Chapter 111 – Orphan Gang

Ella

“Cora tell me what happened.” I demand, crossing my skinny arms over my chest. I’m eight years old, glaring down at my surrogate sister with a stern expression. It’s always been this way between us. She’s a year older, but I’ve always had the dominant personality.

“It was nothing.” She insists, averting her gaze from my own.

“You’re lying.” I counter stubbornly. “I can always tell, you know.”

“No, you think you always know.” Cora answers sullenly, though we both know I’m right. I can read my sister like a book.

“Would you just tell me?” I press, sighing with exasperation.

“Fine, it’s not even a big deal, it was just some of the big kids being jerks.” She explains gravely.

“Which ones?” I respond immediately. “Point them out.” It could be anyone, considering the fact that even children our own age tend to be bigger than us. It seems like the orphanage physician labels us undersized and undernourished every year, though nothing ever changes.

Reluctantly, Cora points toward a familiar gang of kids, ranging from age eleven to fourteen. The ringleader is a beefy thirteen year old who always wears a cruel leer, as if he’s ever on the lookout for someone to bully to tears – just for the fun of it. “You see, there’s nothing we can do about it – they run this place.”

“I beg to differ.” I answer, tilting my chin up defiantly. “We don’t have to be bigger than them – just smarter. Now tell me what they said to you?”

her shoulders slumped in defeat. “They called me a worthless gutter rat and said no one would ever adopt me

thing that keeps us going is the hope that we might get

it is. Parents only ever want the babies. I mean you might have a chance

just as badly as you do, but I’m not gonna leave you for anything.” I vow. I’d

hesitant smile.“You adopt all the outcasts.” This isn’t the first time she’s said this to me. I do have a way of taking the most skittish and rejected of our peers under my wing, but it’s not as if I can just stand by and let them be mistreated, or leave them to fend for themselves. We all need

remind her. “Why else do you think the big kids are so mean. They’re mad that no one ever picked them and they take

let them off the hook?” She asks, arching a

them that we’re in this together.”

teeth flash in a pearly grin. “And if they don’t

up to the bullies in question. Cora trails along behind me, whispering anxiously about what a bad idea this is. I don’t listen, determined to defend her

on someone your own size?” I call while we’re still a few

then laugh when they see I’m the one who spoke. The ringleader rises to his feet, then scoffs, “Even if they

I bite back. “You shouldn’t be mean

do about it, brat?” He stalks forward, looming over my small body with malicious intent. “A scrawny little thing like you? You’re even more useless than she is.”

something is rising up inside me, something powerful and fearless. I snarl and pounce, scrabbling up the older boy’s body and attacking him tooth and nail. He screams and flails his arms. “What – hey! Get her off me! What is this!” I don’t relent. Hands

realize how strange my behavior had been that day. Normal human girls don’t act

did that?” Sinclair asks, the

take on the big kids. When it was over I

words sink into my mind slowly, but I gradually recognize the truth in them –

sure I wouldn’t have been any match for a pup that wasn’t dormant, but the human kids still weren’t as strong. I never

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