The Story of Renye by Siobhan Bradley (great books for teens .txt) 📕

The Story of Reyne
One.
Reyne’s P.O.V
It was a dull and dreary Saturday. The sky was grey, the ground sodden due to the steadily falling rain. A brown eyed brunette by the name of Reyne slouched and stared through the fogged up window. Her fingernails tapping on the window-pane impatiently as she watched the road for a car, the car, a old black Toyota with a dent in the driver’s door from when the driver opened it onto a pole. She strained to hear the familiar thrumming of the car’s engine. But there was nothing. Time passed slowly, every second more monotonous than the last. But still no car came.
As darkness fell over Elaine Mansion, Reyne drifted between dreams and reality. In her dreams, the car had come. It had rescued her from this place and at last she was free, once again for the weekend. But in reality, the rain was pounding harder and harder against the roof of the old mansion, the wind howled and the night dragged on endlessly and still no car came. Had Ella forgotten her? Or worse, had she gotten tired of having Reyne follow her around for the weekend?
Reluctantly she closed her eyes again and didn’t wake until the sunlight was seeping through her closed eyelids. Opening her eyes, confused she stared around. She was lying uncomfortably on her desk in her bare room. Her face squished against the hard and chipped wood. The walls of her room that she was lucky to not have to share with any other girls were unpainted.
The room was small and the furniture old and worn was minimal. She had a bed, a thin foam mattress on and rickety wire frame, a closet with drawers lining the side and the desk at which she now lay, that stood under the room’s small and only window.
Why was she lying there? Slowly the events of the previous night, or rather the lack of events came back to her. Why hadn’t Ella come? As she was considering this thought in her head, the sound of running footsteps echoed in the corridor outside her bedroom. Without a knock, a young barefoot girl burst through the door, her curly blonde hair flying in the air. “Mrs Thomas wants you Reyne!” She announced loudly and quickly, excited and the job of the messenger runner for the head of the orphanage. Her eyes were shining and she had a wide smile on her face.
Her name was Mae, Reyne's best friend. Even though she was only a year younger than Reyne she reached only her shoulder when her curls were exceptionally wild. She was vivacious and in never sad, the same wide smile was always glued on her face. Her eyes wide, as if to take in the world.
Despite her gloomy morning Reyne found herself grinning at the joyous girl. “Thank you Mae” she said with a smile and followed her through the door and into the many corridors connecting the many rooms of the house. Beside her, Mae danced as she walked, humming a happy tune to herself, awfully off pitch. At last they arrived outside the door of Mrs. Thomas’s office, Mae gave her one last smile before skipping down the hall towards the lounge room. Grinning as she watched her friend dart around the corner, Reyne knocked on the door as loudly as she dared.
A clear response sounded, “you may enter Miss Matthews” came the sharp voice, allowing her entrance into the office. Pushing the door open she hurried forward.
At the desk ahead of her sat Mrs. Thomas. Her steel eyes pierced into Reyne, her grey hair was pulled back so tightly into a bun that it look as though it were about to rip from her scalp. She was dressed fully in black, her lips sitting in their characteristic pout. The room was silent as Reyne sat awkwardly in the hard chair, facing the desk. Her back rigid, feet flat on the ground like the wrinkled lady in front of her. Mrs Thomas’s pointed nose pierced the awkward silence. Reyne didn’t dare to speak, she just waited.
Mrs Thomas opened her minuscule lips and began in an uncaring voice. “Reyne, I was informed by Miss Daniels, my messenger last night that you were not picked up as usual at 5:30pm, so I phone called Ms Ella Jackson and I did not get an answer. I called several other persons and they knew nothing about it. Miss Daniel had notified me that Ms Jackson had not acknowledged you on the fact that she would not be collecting you so I called the police, whom told me they would investigate and get back to me this morning. I just received a call from them and it appears that Ms Jackson is missing, her house was untidy and things were gone so it appears she packed various possessions before leaving. Are you sure Ms Jackson has told you nothing of this?”
Reyne just stared at her. Eyes wide, mouth hanging slightly open in shock. “Ahh, um. Sorry what!?” Reyne asked fumbling for words. “I mean, Excuse me Mrs Thomas? No I have not been informed of any of this.” Still shocked and not believing what she was hearing Reyne went over the recent conversations she had had with Ella in her head, but there was nothing about her leaving, not even the smallest clue.
“All right Miss Matthews, thank you. I’m sorry to say that there is nothing we can do to find her. We must leave it the police.” She didn’t sound at sorry Reyne scoffed. “So you will be remaining here for the weekends and you name will be returning on to the foster list. Good day.”
And that was Reyne’s signal to leave the office. Silently she stood and shuffled out of the room mechanically, her brain struggling to make sense of the past few minutes. This couldn’t be happening to her!
She rushed down the corridors ignoring the questioning glances from children as she ran past them to her room. Throwing open the door and slamming it behind her she slid to the ground and curled into a ball as tears began to trail down from her eyes.

Publication Date: 08-18-2011

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