𝒮𝒸𝒶𝓇𝓈 ℴ𝒻 𝒸𝓇ℴ𝓌𝓈

Aella’s Pov

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I was thirteen, when I killed my first man.

It was necessary. Most of them are for good reasons. And others well they just made me mad. But they were bad people they deserved it. The social worker had put us in a home again. This time it was an elderly couple who seemed nice but that’s how all of them start.

Then they don’t want us anymore or that were too noisy, it was always something for them to not keep us. I mean I did everything in my power to get me and my brother out of homes that weren’t good for us.

Me and my brother along with the social worker were in a car driving to the new home that the agency hoped would keep us for about four months. I doubt it would work. The longest we were in a home for was two years. That only happened because the agency thought it was a really good home and the people who took us in wanted us to stay for much bigger reasons.

Pushing those thoughts away I looked up to find a cabin. We were surrounded by the forest no road other than the one we had been on for the last ten minutes. The house had multiple bright lights on. There was a rocking chair on the porch along with two elderly people smiling brightly at the car and waving excitedly.

No one was ever excited to see me well except my brother of course. He was too happy for his own good. And way too kind for this world.

The car slowly pulled into the driveway of the home. Coming to a stop right in front of the house.

Pulling the car door open, I stepped into the warm, light breeze. My brother stepped out on the other side of the door looking at the elderly couple that was heading straight for us still smiling big and I noticed they had a little bounce in their step.

“Hannah, George this is Aella and Corbin.” Our social worker said stepping aside so that Hannah and George could get a better look at us.

“Oh my, look how cute they are George.” Hannah gushed while coming closer to us. I stepped back just in case she was going to touch me. One thing you should know about me is that I hate being touched.

“Don’t worry sugar I won’t touch us. Either of us. Not unless you want us to. Your social worker already explained you didn’t like to be touched. And I like to respect your spaces and boundaries.” Hannah said to which I was grateful for.

Not many understood or respected my space. Sighing in relief I looked up to find George staring at both me and Corbin with warmth in his eyes. He had a little smile on his face as he looked at Hannah, love in his eyes.

When Hannah gave a big wide smile to Corbin, he gladly returned it. I tried to return it, but it just came as a grimace. I hadn’t smiled in a while.

In about ten minutes we were in the couple’s home with our bags, our social worker left right after we got our bags.

“Come in children, come. We prepared lots of food; we didn’t know what you liked so we just made as much stuff as we could.” Hannah said excitedly, waving us further in the house and then bouncing down the hallway until she reached a small dining room with the kitchen attached. She wasn’t kidding when she said she made lots of food. And I mean a lot. Anything I could imagine was on the table.

“Sit down, sit down. I’ll get some place and you can choose anything you’d like.” Walking over to the cupboards Hannah opened them and took out four plates along with a fork, spoon, and knife for each plate. She handed them to me and Corbin saving one for herself and handing the last one to her husband.

She let us pick out our food first. Corbin pilled his plate high to the point it was toppling over. He offered a sheepish smile to Hannah and George, but two encouraging smiles were on their faces to which made Corbin pile even more on his plate.

I only took three pieces of toast and a small turkey leg. The couple looked at me in confusion but otherwise ignored it. We all sat at the table; everyone was talking except me. Hannah tried to get me to talk and engage me in conversation, but I stayed quiet most of the time.

Corbin was a chatty piece of human. If he had the chance to talk, he would for hours on end. I knew it all too well. Sometimes we would stay up the whole night him talking mostly me only adding my advice and piece of mind once in a while.

“C’mon sweet bits we’ll show you, your rooms.” George said making Hannah jump out of her seat and collect all our plates, emptying them into the sink for cleaning. All the food was surprisingly almost gone.

“Oh, one more thing! I almost forgot.” Hannah said grabbing a box with a red ribbon on it. There was two one was black and the other one was white. She gave the black box to me and the white box to Corbin.

“Go on open them.” Hannah urged shaking in excitement. Corbin practically ripped the box apart, but otherwise kept the thing intact. I opened mine slightly with a little more care, if there was something delicate in there, I didn’t want to break it.

Slowly I took it out and looked at it for a while. It was beyond beautiful with vine like leaves encircling a blue stone. It looked as if the gem was trying to get out but at the same time content with just sitting.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Corbin’s necklace. It was an anchor with a chain surrounding it. They looked too expensive. And breakable.

“Do you like them? I’m sorry if you don’t like it, I can take them back. And you can pick out a new one. I just wanted to surprise you and welcome you. I thought it would be nice for you to have a gift from us.” Hannah rambled using her hands to empathize her point.

“It’s beautiful.” I finally said making Hannah jump in surprise. She probably didn’t expect me to speak.

“So, you don’t hate it? I was oh so worried you were going to.” Hannah mumbled quietly but she had a glint of hope. I didn’t understand how she could be so sweet and kind.

Corbin was staring at the necklace in shock, and I had no doubt so was I. Quickley Corbin ran up to hug her with tears in his eyes. She stood there for a second in shock but wrapped her arms around him and squeezed. They must have stayed there for a minute before they departed.

“Hannah this is beautiful thank you. Really, I mean it, thank you.” I said, slowly I reached my hand out and waited till she shook my hand. She eagerly shook it with a laugh.

“Now that that’s out of the way, I’m really glad you like them. But now it’s time for bed children. We’re leaving early in the morning to go shopping for stuff you need. If either one of you want to come, just let us know.” George said, it was the most I had heard him talk. His voice was calm and soothing like the flow of a river.

They showed us to our rooms which were surprisingly large for such a small house. But the small house felt safe, a warm blanket waiting to be wrapped up in. There were floor to ceiling windows with blackout curtains. Me and Corbin both got our own bedroom but we had a conjoined bathroom that I was happy about.

A bed that could fit at least about three people sat in a corner of the room with two bookshelves against the wall with space in between it. The space was use as what looked to be a reading nook with blankets and pillows set perfectly looking out a window into a forest.

There was also a dresser tucked away in a corner. A little swing was attached to the celling with one pillow in it. It was closest to the bookshelves. Another area where you could read. The bookshelves were yet to be filled. But I would fix that. I had a lifetime supply of books.

They weren’t supposed to be here till Sunday. It was Saturday so I would half to go without my books for two days.

I stored my books in a library that one of my brother’s friends owned I couldn’t bring them everywhere I went because of the constant moving. I didn’t have a choice this time because the place where I was keeping my books were getting destroyed. I knew it would happen sometime.

The place was losing money the first time I placed my books in the library. And the guy that was friends with my brother was not really sobor all the time. He was also really into gambling so it would be no surprise if he found himself in debt.

The room was so beautiful. It had to have been every reader girl’s dream. With the bookshelf’s the hanging swing and the windows that looked out into the pretty dark forest.

Sighing I threw my stuff on the ground and launched myself onto the bed. I slowly got under the covers that were so freaking soft and warm.

The sound of the wind swaying the branches back and forth outside and the warm comfortable bed had made me slowly fall asleep.

I could get used to this, I thought as I finally slipped away from reality and into a world where my demons hid for the most part.