Lit Device Short Story

When I was two years old, I was taken away from my family. My parents didn’t want to give me up, but they had no choice. They simply just couldn't take care of my siblings and I. Our family had terrible financial issues and on top of that, my mom was diagnosed with cancer. About a year after she was diagnosed with cancer, she passed away. That left my dad alone with five children to take care of, and there was no way he could do it. So he made the decision to give us up. My four siblings and I were separated, and I was the only one who stayed near our hometown. Now, everytime I think about my family, it feels as if my heart is being ripped out of my chest. I have been living at this orphanage ever since. Everyday, I wake up at the same time, the same place, and do the same exact thing. Mopping the floors, doing the dishes, and mowing the lawn are just a few of the chores I am forced to do on a daily basis. The orphanage itself is an old, red brick, two story building in the suburbs of Chicago. There are three floors, with 10 bedrooms on the second floor reserved for all the children. Being the newest child to move into the orphanage, I live in the smallest room of them all, which seems to be growing smaller by the hour. I am quite lucky though, because I have the room all to myself. The walls are as white as snow, and the rough cream colored carpet scrapes against my feet as I walk on it. There is a small, white bed that is as hard as a rock pushed against the wall, and an old, rusty mirror hanging behind the door. The only window in my room looks out to a dark alley and has cracks throughout the glass. I share a bathroom with seven other kids, so some days I barely get to use it at all. It feels like I have been living like this for a million years and there is no end in sight.  Outside of my room, the old, hardwoods floors squeak as you walk on them, making every move heard, and every escape plan impossible. I have tried to escape more times than I can count, and I have been caught every single one of them. Mrs. Q is the owner of the orphanage, and it feels like she has eyes on the back off her head. She is watching our every move, and if you don’t do something when you are told or don’t so something right, you’re in big trouble. Every child has tried to escape at least once, some of them even made it down the street, but Mrs. Q has caught them every time. When I woke up today, there was an unfamiliar feeling in the air. It was a feeling that something good or exciting was going to happen, but I pushed that feeling behind me because living a life like this, none of that was possible. Today was Saturday, which meant there were pancakes for breakfast. They were always soggy and tasted a little suspicious, but I didn’t care. I am so hungry, I could eat a horse. Today, something about the pancakes when I walked into the room made my hunger run away from my stomach.  Everyone else seemed to be fine with them though, so I pretended to eat so I wouldn't get in trouble while throwing the bits and pieces under the long wooden table. The day went on as usual. Later that evening while I was getting ready for bed, I decided to go through the boxes I had shoved in my closet the day I had moved in. In the second box I opened, I found an envelope buried on the bottom. The edges were torn off, and the paper was beginning to deteriorate. Being the curious child I am, I opened it. As soon as I read the first word my stomach dropped and tears began to rush to my eyes. It was a note from my dad, and little did I knew it was buried in that box all these years. I just never came across it. Reading this note made me feel like I was sitting right next to him. I could hear his voice in my head as I read it. The note said:

Rose,

As I am writing this note, you are in the living room with your siblings, trying to ignore me. I had just told you the news. The news that I had to give you up. I hope someday you find this and know that I am truly sorry. There was no other option, and I hope you know I did what was best for our family.  Even if you are reading this letter twenty years from now, I hope you know that you will always find you way back home because I am never leaving. No matter what happens I am never leaving. See you soon, Dad

By now, a river was flowing down my face. Since the second I walked into this orphanage, I wanted out, but I knew that there was no where to go. But reading this letter changed the way I thought. There was still hope in the air, and tonight it was stronger than ever. Tonight I would think of a plan that would be different than all the others, because it would actually work. I will get out of this miserable place and go home to my dad. Without thinking,  I quickly grabbed everything I had, which was not much, and made a beeline for the door. It was approaching eleven o’clock by now, and I was positive that no one was up. Mrs. Q had a strict bedtime, and no one ever broke those rules. I knew my dad was a night owl, so this would be the perfect time to go home. I have to tried to escape so many times, I have perfected silently walking down the stairs and opening the door. Normally, there is a guard at the door, but tonight there wasn’t, which was perfect. I silently closed the door until I heard the “click” sound of the lock. Then I was off. Although it dark outside, you could still the the colorful leaves from the bright moon light. The smell of autumn filled the air and there was a cool breeze here and there. The sidewalks were bare, and it felt like the whole city was asleep. As I approached 1137 Walnut Circle Ave, it feels as though I never left. There’s no place like home, I thought to myself as I walked up the stone steps to the front door. I was hesitant at first, but I finally built up the courage to knock on the door. I could hear footsteps approaching the door, getting louder and louder every second. My heart was racing and my palms became all sweaty, but as the door slowly creaked open and I saw who was behind it, tears rushed to my eyes. “Dad, I’m home.” After the moment he opened the door, I knew that good things were coming my way, and the bad was all over.