Chapter 98 - The Butterfly And The Bears: Part 1

(This Chapter takes place after Leia (Seri) leaves the orphanage.)

"This is the last stop for the night."

I opened my eyes and blinked groggily. The bus driver stood in front of me with an irritated look.

I nodded and stood up. I threw my backpack on and headed off the bus. I looked around and found a map at the bus station.

I had no idea where I was going. I was only preoccupied with one thought.

I had to find my baby brother.

I had no idea what happened to him after he was taken away from me. At this point, it's been three years since then.

I wonder if he knows how to talk now...

Either way, my first decision was to start where I had left off. If I wanted to find him, I had to look for him in my hometown first.

But, for now I need to find a place to sleep.

I walked along the road until I came to a secluded wooden area. I grabbed some spruce needles and fashioned myself a makeshift bed. I laid down on it and stared up at the night sky.

There was a half moon tonight. I remember me and Oliver used to look at the moon together. He said it looked like a toenail.

I suppose looking at it like this, it really did look like one. I used to think that it was such a gross analogy, but now I can't help but smile bitterly at the memory.

I wonder if my younger brother was looking at that moon now. I gave a yawn and whispered to myself.

"Don't worry. Your big sister is going to find you."

I fell asleep listening to the crickets chirp. I wasn't at all uncomfortable. I have always wanted to go camping before. Who would have known it would have been like this?

The next day I walked around town, but had no luck finding him. I criticized myself for trying. It's not like I would just stumble upon him.

There's only one thing I could think to try.

I tossed a knife into the air and caught it with accuracy. The scars on my hands showed how hard it was for me to learn this skill.

In the dead of night, I put my hood up and sauntered over to a broken down apartment complex. I looked around me before taking the knife and cutting out the screen to a window. I forced the window open and climbed in.

A small child poked his head out of the door. The boy didn't look like he was much older than ten. He frowned, "You aren't my mommy."

I smiled at the child making sure to fake a warm look. I spoke in a calm voice, "It's okay. I'm just waiting for your mommy to get home. You can go back to sleep."

The child sized me up a moment, but was ultimately convinced I wasn't a bad person. He went back into the room and shut the door.

I sat in a chair and flipped the knife into the air, catching it skillfully. My eyes stayed focus on the door.

After a few hours of waiting for the door to open, someone finally came in. The woman had bags under her eyes. Her scrubs had a few bloodstains on them. She shut the door behind her.

I gave a sinister smile, "Another long day at work?"

She froze and whirled around. It was still dark so she flipped on the light to see the intruder. She blinked in disbelief, "Leia...?"

I gave a low chuckle, "That's right."

The nurse held her breath and slowly reached into her purse for her phone. I flicked my hand and the knife whirled past her, sinking itself into the wall behind her. She froze instantly.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." I pulled out another knife and looked down at it. My voice held no trace of warmth, "Now please. Sit down. I'd like to ask you something."

I watched her hesitate. My voice grew colder, "Sit down or else my hand might slip."

I held the knife out and she looked at it with fearful eyes. I motioned to the seat across from me and she cautiously walked over. Her eyes never left mine.

She barely recognized the girl in front of her. The Leia she had known would always smile at her with loving eyes. But the girl in front of her was the opposite.

Her eyes were cold and uncaring. The scar that covered her eye gave her a frightening appearance. She held no trace of love on her face. Only pure hatred.

The nurse had seen this look before. She worked in an emergency room in the not-so-great part of town. The people who had this look always meant trouble.

They held no regard for their own life. And that's what made them so dangerous.

She bit her lip as she looked at Leia. This girl isn't supposed to look like this. Wasn't she supposed to be happier since she was away from her mother? Instead she looked far worse than she had. She even had more scars that she didn't before.

The nurse spoke in a low voice, "My son?"

I gave a big grin, "Don't worry. He's sleeping. You ought to teach him not to trust strangers."

She forced herself to look away from my cold gaze. "I will keep that in mind. Now what do you want."

I played with the knife in my hands, "Where did they take my brother?"

She looked startled by this, "Your brother? I-I'm not sure."

"Liar." I glared at her and grit my teeth.

She swallowed hard, "All I know is that he was immediately adopted by a nice couple. They moved out of the city."

"Where." She repeated the city to me. My eyes widened in surprise, "There?! That's so far away!"

I jumped up making her flinch. How the hell was I supposed to get there?!

I tightened my fists, "It's a big city too! Do you really not know where?!"

I stomped over to her in anger. She leaned backwards and looked at me in a panic, "I don't! I really don't!"

I had the sudden urge to hurt her.

No. I wanted to kill her.

This was the woman who lied to me.

This was the woman who ripped my family apart.

I raised my arm with the knife in my hands. My bloodthirsty eyes glared at her.

"Mother?"

I paused at that small voice. I lowered my hand.

She looked to her son in a panic, "Hey baby. Go back to bed... Okay?"

