Blood Sacrifice

Chapter Seven

Nick, May, and I were some of the first ones to finish eating, mostly because we had given all of our food to May. Even Nick, in the end, had decided against his breakfast and given it to May, who returned his kindness with a look of disbelief. Before she could argue, I made quick work of scooping into her bowl. She sighed, but her hunger won out over everything else, and she ate Nick’s portion as well.

The orphanage women were once again quick to escort everyone outside. We were numb to their coldness today. After our punishment yesterday, I doubted there was anything worse they could do to us. Even May seemed to have picked up on our mood. She was too depressed to join in the games of the other children.

I could hear them call out to her, but she walked past them stiffly as if they didn’t exist. She followed Nick and I to the shade of the oak tree. It was the first time she had come this far across the courtyard before. None of us were in the mood to climb (we weren’t in the physical condition to either) so we sat side by side in the shadows watching as the other kids went about their usual routines.

With our backs in the state they were in, it was next to impossible to truly get comfortable against the tree. I left Nick to figure it out, and I laid on my stomach on the ground. The thought of the dirt and sticks beneath me didn’t bother me. The relief in my back was all that mattered.

I glanced out over the courtyard in time to notice one of the kids in the game turn to look at May questioningly. I looked at me sister and saw the way she avoided his gaze. I frowned deeply; she wasn’t acting like herself. She was introverted today, trying to hide her emotions even though she knew she was poor at doing so.

I turned to look at her carefully.

“May, what’s the matter?” I asked her finally.

She turned to look at me. Her eyes were wide as she feigned innocence. “Nothing’s wrong.”

“You know you can’t lie to me,” I said. “You usually love to play kickball. You’ve been upset since Agnus got adopted. What’s the matter?”

She frowned and looked down at her fingers for a moment before she spoke. “Yesterday, at the adoption, I got so bummed out. That woman was looking at me, studying me for the longest time before she moved on to Agnus and picked her in a heartbeat. Is something wrong with me? Is that why she didn’t pick me?”

I frowned at her words. “May!” I scolded. “Don’t ever think that! You’re a wonderful girl. You know as well as I do that Agnus has been here just as long as we have. You know how many adoptions she’s been through.”

“Yeah, but that should’ve been me that she picked. We should’ve gotten a home yesterday, instead of your punishment.”

“May, you know that you would’ve gotten adopted many times over if it wasn’t for us being a package deal.”

She glanced down at me. “Why say that, Clara?”

“You know it’s true. People want younger kids. I’m almost legally an adult,” I said.

May frowned. “It should be a reason for them to want us. You’re old enough to get a job and help the family out.”

“Yeah, but they don’t see it that way,” I told her.

She shook her head. “They should.”

“People are cold like that,” Nick added from his place in the shadows.

I couldn’t help but agree with him.

“Why don’t you go play a game? It’ll take your mind off of things for a while and cheer you up,” I suggested to her.

She was quiet for a minute.

“Well?” I prompted.

“I’m worried about leaving you alone,” she admitted quietly. “Every time I do, you find some other way to get in trouble.”

“I’ll make sure she stays out of trouble,” Nick spoke up, “she won’t be alone.”

“I’ll be alright,” I added, trying my best to feign a positive attitude as I shot Nick a grateful look. “Have fun.”

“You won’t climb the tree?” she asked me warily, her arms folded over her chest.

I smiled and looked her full in the eyes as I laughed. “You don’t have to worry about it, May, I’m a little out of it today.”

She held out her pinkie to me. “Promise?”

I held the smile as I hooked mine with hers. “Promise.”

She locked them together before she gave me a deep look and dashed off to join the game. I knew the look was a reminder about the importance of the promise.

“She holds pinkie promises dearly,” I told Nick as I tried my best to get comfortable in a sitting position.

“She’s just worried about you,” Nick replied, “and she’s right to be, you know.”

I nodded. “I know, but I know better than to get myself into trouble again before my punishment has healed. Besides, I can hardly sit up, let alone climb a tree.”

“The whole system here is messed up if you asked me,” Nick said resting his head against the tree trunk.

“You don’t have to say that twice,” I replied.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about your situation.”

I scrunched up my face as I turned to look at where he was relaxing against the tree trunk. “What do you mean?”

“You realize that when you turn eighteen you’d be able to adopt May, right?” he asked me.

