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Hope smiled, gazing upon their siblings in front of them. Letting out a laughter that was abruptly cut off by Tallulah putting a hand over their mouth, a smile on her face as he put a finger on her mouth, shushing them.
Hope quickly nodded, head peaking out from the corner to peek out at the unsuspecting egg walking straight for them. Pulling head back quickly and looking at their sister, smirking.
The egg soon was about to walk past the wall's corner before the two eggs jumped out of her, letting out a yelp.
Pomme's eyes widen before recognizing her two siblings, annoyance gazed at her face for a split second before enjoyment replaced it.
"Gotcha, Pomme!" Hope signed excitedly, laughing joyfully. Tallulah nodding, snickering to herself too. Pomme rolling her eyes but smiled, signing. "You guys sure did."
Tallulah was about to sign something before letting out a slient gasp, looking like she remembered something. She dug her hand through her big sweater's pocket and pulling out a poppy, smiling.
Hope soon did the same but with bright rose red saplings, a proud look matching with their smile on the egg's face. Pomme smiled brightly, taking the flowers with glee. She took a sniff of both of them before signing thank you. The three of them enjoying the moment.
Hope wishes this could last forever.
So does Tallulah.
And so does Pomme.
Yet fate decides otherwise.
.....
Hope jolts up awake, eyes widening as they look around. Where were they? Where are their siblings? Why are they alone. Hope started hyperventilating, taking short breaths and gasps. They gazed around their surroundings, eyes spotting a glass fence, a hard wood plank they were one, a wood cubby-ish they were in, a desk with a laptop, a door, some windows, and.. A chest with one book.
Hope's breaths calm down after a few minutes, looking down at the book with no title, date, of author. They raised an eyebrow, lifting the cover of the book open and began reading the book.
'Hope, your mother has flew away before you have hatched. It is in your best interest to stay in the adoption center.-
'Pshh.. Adoption center? This was a shack at best.' Hope thought to themselves before continuing.
-Today, you will stay here until a person comes and adopt you. Trust me, leaving will not help you to do that. But it is your choice, good wishes.'
Hope stared down at the book. 'Are you serious?' They looked down at it, the fear started to rise once again. 'No, no, no.. This can't be happening.' They thought to themselves, throwing the book at the wall and curling up into a fetal position with their head in their knees.
Why did they have to wait, why did their mom leave. Why did they leave them alone. They just wanted a home, a bed, and a meaning to someone. Tears coming from the corner of their eyes, sniffing soft in their arms. Water dripping from the ceiling not helping for comfort, closing their eyes and remembering the story's they read of princes with princess. Living in big castles, with horses and bright blue skies. It drew them to sleep. 'Maybe one day they could live in a castle.' They thought to themselves, lolling to sleep.
...
The next couple of days... weeks..? Whatever, were tough. The food that had came in the chest had ran out and now they had to start eating the bugs who had found themselves scurrying around. The thirst being slightly clenched by the slow dripping water from the ceiling.
They hated every single bit of it.
Hope was looking around the small room, digging in the dirt and looking out the windows on their tippy toes for any sign of life. One day, they found a dirty book which took some time cleaning but, god, did it give hope, hope. Ironic.
They found a pen in the drawers of the desk, picking it up and thinking about what they wanted to write. A small exhale exited their mouth, gulping before letting her hand move the pen.
-Page 1 of 11 ;
managed to find this book and quill set tucked away underneath some dirt in my room. It needed some cleaning, but it's usable. I'm writing this in hopes that someone will find this, that someone will hear my story, that someone will know, that I was here. I was alive.'
Hope closed the book with an small exhale, looking at the door then back at the book they threw at the wall. A small sad look in their eyes. Just a couple of days then someone will surely find them!
....
It was getting harder to comfort themselves, aside from hugging their body for comfort -Remembering the tight hugs from Talluah and Pomme- The hope dimming in their heart.
Then, noises.. Noises were coming from below them, loud and quick like fire. Hope immediately stood up, running around the room. Hoping someone would hear them. Hoping someone would come find them and hug them tightly in their arms. Come whisper reassurance in their ear, letting them rest from the days of sleeping on cold floors or slowly starving to death.
But, just as quick as they came, it was just as quick to disappear. Just like sand in their hands, it just fell through the cracks. Hope didn't know what to do. They stomped, jumped, even trying to scream yet no voice came.
Tears exited their eyes. They banged on the floor, mouthing out begs to find them. Small slient sobs escaping the egg's mouth, cradling on the floor. The egg hugged their knees, mumbling nothing.
Why could no one hear them.
-Page 2 of 11 ;
'I've been in inside this "egg adoption center" for what I can only describe as a long time. I say " a long time" because I've lost track of the days, they've lost any sort of meaning.'
The page flipped.
