***That day, everyone went to bed early, exhausted. But I remained awake, feeling suffocated. Thoughts rushed into my head, and my emotions fluctuated. I tossed and turned in my bed until I heard the sound of rain. I tried to look out the window, standing on my tiptoes until it hurt, but I couldn't see anything—I was too short. I remembered that fool, Szymon, who had blocked the window with a wooden plank.
Without thinking much, I headed to the kitchen, where there was a gap beneath the counter. I knew I'd probably run into a rat—either a real one or Szymon himself…
I sat near the gap, which was wide enough, and pressed my cheek against the cold floor as I focused on watching the raindrops. The breeze was gentle, unlike usual. I felt life returning to my body. I thought, maybe I was born on a rainy day. I ran my fingers left and right repeatedly—I didn't want to find myself suddenly face to face with a real rat.
For a moment, my mind drifted away, but I quickly snapped back to reality and got up to check the place again—only to find someone standing directly above me! I froze in place before slowly lifting my gaze… It was Szymon, staring at me as always—like an owl that never sleeps!
I frowned and said sharply, "What? What is it now?"
He raised an eyebrow slightly and replied in a mocking tone, "You. What exactly are you trying to do? Do you even have a brain in there?" He tapped his finger on my forehead as if knocking on a door, his expression filled with authority—as if he owned the place.
I felt annoyed. I thought of ignoring him, but he noticed. He quickly sat down directly in front of the gap, blocking it entirely, then said, "There. It's gone now. No more gap. You can leave."
Lifting my chin defiantly, I sat down across from him. "Then I'll stay here too, until the gap reappears."
We sat there, leaning our backs against the cold wall, trapped only by our stubbornness and competitive spirits. I closed my eyes, but I could still feel his burning gaze on me.
We remained like that for a while, until suddenly, we heard a sound growing louder—it was approaching fast…
Passing by the restaurant entrance, a large shadow appeared, wearing an orange plastic raincoat, completely drenched. He seemed to be making an effort to keep his footsteps quiet. In a calm yet confident voice, he said, "No one will find out… we just need two people."
But another voice quickly interrupted him, sharp and filled with anger: "Have you lost your mind?! You promised me the last time would be the final one! I told you not to come to me. I can't see you here again!"
The shadow moved toward the end of the hallway, where the exit was, followed by a woman… it was Madame Magda.
I tried to focus on their conversation, but something else distracted me—Szymon's state. He was trembling violently, his eyes wide as if he had seen a ghost. He covered his mouth with his hands, unaware that he was struggling to breathe. He was in a state of absolute terror.
What could possibly scare him this much? A crazy thought crossed my mind: What if I screamed right now? Would that man catch us? Would we be punished—including this arrogant Szymon, finally getting what he deserves after all his boasting?
But one look at his face told me this wasn't just fear—it was real shock.
I cautiously stood up, trying to get closer to the restaurant entrance to see what was happening.
Suddenly, Szymon grabbed me tightly, shaking his head desperately, as if pleading: "No."
I pushed his hand away, ignoring his tension, then carefully stepped toward the orphanage exit.
At that moment, the orphanage door slowly creaked open—then slammed shut violently.
And there, I saw the shocking scene—a massive hand gripping Madame Magda's neck from behind, pressing her face toward the ground as if humiliating her. Her gasps were clear, mixed with submission and pain.
Then the man moved his other hand toward her face, raging like an enraged bull. There was something strange about him. I stared for a long moment, trying to grasp the unsettling feeling washing over me, until my eyes landed on his hand—it was wrapped in a cloth, marked by a deep wound.
My breathing grew slow as I began counting his fingers…
One, two, three, four…
I froze. He was missing a finger.
Then his voice came, as cold as a knife's edge: "How dare you, you pathetic woman, defy orders? If the master gives a command… it must be obeyed."
Then he laughed sinisterly and added, "And there's something else we'll be discussing soon."
He left quietly, leaving Madame Magda in a pitiful state. She struggled to catch her breath, leaning against the wall, then walked past me without noticing, groaning and cursing in a trembling voice, "My God… what will they do this time?"
I didn't pay her much attention, but I turned to look for Szymon—he was gone.
***I couldn't sleep that night. I waited for him to sneak through the courtyard as he always did… but he never came. I wandered through the hallways, checked the foyer, then the dining hall—no sign of him. I even lingered for a while near the boys' room, hoping he was sleeping there.
When morning came, I was completely exhausted. I had barely slept. The noise outside was growing, but I couldn't move. My eyes were half-closed, and my body felt heavy with fatigue. I struggled to stay awake, fighting off sleep.
Then Mia appeared, her face filled with a mix of urgency and worry.
— "Come on! Wake up! You'll be punished!"
She threw some blankets over me, whispering, "Madame Mir! Madame Mir!" I didn't grasp her words until I heard the sharp footsteps of Madame Mir approaching. I sprang up quickly, throwing off the blankets as if I had already been awake—
As soon as she passed, I let myself collapse back onto the bed. But just then, I caught sight of Zuzanna rushing by, carrying a bowl of water. Her face was pale, visibly tense. I followed her with my eyes as she hurried into the boys' room. My heart pounded, and a sense of unease crept over me.
I turned to Mia and asked:
— "What's going on?"
She shook her head, confusion clear in her eyes.
— "I don't know. We asked, but no one answered us. They even stopped us from entering their room."
That only added to my anxiety. Whenever something serious happened, the older kids were always the ones to intervene. The boys had their own leader, while for the girls, Zuzanna was in charge. Whenever there was an emergency, they were the first to act.
A whirlwind of thoughts filled my mind, but my curiosity was stronger. Without washing my face or fixing my hair, I rushed toward the room. But once again, the boys blocked my way.
— "What's happening?!" I demanded, but no one answered.
I searched the crowd until my eyes landed on Igor, standing at the entrance. For a moment, I hesitated, then walked toward him, trying to appear indifferent as I asked:
— "What's wrong? Did something happen?"
He looked at me in surprise for a moment, then smirked mockingly and said:
— "Wow, you finally decided to talk to us?"
I sighed in frustration, trying to suppress my irritation.
— "Igor, enough. Just tell me already!"
He shrugged indifferently.
— "Alright, alright… Szymon is sick. I think he has a fever."
I froze in place. A fever? Could the fear he felt last night have made him sick? The thought consumed me.
I moved toward the room again, but the boys stopped me once more. I turned to Igor—as useless as ever. He lowered his head, refusing to help me.
That painful feeling returned. Maybe it was foolish to think this way, but the truth was clear: he had abandoned me. Just like he did when we first came here. He never tried to protect us. He denied everything. He left us alone.
Mia and I had never been able to fit in here… unlike him.