It all starts off with the pale blue sky, tainted with the familiar white, cotton-ball-like clouds. I see a woman with long, dark, brunette hair, holding a baby as she sits on the very last step of Carbridge Orphanage. I walk up to her and cautiously sit down next to her. I notice that her cheeks are dampened with tears. I look at her gray-blue eyes and whisper "What's wrong?" She clutches the child closer to her. "What's wrong?" I ask again, but this time I say it twice. The woman caresses the newly-born face with her gentle hand. I stand up and demand "tell me what is wrong!" Can she not hear me? Is she ignoring me?

She then wipes her tears from her face and looks down at the child. "My beautiful daughter. Sybil Grace." She says with a proud smiles, I gasp, that's me. Is that my mother? "Please forgive me," she reached into her pocket and pulled out a silver chain with a blue chain, "you will do extraordinary things." At that moment, she stood up, clutched the child closer to her, and walked up the flight of stairs, and knocked on the door.

I wake up with a jolt, my face soaked in tears, body drenched in sweat, "MOM." I gasp. It happened again, the dream, the same dream I've been having for the past month. I look around and observe my surroundings. I'm still the only one in the high school wing.

I arrived here 15 years ago, when I was a newborn. My mother gave me my name and my necklace, then she gave me away. Sister Promise tells me she had to for the greater good , and of course, I listen to her, she's my best friend--my only friend.

In total, there are 23 of us Carbridge Children. The newborn wing has 4 children, a set of twin girls, and two unrelated boys. In Pre-School wing, there are 5, three boys and two girls. There are 6 in the elementary wing, four boys and 2 girls. Which leaves me, the only teenager.

Carbridge has rules: go to class, follow curfew, do homework, be on time, and most importantly, stay on Carbridge property. If you break the rules, you'll be faced with Punishment. I've never had to go to Punishment, but I do know you must go see Headmaster. Nobody knows who Headmaster is, except Mother Esmeray, and she fears Headmaster. So I shall fear whomever Headmaster is as well.

The springs within my mattress squeak as I sit up. Sister Promise walks into my dorm with new bedding. "I figured you had another nightmare, so I brought you fresh sheets and a new comforter." Sister Promise says as she brushes a strand of icy blonde hair from her face.

I stand up and walk away along the cold, stone floor. I open my closet door and pull out the Carbridge uniform: a plain white button up, tucked into a light gray, mid-length skirt, white knee length sock, and black dress shoes. I quickly put on the outfit and walk over to the provided vanity. I sit down on the wooden chair and tuck a chunk of my hair behind my ear. I put on a red tinted lip balm and grab my hair brush. I run the bristles through my thick, waist length, faded brunette hair.

"What's for breakfast today?" I ask Sister Promise, who just finished making my bed.

"Plain oatmeal with fresh fruit on the side." She replies firmly. I look back at her and nod. I brush a hand over my collarbone and realize my necklace is missing. I stand up and start panicking. I rush over to my nightstand and look in the drawers. I kneel down onto the floor and look under the bed. Sitting in the dust and darkness is my necklace. I reach under my bed and grab the crystal, the cool chain hangs between my fingers. I clip the necklace around my neck and walk up to Sister Promise.

"It's only 7:45 am," Sister Promise smirked, "That's a new record, breakfast starts at 8."

"I'll be sure to be on time," I winked, "save a seat for me."

Sister Promise walked off into the cold, stone hallway, and I shut the wooden door. Throughout the years, the children around my age group have been adopted, but not me, although, I have been close to being adopted before. When I was 7 years old, Joseph and Madelyn Wallis has chosen me to adopt, but they backed out a week before I was to be released from Carbridge. I never found out why they backed out, and I don't want to know. I don't want to leave, I have always had a feeling my mother would come back for me, when the time was right.

I pull myself out of my thoughts and look at the clock-- 7:55 a.m. I open my door back up and head down for Saturday Breakfast.

I walk into the dining room and take a seat on the wooden bench next to Sister Promise, is sitting next to Mother Esmeray.

