Winchester (5)

Year 1853

Thea chose to spend the rest of the afternoon sitting by the pond. Throughout collecting the second piece of trash, she avoided the other kids as much as possible, let alone the bunch of knee-length jeans boy and his genk.

Thea had no intention of getting along well if they themselves didn't want to befriend with her.

She sighed.

Thea had nothing else to do, other than what Miss Yerez had told her. Her hands had been moving to throw small pebbles into the pond after her task completed. Without aware of the surrounding where she was not alone.

Xander smiled. He found the girl on the same spot like yesterday. Fortunately he didn't go fishing so the pebbles she threw wouldn't make a trouble for him. Xander approched her.

Thea stared at the far away scenery. Her parents used to take her on picnics in the summer. Typical hardworking father. During the workday, he would really concentrate and ignore Thea and her mother. Even so, when the holidays arrived, his father would immediately invite her to go on trips together to beautiful places.

"I see you can smile too."

Xander's words brought her to her senses.

What am I doing here?

Thea hurried to her feet.

"Where are you going? Am I offending you in any way?"

"No," she muttered. Thea left from there without looking back.

If no, why she avoiding me?Xander called out to her but was ignored.

In her heart, Thea was confused. Why isn't that boy like the other kids? Who hates or ignores her? Thea thought hard. There must be a reason why Xander behaved like that. She walked through the corners of the orphanage to the room, away from the view of the other children.

Thea passed several place with the glass window and stopped there. Her hair had to be cut short because it was charred. The pieces were messy. There was no trace of honor before her. There was no beautiful dress attached to her body. The image she reflected and saw was a nine year old girl with a shabby, dirty and disgusting appearance.

"See who's here?"

Thea turned around. Two teenage girls stopped beside her. A teenager at the same age like her who brought a bucket of water and another one older than Thea.

"It turns out that this child is here," cried the woman carrying the bucket.

"You're right, Rose. Luckily we came this way. " The older child drew closer to Thea. "Why are you here, huh?"

Thea gazed at the two of them. Confused.

"Have you been here all day?" she asked, again.

"Yes. No, I mean– "

"Ohh ... so, you've been here a long time?"  She cut it as she pleased. "Apparently, this kid is deliberately avoiding her job, Rose," the girl drew a careless conclusion.

"No. Not like that. I've finished my assignment." Thea defended herself.

Even though she didn't burn the garbage before, at least she had brought it to the fireplace.

"Very good! After your task is done, you relax, while your other siblings are still struggling with their duties. You should immediately help them," the girl's voice sounded annoying.

"Nobody told me that if I'm done with my job, then I have to help the others," Thea gripped the hem of her skirt tightly. She didn't want to be blamed. Since when did all of them at this orphanage become Thea's siblings?

Ever since she stepped on this orphanage, none of them wanted to get near her.

"How arrogant you are!"

"Adel! Don't!" Rose put down her bucket and pulled Adel's hand that was gripping Thea's chin.

Thea saw Adel's gaze shudder as she stared at her neck.

"Let me go!" Thea shouted. She pushed Adel's body away. "Do not touch me!"

"You're not a noble anymore. Why can't I touch you?" Adel pushed her. She was fed up with all those etiquette that required her to keep the distance even from this cripple. Where she as a person born with a lower status must submit to a person of a higher one. Even touching them carelessly could be fatal.

"I do not know you. Why are you doing this to me? " Thea stepped back. 

"Oh yeah… but everyone here knows you. You're the daughter of a greedy princess who burnt your own parents."

"I didn't do it!" Thea's body trembled. She didn't burn them!

"You think I believe what you said?" Adel pushed her shoulder again.

"Who do you think you are? How dare you call me that!" Thea brushed off the hand that touched her. She never care if anyone mocked her, but she couldn't accept it when it came to her dead parents. To be honest, she didn't hate her just because she was a slave or an orphan, but she just got back at what she did.

"I'm still a noble's daughter, even though my parents have died."

"Yes. and you killed them. Akhh!"

Thea pushed her down. Her body didn't stop shaking from earlier. "I didn't do it! I'm not a murderer!" She screamed.

"You murderer! Shit. You will pay for it! "

"I'm not a murderer!"

"Adel! Stop it! "

Adel got up and took the bucket not far from her reach. Thea looked at her in horror. Her body turned stiff. Before she had time to run, the contents of the bucket poured over her.

The water was brown and smells scattered down the corridor. Rose didn't have time to stop Adel anymore.

"A murderer is a murderer." Adel's angry voice echoed down the corridor. Her crazy laugh rang out, mixed with Thea's screams. The attitude she always got on the streets paid off when she saw Thea was scared.

Rose caught her breath seeing Thea fall to the floor and screamed uncontrollably.