Chapter 4

I followed Mr. Eddie and his wife, Miss Janine, to the orphanage administrator's office.

The other kids looked at me, some clapped their hands for me, some smiled at me and I greeted them back.

Entering the office, I saw that girl, the girl in my dream. She sat on the sofa, leaving the wireless headset down when she saw us walking in. I timidly replied to her when she greeted me. I still can't feel completely saddle, insecurity still in me.

"This is our eldest daughter, Tilly. What's your name, sweetie?" Miss Janine turned to me.

"Tell us your new name!" Eddie said, smiling expectantly.

Everyone in the room was waiting for me to answer. I closed my eyes and said: "I'm Finn, Finn with the last name of my new parents is standing in front of me!"

"Oh dear!" Janine covered her mouth and said, Eddie came over and hugged me. I feel him crying.

Janine, Tilly also came to hug me tightly, and the manager there clapped her hands for me boldly.

Finn is the name I really want to own. The reason is because Finn is simple, Finn with short syllables and... That's my lost friend's name.

We temporarily let go of each other. My father, Father Eddie, told Tilly to lead me outside. Dad Eddie and Mom Janine would be right away.

Tilly took my hand and we walked out of the office. She smiled, sat down with me in the chair, said: "Welcome to the new family, are you okay?"

She looked up at the scaly wound on my forehead, the wound from the ashtray thrown by the "demons" of the past.

"It's okay, it's just a small wound!" I replied.

I shivered. When the ashtray hit my forehead, I felt the blood rush out, down my eyes, into my mouth, and my shirt a crimson color of blood. And at that time, I was not taken to the hospital.

And somehow, I'm still alive.

Tilly shook her head, she said: "Not good," She put her hand on my cheek, "You'll never be beaten again, Finn!"

I received Tilly's attention. It was amazing how quickly she could show such caring gestures towards me.

I looked behind Tilly, my friend Tall was standing in the waiting chair looking at me, she smiled, silently clapping for me.

Tilly looked back and also saw Tall. She turned to face me, saying: "Want to say goodbye before we leave?"

I nodded happily, got up, and walked over to Tall.

Tall smiles at me, hands me two yogurt cakes that I absolutely love. She speaks: "Your happiness has come after months of suffering, congratulations, Finn!"

I took two cakes and thanked Tall. I want to thank her for everything. But my words drowned in Tall's coat as she hugged me.

"Thank you for everything, thank you for lending me clothes, thank you for giving me a peaceful place to sleep, thank you for bringing me to my new family!"

No matter how much I thank her, I cannot express my gratitude. She helped me break the heavy door to the new world.

"Hurry home, Finn. Your family is waiting, sweetheart!" Tall said, she's always been gentle.

I let go of Tall and turned around. My father, Edd, put his hand on my shoulder and shook Tall's hand. He said: "Thank you for bringing Finn to us. She's our wonder!"

Tall bent down in response, and I bent down in return. I hugged Tall again and walked out with my new family.

A feeling of insecurity came over me as we left the orphanage. I got in the car and Tilly sat next to me, and she handed me a bottle of water when she saw me start to gasp and sweat.

Dark clouds rolled in the sky, and raindrops fell not long after, and for a moment I could see a glimpse of people driving outside. There are demons that have tormented me in the past.

I crouched down in panic, Tilly bent down and asked me worriedly: "What happens?"

I didn't answer, and I raised my face. I saw my father, from the angle of his face, with an unpredictable seriousness.

He sped up the car, and the car turned quickly onto a major road. My father frowned, and I felt safe when he seemed to know what was wrong with me.

I sat up straight, sighed, said: "I feel better now, thanks, Tilly!"

The car turned into a high-class apartment block of the city, straight into the parking lot.

When everyone got out of the car, my father took off his coat and gave it to me to wear. He told me to put my hat on, and just like that, we went upstairs.

I feel like a criminal hiding from the law, and the law I'm talking about is the demons out there.

We went to the house of a friend of my parents who was working in Vietnam. And the car we drove just now belonged to that friend.

My father rang that person's doorbell after we had gone up more than ten floors of the building.

This building is quite large, and I heard Tall say, it looks like where I am standing is Landmark 81.

