The Orphan’s Secret

“Where am I?” I wondered as I turned up in a dusty room. The room was eerily quiet, serene, with dust all over the place. In the corner, was a young girl dressed in rags, someone I didn’t recognise. The room had looked horrible – wallpaper peeling off the walls, the roof broken with dents and holes, and the windows casting long shadows of the pre-dawn.

As she gradually began to stir, I started to move in sync. I realised I was her – wherever she was – her shadow. Her hands reached out and grasped an old photo by her side, its edges crinkling under her grip. I could tell that she was recalling her parents’ memories of laughter, stories and joy. Then, something unexpected happened.

She tore it into two.

I watched in horror as she deliberately knocked a mug onto the floor, then a bowl, then a picture frame with her and her …parents on it. I watched, confused, as she gathered the broken pieces and buried them with her bare hands. Then she left. Finally, I followed. What I didn’t notice was she buried it in her parents’ grave.

We travelled until she stopped in her tracks. I followed her gaze at the top of the building: convenience store.

Once inside, she walked straight to the counter.

“Madam, can I have this candy for free along with the flowers?”

She nodded and dropped it into her palm while handing her a bouquet.

“Can I have this udon too?”

“You don’t need to ask,” she replied as the girl wrapped her fingers around the bowl.

She dispersed without a word.

Night was approaching, the sky awash with twilight hues. Although I could tell she was scared, she persevered, never stopped taking steps.

She bumped into a police officer. “What are you doing here?”
“I want to find my mother and father,” she replied.

My heart leapt. Her mother? Her father?

“Why are you out so late?” he questioned.

“My dad said that ghosts come out at a late time. I want to see my parents and I broke her things so she can fix it and see me. They died in a car crash. I also got them food.” Her eyes welled with tears.

I gasped. So that’s why she broke those things. My eyes were dry with regret about thinking her as a bad girl. Then, a faint light caught my eye.

Pre-dawn.

“I’ll go next time,” she replied after seeing the edge of the sun. She ran off.

I knew my time was up. Gradually, my limbs began disappearing, then my body.

“I wish I could stay with you,” I thought.
As my head disappeared, I gave her a silent goodbye.