**Trigger Warning**: The following content may contain material that could be distressing or triggering for some individuals. It may include references to topics such as violence, abuse, mental illness, self-harm, substance use, etc. Please proceed with caution and prioritize your well-being. If you feel uncomfortable at any point, consider stepping away or seeking support from a trusted source.
Delphi reaches the kitchen on the ground floor. She opens the door and is greeted by Anne, the young nun who looks after the toddlers in the orphanage's nursery. She had brown straight hair, hazel eyes, and a kind, round face.
"Good morning, Delphi. Dear. You are just in time. I was about to put these in the oven. Can you tell me if they are okay? I think I overadded the sugar." She asked sweetly, looking at Delphi. She was holding a tray of cookies about to put them in the oven.
"Yeah, sure," replied Delphi, coming to her to taste the batter in the bowl placed on the kitchen counter. As she did, her mood got a little better. "It's perfect as always, sister Anne," she said with a wide smile.
"I am glad it cheered you up. You looked gloomy. Did you have that nightmare again?"
"No, I am fine. Thanks for asking, big sister," Delphi said, remembering the dream. She felt bad but still faked a smile and asked hopefully. "Is the mail here?"
"Oh, I saw it earlier, sorry, dear, but it didn't have any letters for you, ok?" Anne replied kindly, still a little worried about Delphi, she said reassuringly. "Don't worry, I am sure you will get accepted soon."
"I am sure I will; I have to." Delphi said she felt determined.
"I will pray for you, dear; here you can go so and help the staff in the hall." She said kindly while handing her a large tray of sandwiches.
"Ok," said Delphi and walked out of the kitchen.
Delphi went in to the dining hall; no child was here at the moment; it was as quiet as it could be. The dining hall was a large room with rows of large rickety tables and plastic chairs that were mismatched. The room was a shade of lime green that looked so gloomy that Delphi had the sudden urge to spray the walks like the children did near the subway.
But she knew better. Madam Mastigia would skin her alive if she tried anything funny. So she went up to the food counter at the other end of the room. Some other nuns were placing food there, and Delphi walked up to them and asked politely.
"Can I be of some help?"
"Don't ask that as if this isn't your job. You are late; place the tray over there and bring the rest." Barked a haughty-looking nun.
"Ok." Delphi said, hastily placing the tray of sandwiches on the counter.
Delphi knew that they didn't wanted to be mean, or perhaps they did; perhaps they were used to being mean to her by now, but that's just how they were supposed to treat Delphi. Madam Mastigia had this unwritten rule that anyone who was nice to Delphi would pay, and that is why only her sister Anne was nice to Delphi other than her best friend Alice.
Delphi could feel their eyes on her as she walked back to the kitchen. She could feel their pity and fear for her, and from someone of them, she could even sense hate, not because she had done them any wrong but because they had pretended for so long that Delphi was a bad child that at this point their minds had begun to believe it.
Delphi clenched her fist tightly. She wasn't going to let their hate get to her; she was better than them, she told herself firmly. She was going to get out of here soon and start a good, happy, successful life. She had worked hard to get good grades, be at the at the top of her class, and do community work to get her a scholarship at Eaton. She was sure she was about to receive a letter of acceptance from them any day now, and even though she didn't, she had also applied for scholarships at a number of other schools too. She had even managed to get a letter of recommendation. She was getting out of here one way or another, and there was nothing they could do to stop her.
After Delphi had placed the food on the counter, the morning bell rang loudly signaling for the children to wake up. Delphi could hear the noise of footsteps and hustle bustle from above as the children started to get ready and came down stairs.
Delphi stood behind the counter serving the chider food with the other nuns as the sleepy passed by. They were all wearing gray uniforms and made angry faces when they were served with food regardless. Delphi smiled at them and greeted them happily.
When she was done and everyone was seated, she took her tray and went to sit down with her best friend Alice. Alice had golden hair and electric blue eyes; she was the most innocent and kindhearted person in this orphanage other than Sister Anne and the toddlers.
"Morning Alice"
"Morning, did you sleep well?" asked Alice, looking at Delphi's face worriedly.
"Yes, why?" Delphi asked, perplexed.
"You look gloomy." Said Alice while buttering her toast.
"Sister Anne said the same thing. Don't worry, I am just thinking about my acceptance letter. I hope it gets here soon." Said Delphi, reassuringly taking a big bite of her sandwich.
"I sure hope so too. Otherwise you will end up looking like a ghost." Alice said mischievously with a smile.
"I don't look that bad." Said Delphi, defensively taken aback.
"What me to lend you a mirror." Alice mocked.
"Do you even have one?" asked Delphi with a mockingly raised eyebrow. She knew that neither of them could afford a mirror, and this made them both laugh. "Haha"
"Your so mean," Alice did while laughing.
"I'm sorry," replied Delphi, laughing herself.
"I wish I got adopted." Alice said seriously once the both had gone quite.
"I wish I could say the same, but I gave up on that dream a long time ago." Replied Delphi off-handedly and suddenly realized that she shouldn't have said that because Alice seemed down.
"Why? You never know your guardian can come back any day, and then you will be back with your family." Alice asked, surprised at thinking her friend didn't want a family.
"I don't think there is any such guardian; Mastigia probably made that up so I don't get adopted, and even if there is, by the time they will be here, I will be as old as Mastigia." Delphi replied bluntly, stating what she thought.
"You really don't believe that?" Alice asked worriedly.
"Yes, I do; that is why I applied to the scholarships to get out of here." Delphi replied, meeting her gaze and explaining her reasoning.
"Will you forget me when you get out of here?" Alice asked with a sad face, causing Delphi to take hold of her hand and say reassuringly, "No silly. Why would you think that?"
