Chapter 3

"Sweep the floor thoroughly!" Olivia shouted and smacked Ara on the back with a broom, "You've been here for months and yet don't know how to sweep properly? How much of a moron are you, huh?"

Olivia was the owner, David's wife. They were lacking workers before as they only had three older workers, that is why they decided to buy children from the kidnappers.

Ever since the day we arrived at the orphanage, we were immediately ordered to work for them. We nine abducted children work for them, along with the three older workers who occasionally handed us their job. If the older workers were found resting, they would point their fingers to us and we were the ones getting punished.

It's been six months, and we're still struggling to get through the day. There were occasions when we were not given food for the day, and other instances when the older workers stole our food and starved us. Since then, we decided to store our own food under our pillows. We don't mind if it becomes dirty as long as we don't go hungry.

"And you! I heard the children were crying earlier! What happened?!" Olivia asked me as she approached me with anger showing in her face, "If one of the children were hurt, they won't get sold!"

"Siri tripped from a rock earlier during their play time." I responded and picked up a stick of cigarette and threw it to a nearby trash bin. She grabbed my hair and made me face her, "You're acting quite cocky, aren't you?"

"Please let go of my hair, it hurts." I said, groaning in pain as she pulled it harder.

My head still hurts whenever it is touched. Sometimes I felt dizzy, but I completely ignored it and continued on working. My knees from the accident when I was a kid were aching occasionally. There were times when I limped frequently but continued to hide it from the other kids.

"You should've looked over the children more. If you were looking at them properly, Siri wouldn't have tripped over. That's a simple task and you can't even do it by yourself?!" She slapped me across the face with her big hands and pushed me away from her.

"Ma'am Olivia! Someone's here to check on the kids!" Lea said.

"Alright, I'll be there." She looked at me and glared, "Do your job properly or I'll beat you up again."

"Yes, ma'am," I responded and looked at her retreating figure. Before following Olivia out, I noticed Lea smirking at me. Lea was one of the older workers who gave her job to us.

"Why won't they do their own job?" Ara said as she approached me and helped me stand up, "Are you okay? Avi?"

I nodded and faint a smile, "I'm fine, how about you? Does your back hurt?"

"It doesn't. How about you? Does your head hurts?" She looked at my face and looked at my eyes with worry. She is aware that I have been suffering from headaches for some time.

"It doesn't hurt much. Let's just finish our job." Ara nodded and went back to sweeping, as I mopped the floor. We focus on our chores and do another job outside after we're done and take care of the kids.

Our job repeats throughout the day. We clean in the morning, deliver food to the children and assist them in taking baths in the afternoon, clean outside in the evening, and watch over the children while they sleep at midnight.

We rarely sleep because the older workers should be watching over the at night, but because they sleep early, their job will be done by us, and if we don't, we will be punished, not them.

That's how we've been living for months.

"Did that old hag slap you again?" Kyehaem asked as his eyes fixed on my cheeks. He was the one I almost got into a fight with when we were kidnapped. I learned that he was only two years older than me.

Despite our bad impression of each other during the first time we met, we took care of each other, along with the others. Since we kidnapped children have no adults to lean on, we lean on each other as we were the only ones that understood each other's position.

"She did! She even struck me in the back with a broom!" Ara stated. Mia, who was standing next to her, pulled up her shirt and noticed a bruise.

"It turned purple..." Mia said and pulled down Ara's shirt, "I saw Belle get hit by David earlier."

"He was drunk again," Belle said as tears fell from her eyes. Caz and Noah patted her back to stop her from crying.

"If only we could get out of here..." Pine said and sighed, he leaned his head on my shoulder, "I can't stand them anymore."

I know we were thinking the same thing,

It was too much...

Pine and Noah were both a year older than me. Ara, Mia, Belle, Caz, and I were all the same age, with Kyehaem being the oldest.

"We'll definitely get out of here... soon." I said, without knowing what might happen in the future.

I know there's no way out, and I'm not even sure whether my father is looking for me as soon as I disappear, but I'm guessing not. I tried not to think of my father because I know he doesn't think of me. He would have found me by now if he had. He's a powerful duke, and he's below the king, so I know he can look for me however he wants.

But now... I lost my faith in my father.

...

Four years later,

"Olivia, ma'am!" With a terrified expression on their faces, Lea and her companion Mira ran towards Olivia.

We were in the middle of washing the kids' clothes when we all came to a halt and glanced at Lea, who appeared to be in horror.

"What is it?! It's too early in the morning!" Olivia exclaimed.

"I..it's Belle and Pine!"

Ara and I locked eyes right away.

"What happened with those brats? Are they neglecting their job again?!"

"It's not. Sir David is hitting them!"

"So what? They must've deserved it." Olivia said and looked at us, "What aren't you doing your job? Want to get beaten up as well?"

We immediately went back on washing the children's clothes.

"It's not that... ma'am. They were tied to a tree outside while Sir David was hitting them with a log!" Olivia immediately stood up and looked at us. "Don't you dare leave this place."

Olivia left us alone and Ara and I looked at each other. We started to get anxious as we heard shouts from the other side.

"Stop it!" Olivia yelled, "They'll die at this rate!"

Our eyes widened and I immediately looked at Ara who was looking straight at the clothes with her eyes wide, as if she were traumatized by what she heard. I immediately wiped my hand dry and ran to her to cover her ears.

"They are no longer opening their eyes! David, you must stop!" As I heard the yells from outside, I leaned my head on her head. I continued to cover Ara's ears with my eyes closed.

I wish I could cover my ears as well.

As I continued to hear screams, tears began to pour from my eyes.

"Ahh!"

At that moment, my heart began to beat fast. I kept repeating the word "Please live" in my head.

Soon the screaming stops and from that day, we never saw Pine and Belle ever again.

And I was 12 years old when two of my closest friends, whom I considered family, died.