Chapter 3 (part 3)

When Carus woke up, she didn't recognize where she was. There were kids screaming and crying from somewhere. There were adults yelling for calm. Feet constantly ran past her door, some were light and some were heavy. The little girl became frightened. She wasnt at home.


When she looked around her room, she became very sad. Her light purple princess bed was gone. Her huge dollhouse was gone. The room itself was smaller. The floors were cement instead of the nice warm wood with soft rugs. Instead, the bedding was gray. The walls were plain white. There was a small desk on the opposite side of the bed and a wardrobe in a far corner. It was a tiny, poorly made wooden wardrobe that looked like it would fall apart.


Carus called out, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Mamma! Mamma! Mamma where are you?! MAMMA!" Her voice cracked as she screamed for her mother. She continued crying loudly until someone dressed in a professional gown walked in. She had a stern look on her face and her eyes were cold.


"Why are you crying, Echo?" The woman's voice was a little warmer than her eyes.


Echo? That wasn't her name. Although it did sound familiar. As a matter of fact, everything was looking familiar again. The woman, the room, her clothing.

Echo answered. "Nothing. My lady. I had a nightmare." She remembered that she was in an orphanage. But the memory of her mother and father and the reason she was here was quickly fading. She only seemed to remember them in her nightmares, but like every other dream, it slips out of her head like sand through a seive.

Echo sat back down on her bed, not bothering to try and recall her dream, knowing it would be useless. When the nightmares first started she would sit for hours in the corner of her bed, hugging her pillow to her chest, and trying to think back over her dream. But they weren't there anymore. It was pointless to try now when she knew it wouldn't work.

"Goodbye..." She whispered to herself. She hoped the dreams would be gone for good.

"Echo!" The woman had called her from downstairs.

"Yes'm?" She quickly dashed out of the room, careful down the old, wooden stairs so she didn't slip, and came to a sudden hault.

There were two grown ups looking down at her, soft smiles on both their faces. Then, they glanced back to the headmistress who was speaking.

"You have a months trial with her. She's sweet but can be a handful sometimes as all kids can. But after a month is up we will have you sign papers saying she is officially your daughter. If you do not want her after your one month is up then you must pay a adoption fee as well as a disownment fee." The mistress had a slight frown on her face. She had never liked the system but it was how it worked.

Both man and woman nodded. The woman knelt on a level with Echo and spoke. "Hello Echo, will you like to come live with us in our home?"

***

Echo ran through the grass, chasing after her favorite ball. "Mama! Mama!" She called out, laughing, and crouched down to pick up the ball.