CAHPTER ONE
Annabella’s slippers slapped the oak wood floors as she skidded down hall after hall of the St. Myra’s Orphanage for boys and girls, leaving behind echoes of her nimble gasps for breath. It was hard to believe that only minutes ago, she was fast asleep in her galling cot, her even breathing filling the room along with nineteen others, as if a chorus. She had been woken not by the disagreement between the cot and her back, but to her stomach rumbling.
That night, her least favorite dinner had been served, and all she hadn’t slipped to Bingo, a monstrous sheep dog, was the Yorkshire pudding. The fact that she hadn’t had anything since then wasn’t the most pleasing thought, but it didn’t worry her a bit. She knew that stationed in the service room, where all the children ate, played and held Sunday school, was Sister Catherine. Sister Catherine, unlike the other nuns at the orphanage, was lenient with some of the orphans. One day, for instance, Annabella’s friend Jacob skipped Music lessons, and was luckily caught by Sister Catherine. And instead of receiving 100 lines, he was given a BRD, a ballroom detention; which wasn’t so bad, just a bit of sweeping.
So, as Annabella had inaudibly slipped into her slippers, as to not awake the other slumbering children, she had only been comforted by the thought of who would greet her when she reached the Service Room. She had tiptoed out of the Bunk Room, and by the time she had reached the hall, she already saw herself stuffing herself with Treacle Toffee, Apple Crumble, Vanilla Crème Brulee and so much more that she had to stop herself from running down the stairs, up three halls, down a chandelier covered corridor, and into the French doors which led to the Service room. But running wasn’t the only thing she had to hold herself from doing, because as soon as she had reached the French doors, a gasp almost escaped her, for instead of seeing the shadows of the high chandeliers in the soft light cast by candles, she saw thick black smoke billowing out of the open doors and seeping into the hall!
So now, as she ran down the hall way gasping, she had to muster all of her remaining breath. “FIRE IN THE SERVICE ROOM!! WAKE UP!!! FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!” after all of her yelling, she continued running down the hall, banging on door after door, only stopping briefly to hear murmuring voices and the sounds of yawning, while some, she heard, gathering some belongings and running to the door, others trying to awake one another. Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, she reached the Grand Bunk Room where the nuns slept. Usually she hesitated when it came to opening the door, because she was usually sent there only for punishment. But now, with the knowledge of a fire now raging through the Orphanage, she burst through the door, bellowing “SISTERS!! WAKE UP, THERES A FIRE IN THE SERVICE ROOM. HALF THE ORPAHNAGE IS IN FLAMES!!!” Sister Wileby, the strictest of the nuns, was the first to come out of the yawning fit that came after they awoke.
“Annabella, what in the world is all that racket for? You know better than to come bursting through the door, awakening us and the rest of the orphans. What is your business? Come now, speak up!”
“Sister…Sister Wil…. Sister Wileby, the service room is on fire!” Annabella rushed out the sentence between gasps, standing by the door frame, only daring to venture further into the room.
“Vat nonsense,” Sister Elwell had a thick German accent, which made her “W’s” sound like “V’s”. “Ve all know that if there vas a fire, then Sister Catherine vould be the first to notify us, in a calmer manner.” She extended the word calmer, eyeing Annabella, who was trying to regain her composition.
“Oh my!” Sister Edward had moved from her bed to the window. “Sisters! Annabella speaks the truth! More than half the orphanage is in flames!” her voice went from frantic to almost a shriek. “I see some children in the courtyard, but here are more to be evacuated!”
“Annabella, did you see Sister Catherine at all in the hallvays?”
“No, I didn’t see her anywhere.” Annabella had caught her breath, and was glad that the sisters were now aware of the escalating situation, though her voice held a worried edge to it. “Do you know where she could be?” But the glances shared between the sisters was all Annabella needed to confirm the fact that no one knew were she was.
“I’m sorry, Annabella, but right now we have more to worry about, like helping all your friends and the rest of the children escape.”
A few nuns had already rushed out of the room, and could be heard bellowing down the hall, ordering the children where to go, and what to do. It took Annabella a moment to register what Sister Edward had just said. Save her friends? Surely the sisters were aware of her brutal teasing? But the thought only held her for a moment, when another pushed into her mind. She had to know if her best friend, as close as a brother to her, the only friend she had, was ok. She had to know if Jacob was alright. By then, the rest of the nuns had left, and she was left with Sister Elwell.
