Destory's adoption
It's been over 5 years since that incident. After that horrible day I was transferred to another orphanage along with all of the other kids. Most of them have been adopted by now, even Tommy the bully is gone now.
This orphanage isn't bad, compared to the old one. My dreams are still haunted by the sight of Mrs. Teresa hanging at the end of that hall…But at least I never see ghosts at this place or anything of that nature. I see them occasionally everywhere else though…
It's been a long day at school today.
The clock on the wall seems to tick slower and slower. My teacher is just yammering on about some nonsense that I couldn't care less about. It feels like I've been sitting in this seat for a lifetime waiting for that bell to ring.
The deep black hole of the years I've spent living felt like a lifetime of dying slowly. Nothing ever happens, nothing ever changes. Until today that has been my outlook on my own existence.
About 2 weeks ago a young married couple had visited the orphanage looking to adopt. One by one they spoke with all of us there, I was so nervous when they approached me. They asked things like "what's your name? What do you do for fun?".
Noble and April Barnes. April was probably in her late 20's and she was so pretty. Her eyes reminded me of a beautiful blue sky on a summer day. Noble seemed the stoic type, I couldn't get much of a read on him but he seemed like a genuine down to Earth guy.
After that day I figured I would never see them again but then just yesterday I was told that they wanted to adopt me.
Me?
Out of all the other kids they chose me?
Those were the first thoughts that came to my mind when I heard that news. Ever since then though I've been restless, thinking about what it will be like to stay with them.
Will they accept me? Probably not…
They're gonna be disappointed when they find out that I'm not a normal kid…
*RIIIING*
My ears twitched under my hat as the bell I had been waiting for finally rang out, signaling the end of the school day.
The rustling and bustling of papers, zippers, chairs scraping on the floor, the teacher telling everyone to do their homework and the chattering of the other kids as everyone left for home.
I got butterflies in my stomach man. Today is the day, this is it. Whatever happens I told myself I'll be strong and try my hardest to live up to their expectations as best as I can.
I was lost in my own thoughts on the school bus, staring out the window like always.
We passed an intersection where a crowd of people stood waiting to cross the road. Among those people was a tall shadowy figure, a man in a top hat.
His eyes were unnerving as he stared out at the traffic going by. Almost as if he were searching for something...
He was so scary that I immediately looked away from him as the bus drove passed.
This man is one of them…I was freaked out for a second but breathed a sigh as we drove away.
This sight of mine is a curse. I hate it. I'd rather be blind.
I've realized that making eye contact with them is bad, it's like they can see right through me.
Like somehow they know that I can see them too…
The bus pulled around the corner and continued to breeze on down the street. I turned my head back towards the window and lost my breath as my heart jumped out of my chest.
There he was again, the man in the top hat. Standing just outside my window only this time he was even closer than before. His eyes were blood shot, his mouth was moving as if he were screaming something...
I turned my head away again…but then the lights on the bus began to flicker in and out and the bus stopped moving.
"What's going on? Why did we stop?"
The kids had stopped their chattering.
Suddenly a dark cloud rose through the floor at the front of the bus. The man in the top hat appeared, walking down the middle isle. His foot steps heavy as they crashed down one after the other each step louder than the last.
He stopped at my seat, placing his hand on the back of the bench in front of me. He wore rings on all of his fingers and his hands were filthy. The man leaned in close to me, glaring with his dead unblinking eyes.
A bead of cold sweat rolled down my face as I was shaking, nervously looking forward. I was trying to pretend that I couldn't see him…
He leaned in just an inch from me, I could feel shivers running down my spine as I slowly turned away.
I peered out the window to see the man in the top hat out there. Gazing vigorously at me for a moment before disappearing into a cloud of smoke.
The bus then started back up and we began to drive off.
Well, that was unsettling.
By the time I had been dropped off I walked up to the front gate of the orphanage to see the Barnes couple speaking with the head advisor.
"Hey Destory! Are you all set?"
April asked in a chipper tone of voice, her smile melted all my worries away in that instant.
I grabbed the brim of my sunhat and pulled the sides down as tears began to well up in my eyes.
Wait, why am I crying?
April had walked up and squeezed me tight to her chest. I nearly began to sob as I wrapped my hands around her I could feel the vibrations from her voice as she spoke.
"Its gonna be okay…me and Mr. Barnes are gonna take care of you from now on Des we do all sorts of fun things, I just know you're gonna have a blast."
Her voice broke at the end.
When I looked up I saw that she was crying too.
I wonder, are those tears of joy…or sadness?