It's an honor to take off the hood of the coat. It makes me feel like I've just killed someone and put my hat on to escape the scene.

From inside the speaker attached to the door, was the unrefined Vietnamese voice of a little girl of her age who was learning to speak.

"May I ask someone?"

It took me a while to hear what the little girl said, and my father replied into the speaker:

"Here's your Uncle Eddie!"

The speaker went silent, or rather she didn't respond. The door opened, I was surprised to see that little girl.

She has an angelic appearance, smooth white skin, light blonde hair and clear blue eyes. She was not tall enough to reach the doorknob easily. And of course, standing next to her was a woman who appeared to be the girl's mother.

We entered the house, and I continued to be amazed by the layout of the house. Although small, it gives a warm feeling. 

"Is this the girl you adopted?" The woman asked my parents, she shook my hand and told me to sit down on the chair.

"It's her, Finn is in my family now!" My father replied, and he smiled, a warm and friendly smile.

"I'm Eiry, welcome to your new family!" Eiry said.

I smiled and thanked her, the baby was her daughter named Jamie. Jamie came over to me, handed me a chocolate candy, and offered to eat it. 

I didn't understand what she was saying, although Jamie spoke good English and spoke very clearly.

"Jamie tells you to eat it, she thinks it's lucky chocolate!" Eiry winked at me.

I smiled, accepted the chocolate and gently thanked Jamie, who grinned and walked over to her mother. 

I slowly peeled the candy, while my father talked to Eiry. Eiry said that her husband Sam is a Vietnamese who is going to the supermarket to buy groceries. Sam also told Eiry to prepare things for the person who was about to arrive. The one coming she said was me, and she got up, went to a cupboard and took out a box. 

Eiry handed me the box, and I took it and opened it as she said. 

In the box are expensive cosmetic items. Includes two nude lipsticks, a bottle of Channel perfume, and a small card. At the bottom of the box is a bottle of Maybelline mascara.

I was surprised, and wondered why Sam knew the person my parents were going to adopt was female. And so I asked my parents.

"Because we planned to adopt a little girl!" My father explained.

Just as simple as that. I've never actually used cosmetics, and I have a skin disease on my lips. My lips are dry all year round and tend to crack when my lips extrude too much dead skin. 

Another burning sensation ran through my body, and I was bewildered when I realized I was being treated so well.

I suddenly felt afraid, I felt afraid of being treated well, I was afraid that this goodness was just a flashier cover. And my head suddenly flashed with not-so-good images. 

I found myself struggling with the murky blue water under the swimming pool. My head was spinning and my mouth wouldn't stop swallowing water. At that moment, I saw the shadow of the children who were the descendants of those demons.

They looked at me, their mouths full of cruel and heartless smiles. They talked back and forth to me, pointed at me, laughed. 

They waited when I was almost exhausted and couldn't swallow anymore, then they pulled me ashore. 

Back to reality, my parents were looking at me, Eiry and Jamie were looking at me, Tilly was looking at me. Their faces were worried and they started asking me questions.

I tried to respond, but the sound that came out of my throat was a shrill scream. My body refuses to do what I say, I want me to shut up. But the screams still rang out, and my limbs didn't stop struggling.

My father and mother came to control me. They held me back, they reassured me.

"Everything is fine, please calm down, Finn!" Tilly said, I was still struggling, I felt my body heat up, and as I screamed, all the horrors of my past seems to fade away.

And finally, I didn't scream or struggle anymore. My body went limp and I didn't know anything.

///

My father told me I lost consciousness after I hit my head on the arm of a chair. By this time, Uncle Sam was back, he looked at me worriedly, and asked me when I looked at him.

"You okay, Finn?" 

I shook my head, I wasn't okay, and I tensed up because I realized something. After what happened just now, I was afraid that I would be sent back to the orphanage. And will return to a series of nightmare days. 

I bounced off my chair, hugged my father's legs, and fell silent. I don't want him to make any decisions for me to go back to that orphanage.

My dad leaned down to my eye level, he hugged me, and gently patted my head.

"I know what you've been through, I understand! You won't have to go back there!"

My dad said, his voice extremely gentle and warm. Everyone in that living room was silent, they looked at us.