“Come Annabella, ve must leave.” She rushed her to the door and said briskly “Ill meet you vith the other children soon. Go out into the courtyard a vait for me there.” And with that, Sister Elwell hurried down the hall. Annabella looked after her receding form for only a moment, then down the opposite hall, down a flight of stairs and down another hall. She stopped when she heard whimpering a bit farther down.
“Bingo?” she said uncertainly. “Bingo, com here boy.” When Annabella had been found as a toddler, a black and white sheep dog puppy was with her, and Annabella was glad that the sisters allowed her to keep him. Now, as she ran down the hall with her shaggy companion, she felt a sick feeling. Finally bursting through the doors and into the pouring rain, she was overwhelmed to see the whole orphanage outside. Everyone she knew, some she never saw before, were outside in gowns and pajamas.
“Lets find Jacob.” Annabella weaved through the crowed, along with bingo, scanning the faces in the crowd, hoping to see Jacob’s familiar face, his gleaming eyes and amiable yet furtive smile. After what seemed to be a half an hour of searching, she felt a light tap on her shoulder.
“Annabella, I’ve been looking mad everywhere for you. I was worried out my pj’s. Do you like them, by the way?”
“JACOB!!” Annabella shrieked, and flung her arms around him.
“Whoa there, Bella, you act like I was dead.” Annabella was about to apologize when there was a crash, and a chorus of gasps, shrieks, and screams. St. Myra’s Orphanage for boys and girls had just collapsed.
“Holy Albrecht!” Jacob exclaimed in a hushed whisper, referring to his favorite artist, Albrecht Durer. His exclamation was then followed by silence. The fire no longer smoldered, and all the remained of the cathedral looking building was a bulky structure of charred wood, broken stained glass, and ash, and all that could be heard was the drum of the rain, and the distant chime of the clock tower.
CHAPTER TWO
Time seemed to creep by, revealing the truth piece by piece. The truth: St. Myra’s Orphanage for boys and girls had burned down into a heap of ash and charred wood. The orphans, now homeless, were still standing there, minutes after it collapsed, still gaping at what used to be their home. And the nuns who had helped them escape the flames were……. Annabella bit her lip. The thought of losing her home AND her guardians was to much to bare. All of the memories came flooding back to her; so many she felt as if she were drowning in them. Her and Jacob stood and watched as some of the children ventured towards the ruin, only to jump back after feeling the heat still emanating from the charred wood. In the distance, a fire truck’s siren blared, signaling that they had gotten word of the Orphanage’s fire.
Suddenly, Annabella began to back away. “The fire truck is coming…they’ll come and get us… take us away!” Annabella had always feared that one day, not only that her, Jacob, and Bingo could be separated from each other, but that Annabella would be sent to a home with guardians who didn’t car at all about her. The Sisters always allowed her to roam the gardens and explore, and she was afraid of losing that freedom.
“Don’t worry, Bella, I’m sure we’ll gat sent to good homes and maybe even…” Then Annabella’s fear crept across his face as well. It somehow even seemed to dawn on the rest of the children, as they stood in silence, each one thought about all of the rumors they had heard, that how, nowadays, adopting an orphan wasn’t to love them, but only to have someone to do their work. The orphans knew that, if they happened to be adopted, they might end up behind four windowless walls, scribing and dusting in striped overalls like Orphan Willie: a story the nuns told to keep the orphans from acting up. With the fire team only blocks away, the orphans had only one choice. Taking one last look at the remains of they’re home, school, and past lives, they crept into the shadows of the town, some holding hands, and some eyes cast behind them. Only when they saw the first fire truck come over the hill did they run, never to see the each other or the orphanage again.
CHAPTER THREE
The night was bitter cold, as if Jack Frost was coming to town early. Annabella and Jacob had slowed there pace down, allowing Bingo to rest, but only daring to stop, knowing that the fire team was probably searching for them and the others. After running past dark shop windows and shadowy doorways which led to slumbering families, Jacob finally stopped. “Its probably almost 2am,” he gasped, pointing to the sky that was becoming a light navy color. “Don’t you think we should stop to rest, you know, find a place to sleep?”
“Yeah, I guess so,” Annabella whispered in hoarse voice, resting her hands on her knees. She knew that if the stayed in this cold, they were bound to get ammonia. The three had stopped in front of an old bakery called “Ben’s Breads”, and next to it was an alley. At the end off the ally was a tall brick wall, and although it wasn’t warm, they settled down between a small pile of cardboard boxes bearing the bakery’s name. Bingo whined softly, and then laid on top of Jacob and Annabella, shielding them from the cold as much as possible. And before they knew it, they were fast asleep.
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