get ready. Now we just must wait for the right time to act.