Her son could tell that something was wrong. She raised her voice, "Go."

He shrunk back in fear and ran back to his room. I held out my hand.

"Money."

She looked at me with wide eyes, "What?"

"Give me your money." I responded coldly.

Her hands shook, "But... I need that for-"

I glared at her, "Don't you think you owe me?"

She hesitated. Of course she felt that way. Ever since she watched her be torn away so pitifully, she couldn't help but be overcome by guilt.

She nodded slightly and handed over the cash in her wallet. I ripped it out of her hands and went to the door. I pulled the knife out of the wall and stored it. As I opened the door, she spoke to me.

"Don't you want to know what happened to your mother?"

My face darkened. I didn't care if she was in prison or out free. She was dead to me.

"I could care less." My voice was sharp and cold as I slammed the door behind me.

_____

I arrived to the Big City and was instantly overwhelmed. There were too many people. Too much noise.

The only good thing was that they purposely ignored my presence. They were used to the homeless. They had learned how to ignore them.

That was the only thing that relaxed me.

I headed to a social workers headquarters and spoke to the clerk. I asked for information on my brother, but she just told me to leave.

When I started shouting, she had the police come and escort me away. I tried to shake them off, but they only got rougher with me. The officers tossed me out of the door and I landed on the concrete.

I was scraped up. But pain didn't bother me anymore. I spit at their feet.

"F*cking pricks."

One clicked his tongue in disgust, "Get out of here you trash."

I looked at them with hateful eyes as I picked myself up proudly.

I guess they only care about poor and abused kids until they get older.

The next week, I barely made an effort to take care of myself. I would eat now and then. But only when I had to.

My focus was all on getting my brother back.

Eventually, the seasons began to change. Days turned into months... Months turned into years.

My brother would be six now.

I started becoming more impulsive. Before I knew it, I was part of a gang.

They were kids like me. Children forced away from their broken homes at a young age. Pushed from foster homes to orphanages. Only to become homeless adults. We were the children society turned their backs on.

I hadn't joined this gang on purpose. I wasn't looking for a place to belong. I was looking for information.

We hung out on a bridge in the park. I tossed my blade into the air. One stumbled over to me, "Oi! Leia! Try this!"

He held out a paper bag. I glared at him, "Don't you know that stuff will make you stupid?"

Another one laughed and smacked his back, "Dude! I told you she wouldn't drink it. She's way too smart."

I clicked my tongue, "I don't see how I'm smart. Aren't I in the gutters with you idiots?"

They all laughed and elbowed each other around. They were all so close.

I was always watching.

The drunk kid pouted, "Ahh... You're right. She's way too smart for us... But I just wanted to try and see her pretty smile~"

A girl with voluptuous natural hair sat down by me. She was a pretty girl with hazel eyes. Her dark skin shimmered in the sunlight. She too, was one of us.

She winked at them, "Why are you trying to make her smile? She would never smile for you."

They frowned, "Oi! She wouldn't smile for you either!"

She chuckled and elbowed me, "These dumba** boys. Maybe you should beat them up again."

Their faces froze. One jumped away, "Oi! Don't give her that idea! She's got knives in her hands!!"

I ignored them and glanced at her, "Did you find what I asked?"

She nodded and pulled out a piece of paper, "Oh yeah. This nerd will help you find that brother of yours."

I nodded, "Thanks."

I stood up and put the knife into my pocket. She looked at me with worried eyes, "You're coming back... Aren't you?"

I gave her a cold glance. I gave her a slight shrug and walked away. She watched me leave with sad eyes.

She shouted after me, "If you don't come back, I will die from sadness! I seriously can't live without you!!!"

I just ignored her and kept walking.

I walked to the address and pulled out my bobby pin. I put it into the lock, and opened the door effortlessly. I stepped inside and looked around.

Yup. This person was definitely a nerd. There were so many wires and screens in the room. It looked more like an underground tech office than an actual apartment.

Noticing he wasn't home, I hid in a dark corner. A little while later, the nerd walked in pinching the bridge of his nose. He put his glasses down and rubbed his face. He put them back on and sat down at a computer.

Once he logged on, I stepped out of the shadows. I leaned over, "You really ought to be more attentive to your surroundings."

He jumped and let out a girlish scream, "Who are you?! What are you doing here?!"

I smiled, "You're the hacker XX right?"

He frowned, "How do you know that?!"

I leaned back against his wall of screens, "Relax. I'm not going to turn you in or anything."

He swallowed hard, "Then... Why are you here?"

"I need an address. I heard you were the best hacker for the job. You can even hack into government computers and not get caught."

He looked at me cautiously, "I can do that. But you have to promise not to hurt me or turn me in."

I chuckled darkly, "Don't worry. I'm not interested in doing that. It's too much work."

He nodded and hacked into the database. Once he found the name and location, he wrote it down. I took it in my hands and smiled down at it.

Finally. I've found him.