The Orphanage (Open!)

Astrid Aribarri

If I go, I can only hope to make it to the other side…

The path chosen to take and the decisions established are not always the best. Long ago she followed a trail that only led to sadness and destruction. Many people suffered from her decisions of dragging them with her. Could she repeat the same mistakes again? No, she is older and wiser than before to do the same careless mistakes from back then. However, mental regression can happen at any time despite the fact that she seems to have grown more conscious of the situation. Should there be any words of advice, it would most likely be that of expecting anything to happen.

I am already at the door and about to open it when I see Shelby packing while Kane agrees to follow me as a group away from the orphanage. I lightly smile and mentally prepare myself to take in count that I have to be extra careful about what I do because I want to ensure her baby’s safety. She then asks me if I’m ready to leave. “Yeah, I’m ready” I state somewhat blankly. I have so much going on in my head right now. The blueprint, the security of the child, being accompanied, and the peacekeepers are taking all the space there is in my brain to think. If the brain could shut down because of an overload, I think mine would do so right now. Not really, but I guess it can describe how much I’m taking into count right now.

Suddenly, when I think that my mind won’t stop processing information, the sounds of children beginning to awake, alter me. I almost jump back as my mind returns to consciousness. My eyes widen and I cautiously step out of the door. I wave to them to come outside as well. The children are awaking and it would turn into a nasty situation if they began to ask why Shelby was leaving as well as who Kane and I were. And, if memory serves me right, that boy would become angry enough to run towards the peacekeepers. Then, it would all be over. I might be overreacting, but a person that feels betrayed as well as angry can only do foolish things such as that of denouncing a good person to them.

Don’t try to solve a problem so a second problem can be solved…

Before Shelby and Kane step out, they both have a small talk which I can’t hear but must be regarding Shelby’s leaving of the orphanage. I suddenly get the idea of inviting her and the child to my house for a while. My mother really wouldn’t mind having people over. In fact, she loves to have people around to distract herself from being alone. And giving the fact that my mother believes I am a lost cause since I’m never home while my sister spends her time outdoors to hang with her friends in school, she is often too lonely in that house. My father used to spend a long time in the house to help mother, but he’s not home anymore. As he stated in his last letter, he is gone to do a job they assigned him near the south border. He’s close from home, just not that close.

I sigh and think about how dysfunctional my family sounds despite being very united to certain extents. And I think we are pretty normal because if we weren’t my mother would have lost her mind a long time ago. Perhaps what makes her stay calm is the fact that my sister is very studious and serene whereas I absorb pretty much anything like a sponge without studying more than I need to in addition of being somewhat prudent on what I do. She hates my rebellious nature, but she is confident that I can get through any thick situation.

I want to invite her to stay, but then back down from doing so. I don’t know why. Somehow out of all that strong elusive character that I have, I can get extremely shy of people. I hate it so much because in this life being shy can get you killed way faster than what you can imagine, but what can I do. My eyes only gaze at Kane and Shelby as they remain inside.

Their faces hold the clues to a greater problem…

All of the sudden I see the first people begin to transit the street. A couple I suppose, passing by at a fast pace. They stare at me like any person would stare at a foreigner, but it is not that which worries me. They also seem to be unhappy about something because they have an angry and uneasy look – which is evident that it is not directed towards me despite the fact that they are staring at me. This is definitely not good, I think while staring back at them with annoyance. It gets on my nerves – in part because my nervousness makes me antsy that I have to fidget with my hands and roll my eyes to face the backyard of the orphanage. I hate it when people stare at me. I mean, I know that someone might get curious of another person, but it’s overwhelmingly annoying that they make a face to you. I mean, I don’t know how to describe why I always get mad when someone stares at me like the pair does as they pass by despite knowing that their anger is not towards me, but their negative curiosity is.

Fortunately they leave and I turn my gaze towards the street. With much stealth I walk closer to the street and see if there is anyone else passing by. When I make sure that everything is calm I go inside, looking at both Shelby and Kane.

“You guys,” I say slightly alarmed “we need to leave. Some people just passed by and didn’t look too happy about something. They seem to be uneasy and were walking pretty fast.”

I look at the baby and say “There’s not much going on in the streets right now which should be unusual at this time, so –”

My hands get sweaty because I suspect something bad is about to happen and we need to leave right now. It’s like a sign; their faces being like that are a warning for me to disappear from this area, and I must take heed of them. But, before I leap outside again I need to hear what Kane and Shelby have to say about my comment regarding the travelers, and then leave with a plan in mind.

Astrid Aribarri

Sometimes goodbyes are better than a hello…

Everything seems to get worse as the day continues to progress. It is hardly believable that so much can happen in so little time. But, worse situations have happened in her life which doesn’t necessarily have to do with external problems but rather internal ones. Her eyes flinch at the thought of reminisces still in her mind of those dark days when she had nothing but her thoughts because she closed herself from the world. And while she had slowly escaped the dark, there was and there is still something tying her back to that sorrow; the unknown sorrow.

