Haunted Hearts

"Lewis! Wake up, please wake up," screamed a voice in anguish. Hands trembling as a young female shook a teenage male lying on the ground. His nose and neck region bled profusely and on the other hand he convulsed a little before he took his last breath. The young female suddenly turned and screamed, "You! You killed him!" "You took my Lewis's life! You're a murderer!" The word murderer seemed to have jolted me to reality as I began trembling. I didn't even know what happened but my hands had blood on them. My clothes too had blood. Shockingly enough, Lewis was dead and I was the murderer? Did I just kill my crush? The guy I loved so much at the orphanage though he only saw me as his friend. Nia, my nemesis and Lewis's rumoured lover sat on the ground near the corpse sobbing. I didn't know what happened exactly but currently I had label of a murderer. Thinking of this, my heart thumped so loudly in fear that I could hear it in my ears. "Jasmine, you killed him!" Nia yelled at me. Apparently, she was now angry but I was still so lost in my thoughts that I couldn't say anything but look at the corpse before me. 'You're a murder!" The word vibrated throughout my ears. Finally I became lonely. I'd killed the only person who saw me as human. "Enough, girls!" A female voice resounded. The voice belonged to Miss Hanis, my guardian at the orphanage. This place has been my home and hell ever since I was born. Not even once did I see my parents and sometimes I don't even understand how it feels. At that moment, Nia ran into Miss Hanis's arms and sobbed loudly. Elgon States, was a large orphanage owned by an organisation. where the rest and I grew up in it and Miss Hanis was our guardian at the orphanage. The ever calm as a lake, Miss Hanis, simply hugged her back. She gazed at Lewis's corpse then at me. After a few seconds of scrutiny, she gave a signal and two men in black robes appeared and took the corpse. "Jasmine! Go back to your room," came her commanding voice which never failed to make me tremble. Everyone at the orphanage feared Miss Hanis excluding Nia who was her favourite. Ever playing the good girl card which Miss Hanis preferred. I did as instructed and marched into the dark hall of the orphanage hostels. At that moment, fear gripped my heart and my bloody palms turned sweaty. The moment I entered my room, my legs lost it as I slid to the floor. Tears streamed down my face, 'I didn't kill him! But will anyone even believe me?' Just when my thoughts got a hold of my brain, a swift knock raged on my door. I didn't have to think twice to no who it was. Without wasting time, I wiped my tears and stood up to open the door. Miss Hanis welcomed herself into the room which could be mistaken as a cell as it was situated in the darkest corners of the hall - it emitted an out of bounds vibe. The door closed with a soft click and finally a pending silence occupied the room. My heart thumped loudly in my ribcages but none of us uttered a word. Miss Hanis had her back on me as she gazed at the only small window in the room. I had no clue what she was looking at but I could feel the incoming danger. "Jasmine, did you kill Lewis?" Miss Hanis began, turning her back to face me. Her eyes were ever calm and expressionless but somehow looking at them brought me comfort and fear at the same time. "I…I didn't kill him! I didn't kill him," I incoherently mumbled. The tears I didn't want anyone to see betrayed me and fell. The situation was upturned as I found myself being pulled into an embrace. This scent, only one person has it -Miss Hanis. That was my ever first hug since I grew up. No one has ever hugged me. "It's ok, I believe you," came her voice. My eyes widened comically as this came from the person I least expected. Miss Hanis hugged me without even caring that I was soaked in blood. She didn't even care how dirty I looked, that night I sobbed so loudly in pain but she was there for me. However, what I didn't know was that it'd be the last day I experience such a feeling. I didn't know what happened but I slept well that night. The following day early in the morning, an urgent knock barraged on my door. I quickly woke up and gazed around, my clothes were changed into my night wear. Before I got deep into thought, the door was suddenly opened from outside and in came Miss Hanis. She bore a worried look and her calm self was no where to be seen. "Hurry, quickly put this on, we're leaving. No time for questions," she said urgently, dressing me up. Though confused and curious, I did as told. In a few minutes, we were ready and she pulled me to the opposite darker ends of the orphanage hall. Moving down the dark hall in hushed footsteps, I could tell the sun hadn't risen. We've always been told those areas were out of bounds and no one has ever been there except me and Lewis… Reaching there, Miss Hanis took me down a passage I've never seen while Lewis and I ventured the place. She was too quick that my feet ached a lot for I couldn't keep up with her pace. "Keep moving and don't let go of my hand," she said to me as we moved down the dark passage. She seemed to know every nook and crook as she managed to walk without any light. Though the tiredness in my feet, I felt the warmth in my heart as she held my hand tightly as though scared that I'd let go at any time. Even without a clock i could tell it was the longest journey I've ever had in my life. Finally, we reached our destination. A small wrought iron gate stood at the end of the passage. We were into the light, this time the sun had risen. Miss Hanis began talking to a stranger dressed in a trouser and a trench coat, his face masked. They spoke in a language I've never heard before. At that moment, my heart all of a sudden began thumping in fear and I subconsciously tightened the grip on Miss Hanis's hand. Was she going to sell me? I thought inwardly as I recalled reading one of the library books where they sold children. Apart from the orphanage, I've never been outside the boundary fences so I had no idea of anything outside it. So what will happen to me if she sells me? I thought in fear and at that moment that my thoughts were interrupted by a voice, "Hand the girl over!" The figure's voice which turned out to be harsh came. 'She's selling me!' my fears into fruition. Miss Hanis forcefully handed me over to the man and took a small satchet which I thought was money from the guy. I suddenly screamed, "Miss Hanis please don't sell me!" I quickly held her clothes but she pushed me away and I fell to the ground. I sobbed painfully as I wondered, she said she believed me yesterday. Now she's selling me? "M…miss Hanis, I didn't kill him, you said you believe me!" I wailed. I didn't see her teary eyes and the pain she bore as the figure of the man pulled me away and stuffed me into the carriage where he tied my hands. The surrounding area was a bit secluded and no matter how I'd scream I believe none would even hear me out. "You scream, you die here right away!" Threatened the man in his scary voice that sent a chill down my spine. I quickly shut up but I couldn't shake off the dread in me. I didn't know what the two talked outside but it didn't take long for another voyage to begin. I cried myself to sleep. The next moment I regained consciousness my hands were free and I saw a small black envelope beside me. The carriage was moving, but I didn't know it belonged to me. The man riding the carriage seemed to have felt I was awake. "You're awake? There's a message for you," he said in a voice that wasn't as harsh as it was before. I hesitantly opened the envelope but didn't want to read the message. However, the little innocent voice in me wanted to see what was in it. Eventually , opened the letter and there I saw the words… I couldn't believe my eyes. …