Chapter 11: Everyone here is Lying.

ELARA

I pretended not to hear him and turned to leave, but he grabbed my hoodie.

“Hold on, Lara.” The second voice came out.

I turned slowly and the first thing that came was a punch to my face.

“Stupid bitch.” Lyla cackled, coming out from the dark where she was smoking.

The street lights came on and I could recognise them.

Kenny, Lyla and her minions.

I spat the blood out of my mouth and smiled at them.

“Hi guys, is this revenge?”

They snorted, staring at me like wolves wanting to eat something.

“Why are you here? Heard you were getting married to the big fish.” Lyla chuckled and threw a punch, but I dodged it.

“Yeah, I was… but I changed my mind. His younger brother was preferable. Since you couldn’t get him, I had him at my fingertips.”

It triggered her and she pounced on me, but I was smarter.

“You know what you’re doing is illegal. Not for you though, but for your friends.”

"Sneaking out when it's past time? Strict curfew is by 12, and yet you lots are out smoking when it is 2.”

Kenny and the rest stopped and I gave a knowing nod.

“Bullshit… You know you're adults, right? Twenty-one and you still let the stupid government control your fucking lives?”

I spat, this time very pissed.

“You only show power to your weaker colleagues, beating and bullying. Have you thought of doing something meaningful with your damn lives?”

I half yelled and everywhere fell silent, just the sound of crickets were heard.

“Kenny, if you stayed back in this orphanage, in two months’ time you would lose your life.”

I said it and I was damn serious about it. It had happened, and now I just knew that the orphanage was up to something they were hiding. Something really dark.

There was silence , then clapping of hands, followed by small laughter.

“I see… You now have the audacity to say things to us because Mr Vance took you in?”

" Have you forgotten who we are? We are dangerous, you know and we hate the rich kids, you are one of them now, so why didn’t you come here with security, ‘star’?”

That was Lyla and I ignored her and focused on her minions.

“Listen to me, you’re not like Lyla. Don't let her control you. She doesn't even have the strength, I mean, I beat her ass the last time I was here.

"Lyla has a home, parents that love her, but you, you had parents who abused you and didn’t take care of you. Parents who discarded you.”

“Shut the fuck up!” Kenny threatened. He was filled with rage.

“We are orphans. We weren’t taken, our parents are dead."

“Fuck that lies." I yelled, reality also dawning on me.

“You once told me you were brought in when you were 10. Can you remember any incident that transpired before that? Where you stayed before, who you lived with?"

No response.

“Can any of you remember what happened in your life before coming here?”

" See, your life basically revolves around this place. Ask yourselves why.”

“I was brought here when I was 8 and I had no idea of my past life. Is that normal? Didn’t we have a life before? Or were we created at a particular age? What happened to our memories?”

I turned and pointed to Lyla.

“She remembers her life as a kid. She remembers everything about her, but not us. Why?”

The place fell quiet and no one said a thing.

I was also shocked at my own discovery and we all didn’t say a word for some time before Lyla interrupted and ran towards Kenny, holding his hand.

“She’s saying bullshit… You wouldn’t believe and listen to this stupid bitch, right?”

“Shut up, Lyla!” Kenny yelled and she stumbled back.

A flashlight suddenly came from the gate.

“Quick, hide.” Lyla’s best friend said as we all scrambled away.

I didn’t know where to go, so I just ran in their direction.

“We’re so done if they notice we’re missing.” Another girl said. I stared at the five of them, but my eyes fixed on the black sheep Lyla. She may know a lot more than she's letting on.

“Come on guys, my dad is the…” Lyla tried saying but was interrupted by Kenny.

“Lyla, shut the fuck up.”

Then he turned to me.

“What are you insinuating, Lara?”

I nodded.

“The same thing you’re thinking. That we were taken away, given drugs to clear our memory of our past life and locked up here or we are some sort of monsters used as practicals.” I didn't believe the last statement even from myself, but I don't know what to believe again.

He nodded.

“Have you noticed we are all sports athletes? We weren’t even trained, it just happened that has been embedded in us.”

"And all over the world we get picked from here as protégés. Those who didn’t get picked ended up getting married to some wealthy drug lord or discarded. I mean, we no longer hear from them again.”

“Guys, what the hell? You’re letting this bitch get into your head? I am disappointed,” Lyla interrupted and Kenny shoved her to the ground.

“You know what’s going on, right Lyla? Tell us. What’s your dad hiding? What’s the government hiding? What's going on?"

Lyla didn’t answer but yelled, throwing tantrums and scattering her hair.

Her voice attracted the guards to our hide outs..

“Who’s there?” the guards asked as Kenny grabbed my wrist and ran off with me, leaving Lyla and her friends who were still confused on what side to be on.

Now we squat in the grass behind the building and Kenny’s grip on my hand tightened.

“Tell me,” he demanded in a hushed voice.

“What did you mean I would die in two months’ time?”

I stared into his eyes.

“I’m serious, Kenny. You don’t need to know how I knew, but if you didn’t leave here soon, you’d be dead.”

He gulped and nodded.

“Where do I go?”

“Anywhere, Kenny, just leave and do something new for yourself.”

I brought out a 2000 dollar bill and handed it to him.

“Here, leave quickly.”

“What about you?”

I gave a very small laugh.

“You don’t have to worry about me. I’m safe. Vance is my father, and at least I have his protection.”

He nodded and turned to leave with his shoulders sagged when I stopped him.

“Kenny…”

“What happened on the twelfth of March? The day before Vance came for the adoption?”

"That morning my alarm was tampered with and I was locked in and had woken up late.”

I saw him look uncomfortable.

“Tell me, Kenny. Ivy is hiding something from me. I can't remember what happened that day. You need to share it with me.”

“I don’t know.” He shook his head.

“I can remember the incidents of the day, but not what transpired that night.”

“I just saved your life, Kenny. Don’t lie to me.”

I snapped and he walked closer, staring at me.

“Something happened, okay. Something happened between you and Ivy that night.”

I nodded my head, urging him to go on.

“Ivy handed you a flower at the bonfire and all of a sudden, it seems the flower had a strange effect on you and you snapped and growled in a really strange way. After that, Ivy was sent flying in the air… and… and…”

“Kenny?”

I yelled and ran to his side. He had dropped to the bare floor and was bleeding from his nose.

“I can’t remember the details, Lara. I can’t… that’s all I can remember.”

“It’s okay, I understand. You’ll be fine.”

I made Kenny sit up and wait outside for me, while I snuck into the building.

I needed to find something, at least just one thing and I would know what was going on.

“Be careful…” Kenny whispered as I climbed the walls, using the window frame as leverage.