I nodded. “I’ve looked into it. Legally I’d only be able to if I had my own place to stay. Once I’m dismissed from this place, I’ll be homeless.”

He shook his head. “Me and you both. It’s tragic, ain’t it? Going from one terrible situation to another.”

“How old are you?” I asked him.

“Seventeen,” he said.

“Time’s running out for you too, huh?” I asked him.

He nodded. “I’m trying not to think of it in a bad way though. Once I’m out of here, I’m free from hell. I’d rather take my chances out in the streets than here. At least out there I can beg for something to eat. Here, there’s nothing I can do.”

“That is one way to think about it,” I said thoughtfully, “but don’t you think it’ll be hard on the streets?”

He shrugged. “No harder than it is here.”

I sighed. “That is true. Honestly, if I didn’t have anyone else to care for, I would’ve snuck out of here to live on the streets years ago.”

“I don’t think anyone would blame you. I’ve been thinking about running since I got here. I don’t think they’d come after me. It’d be too much work on their part.”

I was quiet as I watched May running her bases.

“I think it’s the better of the two options you have,” I said.

“Would you come with me?”

I looked at him for a long time through wide eyes. His idea was tempting. I would love to run from this godforsaken place more than anything. It was what my dreams consisted of. My pride was there to remind me once again, that I couldn’t do that.

“I have May to worry about,” I reminded him.

“I know, I don’t know what I was thinking,” he said looking at the ground. I could hear the hurt in his voice.

“If I didn’t have to look out for her, then I would take up your offer in a heartbeat,” I told him.

“It’s a nice thought,” he said sadly.

“Yeah.” I looked at him as he closed his eyes with his head once again relaxed against the tree.

“Why are you here?” I asked him slowly, hesitantly.

His eyes opened slowly. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, why are you at the orphanage? What’s your story?”

He shrugged. “Probably the same as everyone else’s really. My parents got a divorce and both of them were too broke to take care of me.”

“How old were you?” I asked him.

“Old enough to remember them,” he said, “both of them. I’ve been bounced around through foster homes and orphanages ever since.”

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I was young when my father died, so I don’t remember him much. It must be hard…having memories.”

He shrugged. “Sometimes. Most of the time, I try not to think about it.”

I was quiet as I thought about his words.

“What happened to your mother?” His question cut through the silence like a knife.

I looked across the courtyard for May again before I turned my gaze back to Nick. “She died, giving birth to May. I was seven.”

“Did they bring you right here?” he asked.

“No. I don’t really know how it happened, but May and I lived in an abandoned apartment by ourselves until I was ten. I would beg for money on the streets and steal to support us. I got caught one day, and without thinking about it, I ran back to the apartment and the police followed me. They saw that we were living without any adults and brought us in.”

“You’ve been here a long time,” he said.

I nodded as my eyes sought out May once again. “This place is all May knows. I’m only family she has left. When I have to leave…and she stays here…”

I could feel the sorrow bubbling up in my throat, strong enough to choke off my words.

“You shouldn’t give up hope quite yet,” Nick said assuredly.

“Why not?” I asked, not taking my eyes off of my sister.

“Today’s another adoption day,” he said. “Or so I’ve heard.”

I turned to look at him once more and winced as the speed of my movement cracked the thin scab that had formed over the myriad of cuts. “Is it really?”

“Supposedly it’s another couple,” he said.

I frowned deeply and looked away from him.

“What’s the matter?” he asked. “You should be excited.”

“I doubt the Matron would even let us line up in this condition,” I replied. “She’s not gonna let the couples that come in here see the way that they treat us or else they could get in trouble.”

“You have a point, and she could try to stop us, but what could she do if we went into the room while the couple was there already? She doesn’t show her true side in front of the couples,” he said. “She wouldn’t be able to hit us or yell at us, she’d be stuck.”

“That is true,” I pondered, “but you know as well as I do that she’ll show her true colors as soon as they’re gone.”

He smiled. “Sometimes you have to be willing to take a chance.”

I scoffed, knowing the truth of his words. “You have a very good point,” I admitted.

“Chin up then, you never know. Things could always get better.”

I looked at him for a long moment, on the verge of agreeing with him. Then my pessimistic voice kicked in, the one that reminded me of the reality that our life had become. I stopped when the pain that laced up my spine made me remember that things could also get worse.