Starlet

2. Recovery

I pull the blood tube out. I think it's morning by the light in the room. I sit up as best as I can and watch out the window. I haven't been able to do this in so long.

"Good morning. I have your breakfast."

Dorseti brings me about 8 meals a day for a few weeks. She helps me and never gets mad. She even helps me shower and explains everything.

I can walk around the room by myself. I can eat real food.

During breakfast 1 day, the doctors come in and sit.

"Good morning. You're doing much better now. Can you tell us your name?"

"Scar."

"Scar, there is a place called the mountain. It's for abused kids. They can be safe and heal there. I think that would be the best place for you."

"Will I have a window?"

"No. It's inside a mountain. But you will have access to lots of areas. Have you ever painted? Or made a sculpture?"

I stare at the floor. I'm always going to be a prisoner.

An hour later, I stand in my room in the mountain. There's a big bed with a pillow. A bathtub. Some soaps. A dresser for some clothes. I wish I owned some. There's a mirror. I scare even myself. I'm so small. Half of my face is discolored, and the skin is bumpy. I can still see where the shackles were on my arms. There are scars all over me. I guess the name he gave me fits.

I climb into bed and curl up in a ball. This is enough.

Hours later, a servant pulls me out of bed.

"Time for dinner."

"I'm not hungry."

"Eat a little then." She guides me down a couple of hallways. I was given a tour, but I don't remember where anything is. We walk through the activity hallway. It has so many doors, each with another activity behind it. Painting, sculpture, dance, writing, reading, animals, travel. At least 40 different doors all labeled with big black letters about what activity it is.

I remember dancing from when I was younger. Seems like another life. I took ballet. I loved to dance. I loved music.

"AAAAHHHHH!" A little girl runs away from me screaming.

I don't blame her. I would run away screaming too. I pull some hair over my face and watch the ground.

The servant puts me at a table and gives me a tray of food. After I eat what she thinks is enough, she guides me back.

This goes on for months. The other kids don't seem so startled by me anymore, but I still try to hide the scars. I try to hide.

One day after lunch, I get taken to an office instead of back to my room.

"Sit her on the couch. I'll come over there."

"Yes sir."

Marcus sits in a chair across from the couch. He doesn't say anything. After a minute, I peek up at him. He's watching me.

"What did you have for lunch?"

I shrug my shoulders. I don't remember. I eat whatever they put in front of me. And I eat it until the servant tells me I can go.

"How do you like your room?"

It's a lot better than my last room.

"You have to say the words. I cannot read your mind. What is your name?"

I can't tell anyone who I am. I can't tell them anything about me. "Scar."

"What do I want, Scar?"

"Dragon." I say it without even thinking.

"What? Why would you think that?"

"They sold me for a dragon."

"I didn't give a dragon for you. Were they your family?"

"That's not what she said, Marcus." 2 more men come in. "Hi, I'm Omar. This is Kane. Kane's going to feel your head for a second."

A man puts his hand on my hand. I don't feel anything different. "I need to go find something." He runs out.

Omar sits beside me. "Nobody is going to hurt you anymore. We only want to help. And I don't like the name Scar. I'm going to call you Star."

I jump so hard, I fall off the couch. He picks me up off the floor and I shake.

"Are you ok?" He puts me back on the couch.

"My daddy called me that."

"What did everyone else call you?"

"Whisp."

"That's pretty. Is it short for something?"

I shake my head. I have already said too much.

"Have you ever had a dragon, Whisp?"

I don't know how to answer.

"We know you don't, now. I'm only asking if you ever did."

"She left."

"And they were selling the dragon in you? They thought she was still there?"

"Yes."

"Ok. Let's go fishing." He stands up.

My eyebrows pop up. This man is crazy.

Marcus chuckles and guides us outside. It's so damn cold and there's snow everywhere. I don't even have a coat. Then we go through a door that is randomly stuck in the snow. It's not hooked to any building. We step through the door, and we're behind a big castle at a river.

"This is where we live, Whisp. You were briefly here before. This is where Dorseti helped you. Do you remember her?"

"She rubbed lotion on my back."

"Very good. Servant bring the fishing gear."

"DAD."

"Yes sir."

I see a young man running towards us. I pull some extra hair in front of my face and walk to the river. I sit beside it and adjust the dress, so it covers my legs. Then I take a deep breath. It smells so good here. It feels good here too. The breeze on my skin. The warm sunlight. I can hear the birds and the river flowing. The sounds of the breeze in the trees. I could die happy right here.

A servant sits some stuff beside me. "Here is your fishing gear ma'am."

"Thank you."

Omar and Marcus are talking to a few boys. I guess I'm supposed to fish. I put a worm on a hook and toss it in the water. I was never any good at this. But I love being here. I take my shoes off and put my toes in the river. I love the water.

"Well, you know how to fish. Do you like fishing?"

"My brother liked to fish." I remember 1 time, we were fishing in our river. He caught so many big fish. He was happy and smiling. I remember his smile. I miss his smile.

The fishing pole smacks me in the back of the ankle as it takes off. It breaks my concentration. I wipe the tears off my face. Omar is staring at me.

They bring me another fishing pole, and we fish for a couple of hours. I don't say much. I love being outside.

Then Marcus takes me back to the mountain.

Omar decides to take me fishing once a week. After a few weeks, I find myself looking forward to it. I can sit by the water and relax. We talk a little but not much. Mostly we sit in the sun and listen to the birds and water.

"Good morning, Whisp. There's a festival today. Did you want to go?"

I shake my head fast. Nobody wants to see my face. New kids still run away when they see me. I don't want that ever.

"I'm sorry, but Marcus made it mandatory. It's in his village. It's for the mountain. We'll be the only people there."

I get up and take a bath. I pick out a long dress. It goes to my ankles and has long sleeves. At least my skin will be mostly covered. I comb my hair and leave it down, so I can put it over my face. Then the servant gives me some breakfast. I don't eat much, but I get full. Then I get ushered with the other kids to the front door.

They are excited. I guess this isn't the first time this has happened. A few of them still try to see my scars, but for the most part, they ignore me today. They're all excited.

Marcus steps in front of everyone. "Today, we get to play at a festival." The kids scream and cheer. "But we still need to behave. So everyone listen and follow the directions. I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun. This way."

Then we go to the door that stands in the middle of the snow.