Her body hurts is the vivid memory of Bella before she can never be with her parents again. She remembered the wrecked car in a distance that was burning and the unclosed green eyes of her mother overlooking into her own.
After that was the cries of her relatives in the burial of her mother and father. She thinks she was crying too in that memory. It was also the last time she was able to stay with a proper house along with people who cared for her.
She doesn't know why she was taken away from them, but she knew that they wanted to take her in. They did everything they could, she knew that, she saw it in their eyes everytime they come and try to take her home. Ultimately they could only resort to them taking legal actions that is seems to be always be impeded every time it almost got approved.
Once a week, her relatives come over to see her. Their arrival always excites her, much to the envy of the children around her.
The children were green with the fortune of Bella. They always wonder why she is always surrounded when she is same as them, an orphan. They mocked her to show their envy, but never bully her after all they also sympathize of having someone wanting them but wasn't able to go with them.
Their orphanage is quite unique that almost all children assigned to stay never go out. No one knows whatever criteria they have to get the children and the reason why the children cannot go to their relatives who are an obvious choice to take them. All the children knew is that they can only hope that their relatives will come back and can get them out quickly. But somehow no matter how much their families tries to take them home, it will always not be done.
At first the children is on the same situation as Bella, but as time went on their loved ones have never shown up again. Mysteriously before they truly disappear they told them of cryptic things and never be seen again. These instances make the older ones, the ones who stayed for long become forlorn and no longer hoping to leave this dignified cage.
The children could only envy Bella for having these people coming over once a week and never failing to arrive on the said day. And as time went on they wished that she can already leave with them the next time they come. Hoping that the young girl won't end up like them, who could only wait until the institution will release them.
Bella was seven when she found a secret passage way outside the orphanage. It was located at the backyard of the orphanage where they play during the morning. There was a tiny hole at the side of the wall that is blocked by an old tree. Imagine her joy when she found it, finally she could see the outside again!
But that joy was quite short-lived. Although she could get out, she cannot go far. The orphanage is strict and will immediately going to call for a search and rescue if she is gone for too long, therefore, the best she can do is wander around the surrounding areas and go back in time. Furthermore, her relatives still comes over and if they knew she was missing she's afraid of what they will do.
So for a year she go in and out of the facility in secret. She did tell the other children about the little passage way, but with its size only few could fit in and actually explore the outside world. They made a system of switching their turns in going out and made them close to each other like they are real siblings.
Again just when everything seems to be so right, everything just goes wrong in an instant.
It was little Shane's turn to explore who have been admitted earlier this year, an incident have happened that Bella needs to intervene. Little Shane's cloth was caught by a sharp object upon returning and it made him bleed and cry too much.
Bella took it upon herself to help the boy. She made it look like the boy was only injured by a rough playing in their little space, luckily there were indeed some sharp objects that could really hurt unsuspecting children while playing like sharp branches and stones. And coincidentally, all the after mentioned object could act as a cover over their escapes.
Unexpectedly, a mishap happened that a wild mad dog have made its way to the orphanage through the passages. Little Shane's blood have lured it over them. To save the young child, Bella didn't hesitate to attract the dog away from little Shane and the other children who are also in the vicinity. But still the little boy was bitten and being pulled.
Bella's reaction was to pull the boy to her. The boy cried in pain when she pulled him, so she let go lest she hurt him more. Instead she went and took a stone to throw to the dog's face.
The dog was enraged with the girl's actions and made her its target. Bella ran while signalling the nearby children to take little Shane for treatment. The children took her commands and rescued the boy while others were calling for help along the way.
Although her plan was to lure it away in a distance and lead it to the adults to deal with. She knew that the other children have already alerted them with little Shane's injuries. And all she need to do was to preserve and wait for them.
But she underestimate the dog's capabilities. It have caught her and took a strong bite in her ankle causing her to fall and be at mercy of the wild canine. She tried to fight with the dog, but a little eight year old cannot just fight back to such strong animal.
That composed her last memory, a sight of children's faces of horror as she finally took her last breath. She vaguely remember sounds of many footsteps and she knew that they finally arrived. Unfortunately, she cannot hold on for long.
[Poor child.] A mechanical yet somehow warm voice said, almost like a loving mother.
[First memory was of death and on her last was another death.]
[Do you want to go with me?]
Bella instinctively want to stay away, but at the same time linger with its presence.
[Do not worry nothing bad will happen to you.]
"Why should I?"
[Indeed why should you?] It sounded quite amused.
[I quite like you. So I want take you with me. Do you want to?]
"...will I never be alone?"
Although her relatives often visit her by weekly bases, she just felt alone most of the time. Even with the presence of the other children, it's just felt too different with people who is really intimately with her for all the time.
[You'll won't be. Even if you feel so you will never be alone for I am here. Will you go with me?]
"If you promise then I will."
[Then you are now my Host.]
After that was a blinding light that took her to a journey that she cherished for all her life.