Chapter Five

The Social Worker took her to an Orphanage miles away from everything and everyone she had known she was placed in a room with three other girls all similar age to her. It was a good job she was a quick learner and although she was petite she was tough, she had asked for karate lessons and self-defence classes and Mary had thought it was a good idea for her to learn how to look after herself. Those skills came in handy as soon as the Social Worker left her, the other girls tried to take her stuff and bully her they soon learned not to mess with the tiny blonde. She beat all three of them leaving them on the floor in tears when she floored the last girl a voice made her look up,              'Well, I think you will be wasted with this lot, you have talent little girl and you are coming to stay with me.'

The older girl was Carla, and she basically ran the orphanage with her boyfriend Sean, they were the toughest kids in the place and had reached the top of their respective trees by fighting and winning against anyone who challenged them. The Social Workers were swamped with work, they all had more cases than they could cope with so happily left the two bullies to rule over all the others. They doled the rules and if any of the kids broke them they also doled out the punishments, for some reason both of these fifteen-year-olds adored Melody. She was incredibly beautiful, very bright and could look after herself, they took her under their collective wings and taught her how to survive being in the 'system.' For two years she stayed in that orphanage and soon learned the 'system' did not care for these broken children, all of them had to look after themselves. Boys learned to fight and keep all emotions locked away they became a gang and were notorious on the local streets, stealing from the shops, drinking and taking drugs and fighting all challengers. The girls learned the same lessons and were far better at shoplifting than the boys, Carla taught Melody how to do it and because of her angelic looks she never got caught and she enjoyed doing it, the thrill of lifting whatever she was asked to without security catching her gave her an adrenalin rush like no other.                                                                                                                       The voice in her head told her it was wrong and she did not get involved but ignored it she was having too much fun and why shouldn't she, no one cared about her so she could do whatever she wanted. The Social Workers tried to find her another family and many did offer to take the beautiful young girl but Carla taught her how to be so obnoxious without appearing to be and the families quickly backed away from her. She was growing up and developing into a real beauty and Sean began to notice her stunning figure, with long legs, a cute firm little ass, slender waist and perfect luscious breasts, along with her waist-length golden hair and incredible golden eyes she was perfect. He did not hide his interest including Melody in everything he did and because she did not understand what he was doing he took every advantage he could. He touched her whenever he could and even kissed her taking her by surprise so she did not stop him and of course, word got back to Carla. She did not confront them, it was not the first time Sean had strayed he was almost eighteen and he was a good-looking flirt. Instead, she watched them and saw for herself it was all Sean, the little innocent orphan had no idea what he was up to. In the next couple of months they would be leaving the 'system' they would both turn eighteen in the same week and that meant they would be turfed out of the orphanage. None of the kids stayed past their eighteenth birthday, there were so many kids in the 'system' that there was no room for those leaving they were found a small flat and left to deal with the future themselves. With no backup, no training, and no one available to help when it all went wrong, far too many of these young adults ended back in the 'system'. The trouble was this time the 'system' was either prison, mental health or drugs or worst-case scenario, they ended up dead, overdosed on drugs, or taking their own lives because life outside the 'system' is just too hard. Carla had thought she had all that sorted, she loved Sean and had done since they were small children, she had willingly given herself to him when he said he loved her at the age of fourteen. Since they had turned sixteen they had been engaged and she had let him indulge in his dark fantasies, he had tied her up, blindfolded and gagged her and he had whipped her. She had enjoyed their 'play' as he called it and thought that allowing him to do whatever he wanted sexually would keep him interested. It hadn't he had seduced a couple of the older girls but when she found out he said he had used them just for sex and that it was her he loved but she had to understand he had needs. He made out that if she was not available to him he would find what he wanted elsewhere, he was a good-looking guy and the girls in the orphanage all had crushes on him. When he wanted a bit of fun they never turned him down, Carla had accepted it because she wanted to keep him, he was her future so she turned a blind eye as he always came back to her. 

She knew immediately Melody was different, most of the male Social Workers lusted after her even though she was only twelve, they would wait until she was fourteen, still underage but in the Care System, no one cared. Melody was totally unaware of her attraction, it never occurred to her that Sean wanted more than her friendship, she had never even been kissed until he took advantage.