-Page 3 of 11 ;
'I was put in here since, at least from what I was told, that my mom, a great dragon, flew away. I don't have any memories before that point.
Ever since then, I've been here, in this room, waiting to be adopted.'
- Page 4 of 11 ; 'I was told that a "person" would adopt me. Am I not a person? What does a person look like? This small room is the only home I've never known. I was told that if I ever left on my own, I would never be adopted. So I stayed here.' -
-Page 5 of 11 ;
'There's nothing in here. A singular light which never shuts off, some fences, the walls, the ground, and me. I survived off whatever bugs managed to scurry in, and the slow dripping water from above. I hated it, but I could survive off it. wanted to be adopted. I wanted to live.'
-Page 6 of 11 ;
'I've always dreamed of being adopted. Seeing the outside, having a nicer home, not worrying about thirst or hunger, being able to be somebody, meaning something to somebody. It sounds nice. I dream about it in my sleep and daydream about it when I'm awake.
-Page 7 of 11 ;
'Maybe someone will adopt me. I heard a bunch of commotion seemingly from below me, but then it disappeared. As if a fire was lit, and then extinguished. I heard something again, then nothing. It's been a long time since then. Will anyone else ever come?'
....
It was nice. Hope was in a big castle, they were wearing nice shiny armor with stickers they placed themselves on, as well as a crown their parent found them. Hope smiled which felt like the first smile in years. Laying on a nice, cozy, warm bed. A hum entered their ear as they were slowly lolled to sleep.
The hum got louder. And louder. And louder until it was no longer comforting anymore. Hope's eyes jolted open, a slient gasp escaped their mouth. Eyes landing on the blaring light piercing their eyes, a small hum radiating from it.
They woke up in the same exact small anxiety inducing rom. They punched their fist in the window, shattering the glass slightly. Why couldn't they have a happy ending like the stories.
Why.
Why.
They were sick of this. They just wanted a home they could sleep comforting in. They didn't want to die. They just wanted love and comfort.
-Page 8 of 11;
'It's been so long. I've tried to keep hope, that's all I've had, hope, but it's running out. I don't have much left. This is where I stayed, this is where I survived, but I wanted to get a chance to live. I don't know if I'll ever get that chance.'
Tears left their eyes, knowing that they were not going to live soon. They could feel their stomach aching even asleep, unstoppable pain awake or not.
-Page 9 of 11 :
'I hope that this isn't where I die. I want to live. I don't want to die here. I want to live.
If I'm gone by this time please know: Please don't be sad. It's not your fault. Maybe you just couldn't see me. Maybe it's my fault.'
....
Hope cried that night. They sobbed into their hand, curled into a ball. Small hiccups escaped their mouth. They could feel their shell cracking slowly. Why was this happening to them.
They grabbed the pen for the last time in their egg life. Letting their hand drag the pen along the pen. Tears dropping from their cheeks and onto the page, wetting the page.
-Page 10 of 11 ; 'I would've loved to meet you. I would've loved to live alongside you. I would've loved to mean something to you. Perhaps I won't get that in this life, but maybe I'll see you in another?'
They could feel themselves breaking. They could feel their shell cracking on them. They could feel the hunger eating them away. They knew this was it. But, instead of feeling sadness or grief. They felt relief. They didn't get adopted, but they could try again in another life. Maybe they could mean something to someone.
-Memories ; Please know I was here. I was alive. I was somebody. I had hopes, I had ambitions, I had love that I was ready to give. I've accepted my fate. But I'm scared of being forgotten. This book gives me a chance to be remembered. Please don't forget me.'
They closed the diary, letting out a sigh of relief mixed with somber. They opened the chest that held the old information book, the old book crumbling almost after touching it. Their eyebrow furrowed in their final minutes.
They shoved the book in the chest, curling back into a fetal position. They closed this eyes tightly, clenching their hands into their body. They remember Pomme. Her smile, the times they got to play in the snow. The times they couldn't sleep so Pomme read them a book. They hope Pomme is okay.
They remember Tallulah. The times when Tallulah would play music for them. The times she taught them how to play the flute. The flowers she gave to them. They're going to miss her.
Her eyes widen, remembering something very important. They searched in their sweater pocket, pulling out two rose red saplings. It was withering but it made Hope's eyes water with tears. A somber smile grew on their lips, inhaling the flowers scent.
They closed their eyes, dreaming of living in a castle with Pomme, Tallulah, and their parent. That would be nice. Maybe it could be like that in another life.
....
August 30, 2023.
It was the day a detective with brown with a strand of bleached white hair was exploring a run down shack with spiderwebs all over the place. The place looked like the adoption center but abandoned and run down.
A dim light flickering was the only light in the shack, his eyes spotting a chest. They opened the chest, eye widening at the book named-
"Memories."