I’m not sure if Shelby misunderstood me. All of the sudden I hear her say that she will leave alone. Did I say something that bothered her? I don’t know, but I feel a bit embarrassed because of it. However, she justifies her decision by not wanting to get both Kane and I into trouble. And to aid her position, the baby begins to cry. I don’t like the idea, but if that is the case, then there’s nothing I can do. So, I decide to just go along with the plan. It’s probably for the best, I think.

I nod at her as she begins to look at the map, but her still face worries me. She looks at the maps and seems to find something wrong with them, but I say nothing. I have spoken more than enough. I usually just say a few phrases every day, but today I have said more than what I could in a single week.

Suddenly we all see more people running through the street. Kane believes that something is definitely happening, and I believe him because I suspect it as well. I have never had a hunch that was erroneous; much less now that I’m more sober of conscious as well as aware because there are too many people involved in this dilemma. And just at the thought of how big this problem has become, I can only sigh and look at the floor. Nonetheless, I am trying for this not to get the best of me. I can cry of anger and be scared all I want, but when I get home.

My thoughts revolve all this until I notice Kane’s strange look and gently lift one of my eyebrows as common habit of intrusion. He seems to be fighting off something foreign – like a type of strong headache so familiar to the ones I used to have – but I can solely stare at him as if my stare could help him in some way. I mean, I could ask if something is wrong with him, however some things are better left alone. I know that from experience since I would usually get angry if someone tried to talk to me when I was dealing with those headaches. But a sudden acute shriek shatters my ears as it begins to become more prominent, prominent enough that even a deaf person could hear. And now I know what is bothering him. It is definitely not good, I think. I have heard these shrieks before. They are mutts nearby. The nasty things that almost left me deaf for some while back.

My senses begin to activate and Shelby imposes us to leave. I almost get dizzy when she pulls me as well as Kane outside. The noise has always made me like that, even more so after my close encounter with that hideous and hairless sick mutt that almost killed me when I was thirteen. I survived simply because of my father being there, but the noise the animal made as it was dying as well as the kick it gave me on the head have left my brain - in my opinion - partially damaged for life. It is not that it impairs me from thinking or anything like that, but it makes me sometimes sensible to noises and light from time to time.

Break away from everybody and everything…

The time finally comes for us to separate. Shelby wishes us good luck and I wish her luck as well. I guess we are all feeling a bit nervous, I think silently while accommodating things in my backpack so that they do not become a bother later on. And as you can see, there’s a trick in traveling. No matter how much you put inside a backpack it will always feels superbly light if the contents inside of it are arranged with much caution.

I watch how Shelby leaves off with Kiel. My eyes focus a bit on her trail as I try to make sure that everything is running smoothly. As for me, I also begin to cautiously move around the treacherous landscape. It is adrenaline all over again, I think while barely being able to conceal my impish smile. A new personality enters me, the one that knows how to truly survive and can only show so little mercy.

As I trot along the pathway with Kane, he suddenly asks about the shriek. “It’s a medium sized mutt;” I say almost nonchalantly “it’s probably angry because someone has threatened it; maybe those poachers are trying to capture them to sell them for rebel examination” I continue while lowering my tone to a whisper for no one else but us to hear. After all, the forests and streets have ears in every corner.

To confront fear is one thing, but to confront the past is another…

My cool remains until I hear another noise comes, making me stop dead in my tracks. A scream from a man which seems utterly familiar gets my full attention; and I extend my hand to make Kane stop as well. This is dangerous, I think while placing my back next a thick tree to not be seen. I crouch and get my knife out with some substance out of my backpack that I stole from the peacekeepers not so long ago, and quickly rub the tip of the weapon on the special jar. If it’s a mutt, then it will die with this. I’ve seen it work before. It only takes one blow in the right area and the substance will shut down the animal. I don’t know what it is made of, but after being instructed on how to use it by the rebels, I think I’m OK even though I will need much distraction to get the thing killed if the mutt somehow escaped and is loose around here. Those things are incredibly smart and are difficult to kill despite being somewhat small.

Before doing anything else I ask Kane to keep an eye out for Shelby and the child as well as the surrounding areas, something I momentarily do so myself by quickly glancing at them. I can’t see them because of all the small buildings around here and can’t stay looking at a single direction, so I have to trust Kane to be my second pair of eyes. I hope they are fine, I think with a worried look. But, the noise came a good distance away from the girl and therefore she must be alright with the child. However I only hope that she doesn’t get startled by the noise.

Despite my thoughts being divergent, my eyes glance every direction. They analyze all around me, but there is nothing there. Whatever it was, it has obviously hidden itself away behind a building or den of District Nine. And as nothing but the overwhelming silence of the streets, I hold off my guard only to hear the same shrieking mutt sound where Shelby is supposed to be with the child.

“Kane,” I silently yell at him with widened eyes and my knife almost falling from my grip from the jolt in my head, “the noise is coming nearby Shelby’s path!” I then get a grip of my knife, grab my stuff, and run towards the noise with as much stealth as possible because even though the mutt is close to where we are we can't afford to waste a single second. The thing is mad and can destroy or kill people if faced one on one. And the more people there are to detain the mutt, the better our chances of surviving are.