Ava was not contented with the freedom she got at the orphanage. She wanted to leave it's environs. She was tired of seeing the people she hated most; Avaelyn, Mrs Loly and the kids at the orphanage. She wanted to see what the world was like on the outside. She had been patient enough with them at the orphanage. No couple that came by for adoption ever looked her way so she decided to explore life by herself.
That day, Ava started planning her escape carefully and patiently. She gathered her things along with small bits of food, water, and a sharp metal. She was desperate and waited for the right and perfect time to leave the dungeon called orphanage.
Avaelyn had noticed how withdrawn Ava had been. What is wrong? She had asked Ava, concerned but Ava told her that nothing was wrong. Avaelyn continued to watch her closely. Was Ava planning to cause another havoc? No, Ava was a changed person. She could not get the slightest clue of what Ava was up to so she just gave up her curiosity.
Two days later, there was a storm as if it would rain heavily. Ava waited patiently for it to rain but the rain did not come. "This is the perfect time" she thought to herself. She was going to leave the orphanage that night and never return. She was bent on leaving that day and so she reached out to the items she had gathered days back. She tip toed, measuring her steps and controlling her breath. She walked down the stairs with the sharp metal which she clung to tightly. She was ready to knock out any one who tried to stand in her way of escape that night.
She finally reached down the stairs and walked towards the small black gate behind the orphanage building. The gate had always been kept closed as no one entered or exited through it. It was already covered in cob webs. The small gate creaked as Ava drew it open. Outside the small gate, a dwarf fence surrounded the orphanage again. She wondered what was the use of the dwarf fence. Out of desperation, she climbed over the dwarf fence and a heap of dirt below, received her at the other side of the fence. The air was thick and suffocating. Now Ava understood why the small gate had been kept locked. She held her breath as she kept moving. She finally arrived at a dark passage, she kept walking until she came to a broad road. The road splinted into two; left and right. Ava became more confused. She did not know what path to choose. She stopped and looked down the two roads. After a brief pause, she headed for the right path. She was not certain but she kept going, because something within her told her to trust the unknown over the place she was trying to leave behind. She obeyed her instincts and strode ahead.
At intervals,she would break into a run, then stop, walk and then, run again. She continued in this circles. Suddenly, the sky began to growl and threatened to pour down the tears it had held in for a long while. Ava stopped and listened to the sky. Then she continued running. This time, she didn't stop; she could not afford to get drenched by the rain. As she ran, she searched for a shade to rest her tired head and body but she found none.
Then, the rain started without patience or consideration. It poured down heavily and it seemed to Ava that everything was against her. She refused to stop or turn back. Ahead, it got darker and she could barely see but she kept going because she wanted to get very far from the orphanage until it became nothing more than a memory swallowed by the distance. Her heart raced faster as the rain descended heavily. She was afraid but the fear was outmatched by that of the orphanage. She hated that place with everything in her and because of that, she considered the dark better than it. Slowly, the rain began to reduce; the rain had finally considered her pain and decided to take pity on her. It reduced until it was just drops that fell. She stopped running as the drops fell on her shivering body. With every drop, her body shivered. The rain dripped from her hair and made lines as it strode down her wet body, tickling her within. She was cold and shivered; her teeth clasped together. She looked ahead and discovered that she was now lost in the thick forest. How had she gotten this far? She had ran as fast as her legs could carry her and now, she was lost. She looked arouybut everything seemed strange, her eyes were heavy. Branches hung loose and the soil was slimy as her legs were covered in the mud the rain had mingled together with the soil. She was afraid, she did not know what would come next but she was sure of one thing; that she was no longer trapped in the orphanage.
She had never imagined how loud freedom would be. She had never been free since her parents died as a result of the horrible accident which she blamed her twin, Avaelyn for. Most of her life had been confined to the cold, thick stone walls of the orphanage home where she never felt loved, or cared for. Everyone showed their love and attention to her sister, Avaelyn. This thought made her stroll deeper into the forest. Outside those walls, everything moved and seemed differently. The winds did not whisper about her like the kids did at the orphanage home; they were rather loud and roared through the trees, the breeze was gentle and the air had the scent of woods and plants, the ground beneath her was uneven, she walked on it without fear of being laughed at. She found comfort and solace in this forest. Every sound felt beautiful and magnified her ego. Everything seemed to be around her and this was what she loved. She loved the attention given to her by the forest. The birds sang beautifully and the cricket blinked lights as they danced in an even way. She felt exalted as she let out a broad smile.
She kept walking deeper and the forest seemed unending. She came by a little stream of water, the water tasted fresh. She kept walking deeper,it was enticing and beautiful. She came to a maze of towering trees and tangled undergrowths. Her legs were now heavy with mud, her back was weary, her clothes were heavily drenched by the rain and she was exhausted. Regardless, she refused to stop because, stopping meant thinking; and thinking meant remembering; and remembering meant hatred. Hatred for Avaelyn, her sister, hatred for Mrs Loly, hatred for the orphanage,hatred for everyone and everything she had come across since her parents demise. Life had been bitter to her since then and she had followed the flow by being obnoxious and despicable to everyone. She kept walking deeper into the forest as her thoughts hardened her the more.
"Forward is the only way, FORWARD", she said as she staggered her way forward, weighed down but unbothered by the darkness which the night unleashed.
Morning came faster than she anticipated. She sat beneath a towering tree as rays of light pierced through the open branches above. Her food was soaked by the rain but she munched on it anyways. After eating, she continued to the unknown. By evening, hunger began to sharpen her thoughts; her food was all gone and she was very tired. The place was lacking of fruits or any edibles. She grew more tired with every footstep she took, knowing she had no sense of direction. She was just in the middle of no where, with no destination; just distance to an unending sight ahead of her.
At first, she had believed that distance alone would keep her safe and that if she moved far enough and fast enough, the orphanage home would lose its grip on her. Little did she know that the outside world was not empty neither did it belong to her. It belonged to no one in particular..it was just a space inhabited by people. She thought of going back, she had taken the wrong route and she was only coming to realization now.
Looking back,the expanse was wide enough. She had been coming in a straight line, how come everywhere behind her was this wide! She became more afraid. The sun could not penetrate this part of the forest again. It was just cool and the breeze kept roaring in accompaniment of the songs of countless birds that perched on different branches of the trees. Ava knew she was lost but there was no going back. By now, they would have started searching for her and she would have been reported missing. If she was found, she knew the repercussions she would face so she kept moving forward in anticipation of a positive ray of light.