Night came, but sleep refused to. Both Annabel and Deb lay on their bed, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling.
Deb let her arm slid off the bed, and touched underneath the bed, where she had saved the fragments of the broken lamp.
When her fingertips made contact with a piece, she grasped for it, and pulled it from under the bed.
Annabel turned her head to her. “That’s not the first time you do that” she said, when Deb made a cut in her lower arm. “I’ve seen the scars” Annabel explained.
She turned her head back. “I used to burn myself with cigarettes. I thought I deserved it, for being a bad daughter. I mean, why else would my real parents put me here? But then I got older, and I understood that they didn’t have a choice. They must’ve had a very good reason to give me up”
Deb started on her other arm. “Why didn’t they give you up for adoption?” she asked.
“I don’t know” Annabel replied defensive. “When I’m eighteen, I’ll be out of here, and then I’ll go find them, and ask them”
“How will you know where to look?” Deb asked, skeptical.
“I have a picture. I’ll ask around” Annabel answered.
“Maybe, they don’t want you to find them” Deb pointed out. “Can I see that picture?”
“No!” Annabel exclaimed.
“Why not? Are your parents aliens or something?” Deb asked, sarcastically.
“Why don’t you hit an artery, and leave me the hell alone?” Annabel snapped.
And so, that’s exactly what Deb did…
Deb let her arm slid off the bed, and touched underneath the bed, where she had saved the fragments of the broken lamp.
When her fingertips made contact with a piece, she grasped for it, and pulled it from under the bed.
Annabel turned her head to her. “That’s not the first time you do that” she said, when Deb made a cut in her lower arm. “I’ve seen the scars” Annabel explained.
She turned her head back. “I used to burn myself with cigarettes. I thought I deserved it, for being a bad daughter. I mean, why else would my real parents put me here? But then I got older, and I understood that they didn’t have a choice. They must’ve had a very good reason to give me up”
Deb started on her other arm. “Why didn’t they give you up for adoption?” she asked.
“I don’t know” Annabel replied defensive. “When I’m eighteen, I’ll be out of here, and then I’ll go find them, and ask them”
“How will you know where to look?” Deb asked, skeptical.
“I have a picture. I’ll ask around” Annabel answered.
“Maybe, they don’t want you to find them” Deb pointed out. “Can I see that picture?”
“No!” Annabel exclaimed.
“Why not? Are your parents aliens or something?” Deb asked, sarcastically.
“Why don’t you hit an artery, and leave me the hell alone?” Annabel snapped.
And so, that’s exactly what Deb did…