Page 8 of Divine Obsession

“I’ll be back soon!” She shouted back at me, running down the street in her mink coat, high-heel boots, and a cigarette in her mouth. “Just wait!”

I did.

Until my hands were numb from the cold and the snow fell harder.

Until an old lady came out of the brown building and tried to get me inside.

Until I told her what mamma said and she waited with me a long time.

Until it was dark and the stone steps of the building were covered in snow.

I waited.

12 years old

My eyes slowly opened. It was still dark, and dead silent, meaning everyone was asleep. Slowly reaching under my pillow, I opened my secret phone to check the time. We weren’t allowed personal items here, and I didn’t have any money, but I’d managed to steal this off someone last year.

It was just after midnight. Taking a deep breath, I gathered the courage to pull the covers off my head. Slowly, I peeked at the bed under my own, just like the fourteen other bunks in the hall. But… it was empty.

My breathing was uneven. My fingers trembled on my cell.

My fear of the dark had gotten better since being moved into the big hall. Knowing I was around twenty-nine other girls brought me comfort, allowing me to sleep normally.

However, I wasstillscared of the dark. I never even got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. No matter how bad I needed it. I held until the sun was poking through the windows and I knew it was safe to climb out of bed and sprint down the halls of the orphanage.

But I was more scared of losing her.

Unease filled me and I was moving before I could think. I didn’t stop to put on shoes after I climbed down; I sneaked out of the room and quickly tip-toed down the dark halls only illuminated by the moonlight coming through the windows.

A creak coming from the end of another hallway iced my blood. But I followed the noise, knowing exactly who it was.

She heard me before she saw me.

She froze, her back facing me as I silently ran to her.

“Where are you going?” I whispered into the dark.

Maria didn’t answer. Nor did she face me.

We met in this very same orphanage three years ago when she first got transferred here from foster care. I’d been here for almost a decade already;waiting.But all Maria wanted to do was run; away from this life, this place she called hell.

The only good thing about this shithole is you, Natalia. You’re my soul sister.

“You were going to leave without sayinggoodbye?”

Maria turned to me so fast I jumped. Her hands grabbed me by the shoulders. “Come with me.” There was something feral in her eyes that told me exactly how she felt; like a wild animal caged. “We can both leave this place.”

I slowly shook my head. “You know I can’t do that…”

“Yes.Yes, you can.” Tension lined her words.

“I can’t, Em…”

“Natalia–”

“I need to wait for my mamma.”

“Natalia.”

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