"Well, all the children who get adopted never come to meet us; they don't even write to us," Alice said, looking more sad than before.
I know the answer to that, but I don't think you will like it." Warned Delphi
What are they telling me?
Well Delphi continued, "There are two reasons for that, one being that they are too happy and busy with their normal lives that they can't come back; the second is that it won't look good if they keep themselves associated with orphans despite having a family."
"What do you mean?" inquired Alice, sitting up herself and looking perplexed.
"It means that if they keep coming to meet us, people and their parents will think that either they miss the orphanage and want to go back or that they are not happy with their parents, who might be treating them badly, or both. So they avoid us, plus orphan children's have a bad reputation among normal people. They think that orphaned children only end up as criminals or drug addicts because they are not raised right; that is why they mostly adopt babies." Explained Delphi.
"But that's not true; we are nothing like that," said Alice disbelievingly.
"I know, but that's just how people think. There is not much we can do to change it." Said Delphi, gloomy.
"You don't really mean that, don't you? That is not true." Protested Alice, feeling upset by her answer.
"I am sorry, I didn't want to upset you; that's why I said you wanted to like it; that was stupid of me." Apologized Delphi hastily because Alice's eyes had started glistening with tears and she looked hurt.
"I'm sorry, please don't cry." Delphi comforted her by wiping away her tears.
"It's ok, you just said the truth, and it's not like I didn't know it all along; I just didn't want to accept it." Admitted Alice calming down.
"Oh Alice, come here. I am sure one day we both will get adopted and have a loving family." Delphi said, giving her a hug and patting her head.
"Delphi, can we promise that if one of us gets adopted, the other will come to meet the other or at least write letters?" Requested Alice looking in Delphi's eyes, hopefully.
"Of course we can, and you know me, I never break a promise." Replied Delphi happily.
"I know," said Alice, smiling.
"Here, Pinky, swear to always remember you." Promised Delphi, holding out her little finger.
"Me too." Said Alice, and the two girls linked their fingers, forming a pact.
Just then someone grabbed Delphi's shoulder and pulled her back, making her almost fall out of her chair. "What did you do? Why is Alice crying?" It was Madam Mastigia who was bearing down on Delphini with an angry face, her nails digging deep into Delphi's arm.
"Nothing; we were just talking. I swear." Delphi said defensively.
"Don't swear on the gods name, you liar. I know freaks like you don't let innocents be at peace," she said, bearing her teeth and looking at Delphi with a wide-eyed, furious look.
"She's telling the truth, madam. Delphi didn't do anything; we were just talking." Protested Alice in Delphi's defense.
"Quiet Alice! I am sure she has scared you into silence, but no need to be scared; I will teach this child a lesson." She said it with a fake soothing motherly expression that didn't reach her eyes.
"Madam Mastigia, but I," Delphi began but was cut by Mastigia.
"You come with me," she dragged Delphi by the arm and took her to her office. Delphi's arm was hurting, but she said quiet out of fear.
They reached the office, and Madam Mastigia closed the door.
"Now Delphni, what did you say to that girl to make her cry?" She said she was standing in the middle of her office in front of Delphi with her arms folded, her eyes staring accusingly at Delphi.
"Nothing; we were just talking about how we would like to be adopted and then." Delphi tried to explain innocently when she was cut off again.
"You probably told her she won't get adopted, didn't you?" She said she was acting out of spite.
"No, didn't."
"Liar!. She shouted, making Delphi's hair stand. "You probably said something like that because you are over your head thinking you will get a scholarship to Eaton, but mark my words, freaks, you don't get accepted into prestigious schools." She said furiously. Then she put up her cane from the desk and ordered, "Now put your hands on the desk.".
"No, I didn't do anything." Delphi said in a pleading, scared voice.
"You dare talk back to me." She raised her can to hit Delphi, who instinctively put her hands on the desk because it would hurt less if she hit her on the hands rather than on her body.
Madam Mastigia struck her twice, making Delphi cry. She raised her cane a third time to hit her, but just then the office door opened.
"Mastigia, may I ask what you are doing?" Asked Father Edle calmly with a serious look, standing in the doorway.
Father Edle was a skinny man in his forties with short gray hair and little facial hair, which did not hide his wrinkles. He was a kind soul who hated how Mastigia treated the children but couldn't do much about it other than speak in defense of the child or suggest a less horrible punishment, which is why he was loved and respected by children, including Delphi.
"Father Edle, this child beyond help, she made Alice cry by mocking her for not getting adopted, and then she threatened her not to tell me when I asked. It is obvious she needs to be punished." She explained with a righteous fury, as if she were pushing a criminal.
"I talked to Alice, and she denied what you just said." Father Edle said with the same calm voice but with a narrow-eyed look in his eyes.
"Like I said, she is scared; we need to discipline her." Mastigia said this with a fake smile while her eyes had an annoyed look as if Father Edle had just ruined her sport.
"Perhaps she is, but even so, this is no way to discipline a child; please put down that can." Said Father Edle with a warning look, and this time she obeyed but with obvious annoyance.
"Very well, you will wash all the dishes after breakfast, and you will mop the dining hall. I don't want a single stain on the floor. If you don't finish it before it's time for us to leave, make no mistake, you will stay here. Now go and finish your breakfast. After all, we needed to leave for a picnic." She barked at Delphi.
"Ok, I will." Sobbed Delphi, massaging her hands. "Thank you, father." Delphi mumbled as she passed him on her way to the door. "Your welcome child." He replied with a pitying look.
Delphi left the room massaging her shoulder, hoping to finish her breakfast, only to find that there was no food left, so she went to fulfill her punishment as instructed. Hoping she could finish the chores before they leave for picnic.