***Everything around me moved as expected, but I stood at the edge of something new. My eyes stayed fixed on Magda, watching closely. Unlike her usual self, she remained in her office all day and never came out.As for Mir, that miserable old woman, she was busy scolding the children as always—especially the girls. Her relationship with Madame Magda had never been good; it was merely protocol between them, as they rarely spoke. Other than that, I didn't find anything unusual outside the office. The thought of sneaking in never left my mind—I wanted to dig deeper, maybe uncover something. Why was I doing all this? I didn't know. I just knew that keeping myself busy felt better.
The idea that I could only enter when visitors arrived was frustrating—maybe tomorrow would be the right time. Then, another thought struck me: What if I get adopted tomorrow? Would I abandon this idea? But the thought itself felt strangely unsettling.
While searching for answers, I shifted my attention to the back facility. I snuck into the farthest corner where the junk room was and began listening carefully. But the stench was suffocating, stinging my eyes until they turned red. I stepped back to take a breath of fresh air, and suddenly—someone hit me on the head!
"Ah!" It was Szymon. I glared at him and said, "What? Weren't you supposed to be resting?"
He sighed deeply, as if carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, then muttered, "My God... I feel like this is the end for us."
I paid him no mind and waved him off mockingly. "Alright, you can leave." Then, I turned toward the room, raising an eyebrow with a sly smile. "Oh, how the tables have turned. Now, it's you who's following me."
Szymon seemed lost in thought, as if calculating something in his mind. I sensed he would try to stop me again. After a moment of silence, he spoke in a quiet voice: "Well… don't you want to go outside for a bit?"
A wide grin spread across my face—I couldn't believe what I had just heard. My eyes widened like a cat's, excitement surging through me. "Yes, yes! But… how?"
He didn't answer. Instead, he grabbed my hand and pulled me outside. We stopped by the window, and in a hushed voice, he said, "I promise… I'll get you out tonight, but on one condition—you stop doing this."
I took a step back, pretending to think, then said mischievously, "Alright, I'll consider it… as a compromise…"
Before I could finish my sentence, I noticed him standing on his toes, staring at my head. Then, he started removing cobwebs tangled in my hair.
For a moment, I froze in place, feeling a strange tingling sensation. Then I heard him scoff: "Look at yourself… what a filthy girl you are."
Snapping out of my daze, I shoved his hand away and walked off, speaking in a quiet yet sharp voice: "Because I belong in this filthy place."
I didn't look back, but I could feel him standing there, frozen for a moment, as if sadness had crept into his expression. I knew he was trying to keep me away from his secrets.
The days passed, and I faced another rejection for adoption.
This time, they said I was weak and might get sick easily. The woman who visited us was plump, so I understood her reasoning. Another child was adopted instead of me. I felt a slight sting of sadness, but she seemed kind, so I was somewhat happy for that child.
After everyone left, I stayed alone with Educk in the office and asked him to keep watch at the door. I whispered to myself, "I'm sorry, Szymon..." and started searching through the office drawers.
There was nothing of value—just some candy in a drawer, scattered coins, and papers I didn't understand. But what caught my attention was a set of photographs.
They were all of the same boy. He looked a little older—strong build, good-looking. I wanted to memorize his features to ask about him later, but I wasn't sure if I would remember them. So, I took one of the photos.
Before I could examine it properly, I suddenly heard Magda's footsteps, forcing me to hide it quickly.
She led us outside, and as usual, took the opportunity to scold us. She expected us to lower our heads, stay silent, and act like we weren't there—just like always.
Then, four boys entered the office. I didn't know their names except for one, Oscar. They were all older and had strong, solid builds. Magda closed the door tightly, but I didn't give up. I wanted to overhear what was going on, trying to steady my steps to listen, but it didn't help. The boys, as usual, were loud in the hallway. They enjoyed making noise, how annoying they were. I always thought their place would be better outside.
***The night stretched on as if deliberately delaying the darkness. Everything seemed calm, but inside, I was boiling with excitement. When the bedtime bell rang, I closed my eyes, pretending to surrender, but my restless breath betrayed my anticipation. The minutes passed painfully slow until, finally—a soft whistle shattered the silence.
I jumped out of bed cautiously; it was Szymon. I sneaked closer, and as I approached him, he grabbed my wrist swiftly. I smiled and whispered, "Brilliant! The whistle will be our secret language! What a genius idea!" But he didn't share my enthusiasm. He exhaled slowly and said in a low voice, "Just... stay quiet, please."
He led me to the storage room, but then suddenly stopped and retraced his steps. I furrowed my brow and asked in a hushed voice, "What? Where are we going?" He raised a finger, signaling me to wait, but of course, I didn't. I followed him cautiously and saw him pull out a small key, inserting it into the lock, and with a faint sound—the door opened easily. He turned to me, his face unreadable, and said, "The door was open... looks like it's broken. We're so lucky!"
I watched him silently. His lie was obvious, but I didn't question him. The important thing now was that we were out. We moved carefully until we reached the back fence, where dense plants intertwined as if guarding the place. Szymon silently pushed them aside and began digging into the ground. I watched as he made a small opening—just big enough for us to slip through. He pointed to it and said, "Here it is!"
We crawled silently, moving slowly until we finally found ourselves on the other side. I stood up, dusted off my clothes, and turned to gaze at the fence. For a moment, my eyes widened in surprise, and I muttered, "I thought there was a gap, but... it's completely intact! You're so clever!"
He didn't answer, only gave me a slight smile, then began covering the hole from the outside as if it were just a routine task. He looked tired, so I decided to help him. After we finished, he lifted his head and looked at me for a long moment, then said in a tone I had never heard from him before, "Wow... you're really not what I expected."
Then, without warning, he took my hand, and we ran along the fence until we reached the forest. We stopped to catch our breath before he led me up a small hill overlooking the village. From there, the village lay still, its streets empty, its lights flickering like tiny stars scattered across the earth. A deep sense of joy filled me, as if I were seeing everything for the first time.
I drew in a deep breath—the air was so crisp and pure that I felt my lungs might burst from its freshness. My eyes roamed everywhere, wide with wonder, taking in every detail like a child discovering the world. I turned to Szymon and found him watching me with a quiet smile. Without a word, he reached into his pocket and held out a few hazelnuts.
I picked up a small stone, cracked one open, and tasted it slowly—it was delicious, fresh, as if carrying the very essence of this night. I turned to him, my eyes filled with gratitude. I said nothing, but somehow, I knew he understood.