A Gift from the Goddess

Book Two – Ch.# 39

This was the riskiest venture I’d done since returning from Ashwood.

Not only was I now leaving the protection of my father’s reach, but I was willingly jumping down a rabbit hole that could potentially bring more problems in its wake. Opening myself up to secrets I might eventually regret uncovering.

But I couldn’t go on like this anymore.

To continue as I was would only lead to destroying myself or others, possibly bringing more harm than I knew how to fix. *If it was even fixable. I could only hope that Zac would recover and stop treating me like… whatever that was.

However, it was clear that there were things at work behind the scenes that weren’t immediately obvious. Things that might come back to bite me whether I liked it or not.

And so I had to start with what information I did have.

… Information that led me to staring at an old iron woven gate, a chilling familiarity about it.

Because it was this very gate that belonged to the place I’d called home for some time.

The orphanage I’d been adopted from.

I took a moment to calm my nerves, contemplating whether this was really a good idea. But the drive here had already taken several hours to arrive, it now being morning already, and it was time that I’d spent mulling over this very dilemma.

And, ultimately, I went through with what I came here to do.

….I entered through the gate.

The orphanage looked to still be in business, several children running around in the distance on a grassy green field. From the path, I could hear their laughter, hear how they were all enjoying themselves. A vastly different experience than what I could remember of my own. time here.

“Can I help you?”

I was greeted inside by an older lady attending the counter. She looked vaguely familiar, assumedly someone who had been here during my residency. I hoped that was a good thing.

Upon walking in, her eyes immediately scrutinised me.

“Hi… yes,” I said, approaching. “I’m sorry to bother you, but I was just looking to get some information. I ah… I used to live here and was hoping that you might have my old records still available. My name is-.”

“Rheyna,” she finished, her face lightening in recognition.

“You remember me?” I asked, a little shocked.

It’d been sixteen years since my adoption.

She had to have seen thousands of children come through these doors since then.

“Yes…,” she said slowly. “It’s not often kids leave such an… impact… as you did.

Your time here was as memorable as your distinctive appearance. It’s hard to forget golden eyes such as yours.”

“Ah…,” was all I could say.

the incident I’d

up well despite having a difficult time here,” she said, a small smile on her lips. “A successful adoption is all I can really hope for the kids here. To this day, it still breaks my heart whenever I see any return.

paused to look at me closer, confusion showing on her face. “I am a little surprised to see you back here. Mr Reid paid a significant donation to our facility upon your adoption. It was clear that the lifestyle and devotion he could provide for you was a head above the rest for candidacy. I would have thought

me as odd and, as I took a moment to think about it more, I realised

the rest

one candidate asking

a place where children were lucky to have even one person express interest, this seemed very odd to me. Especially considering the behavioural record I must have had

me with a… fulfilling life,” I said carefully. “To this

to hear that.”

I naturally have questions about my past,” I continued. “If possible, I was hoping to look at my records. Perhaps anything to do with my adoption or… how I came

as she listened to my request, the lines on

age now,” she said slowly. This request is within

as she searched for the records, doing my best to remain as patient as

had an itch to go looking for them. To me, only my father had mattered. The one who had lifted me out of this place and given me shelter. Given me a life and purpose, someone to nurture

couldn’t change my blood, change who and what I was.

to you first,” said the lady, entering the room once more. “From the very beginning, your time here was filled with difficulties outside your control. I can see you’ve grown

walked back over to the desk and saw she’d retrieved my records. Only, in the place where my name should have been, it looked like someone had gone over it with a black marker to censor it. Almost as if someone was removing my identity from it. Perhaps just another way

tearing my eyes away

deep breath in, her expression

she started. “It was something I was aware of but not in its entirety. I now know that the extent of that treatment went beyond the norm… and I need to sincerely apologise for my lack

“You mean the bullying

the older children?”

shaking her head. “…]

since the horrific incident that day could have cost us significantly in potentially losing Mr Reid’s donation, something we were in dire need of. Immediately, I began looking into it and realised that I’d missed all the

looking unsure

said, trying to encourage her to continue. “I can’t change the past now. All I’m looking for is the honest

nodded her head

of the circumstances surrounding

to be

were found by a truck driver on the side of the road, miles away from here. Nothing in sight for as far as the eye could see. Just an area completely overrun with deserted woods. You were brought to us covered in blood… and wouldn’t

thought I could remember a flash of the memory. The feeling of being numb and

a word for two whole months, no matter how hard the police and I tried to find out where you came from or what happened,” she continued. ” You’d just… stare at us with those intense eyes of yours silently. An air about you that unnerved many with uncertainty,

…A large dog?

late to stop the rumours and superstitions from the staff at this point. I found out later that this bias would go on to create the foundation of your mistreatment. I wish I’d known back then how bad it

here to do. But it was difficult not to realise what she was saying. I’d been so

it hadn’t been my fault.

you… Did you ever find out anything about my birth family?” I asked, clearing my throat.

shook her head.

I found that a strange way to phrase it.

…What about… unofficially?”

hesitated,

she said slowly, placing a hand on my file. ” However, I feel as though your time here was

opened my folder up and began