"Good morning, Sybil." Mother Esmeray said to me as she passed the steaming bowl of oatmeal towards me.

"Good morning, Mother Esmeray," I replied with a fake smile, "Thank you for breakfast, it looks delicious!" I lied as I scooped some oatmeal into my bowl and as Sister promise placed a bowl full of a combination of fresh fruit in front of me.

"Sybil, we have a man coming this afternoon," Mother Esmeray said, "he's looking to adopt you." My eyes widened with shock.

Why would someone want to adopt a 15 year old girl? People normally want babies, or younger children, not teenagers.

"May I ask what his name is?" I asked nervously.

"Ryker Knight," Mother Esmeray said as she scooped a spoonful of oatmeal into her mouth, "he's from London."

I suddenly had a feeling of nausea and dizziness run through me like I was being struck by lightning. "May I be excused?" I asked as I stood up from the bench.

Before anybody could excuse me, I started walking out of the sunlit dining room, one foot in front of the other. I walked into Hallway 3, took a left down another hall, and found myself back at my dorm. I placed my hand on the cold, metal, doorknob, but removed it right away. "I can't lock myself in here, they'll find me." I whispered to myself. I turned on my heel, back out the way I came. I walked past the dining room, and out the front doors.

The sunlight hit my pale skin as I stepped onto the stone outside of the main entryway. I walked forward and stepped down the small flight of stairs. I'm not sure what I am doing, but something deep within me is compelling me to do so. I reach the bottom of the staircase and sit down on the last step, just like my mother had done in my dream. I take a deep breath and look around me. The same pastel blue sky, spotted with the familiar fluffy clouds. The barbed wire gateway, the round-about pathway, the bushes--everything is exactly like the dream. It all makes me want my mother, I thought she'd come back for me one day, but maybe I'm wrong.

My thoughts are interrupted by the sound of gravel crunching. I look up and see a black carriage pulled by two large, dark brown horses. A tall, fit man steps out and runs a hand through his dirty blonde hair. He walks up to me and looks down at me. He stares at me with a look of confusion as we make eye contact. He blinks his to break the awkwards gaze we share. "I'm Ryker Knight," he clears his throat, "I'm here to meet Sybil Grace, I think she may be my daughter." My eyes widened and my heart started to race. My mouth felt like someone scooped a cup of sand into my mouth, dry and grainy.

"Mr. Knight!" I heard Mother Esmeray call from the top of the stairs. He takes his eyes off of my face, looks up at Mother Esmeray, and waves to her. Ryker holds out a hand to help me up, I grab ahold of it, and he pulls my to my feet. Him and I walk up the stairs together. Mother Esmeray's jet black and amber eyes shine in the sunlight, "I see you have met Sybil Grace already." She says as she guides Ryker inside, she looks back at me with a look of dissatisfaction. My stomach turns, if this doesn't go well, I will be in for a lecture, I was supposed to wait in the conference room.

I follow them into a room with only windows and I take a seat across from Ryker. Mother Esmeray sets down a folder full of my information and leaves the room promptly. I look up at Ryker as he opens the thin folder. "All you're going to find in there is my name, age, birthday, school pictures, medical records and--" I stop myself when I realize he's smiling and shaking his head, "what's so funny?" I ask a bit annoyed.

"Oh, nothing." he smirks. He places the folder down, leans back in his chair, and crosses his arms.

"If nothings funny, then why are you smiling like that then, hmm?" I say to him.

"You get nightmares," he sighs, "your mother used to get them too."

"What do you know about my mother?" I question as I grab onto the blue crystal that is hanging around my neck.

"I knows lots of things about her," he stands up and moves his chair next to mine, "I know she gave you that crystal to protect you, I know there's not a day that goes by that she's not thinking of you." He gently grasps my hand and I look up at him. I now know that he's not lying, I am his daughter, and he is my father. I can trust him, at least, I hope I can.

"Dad." I say as he pulls me into a hug.

"I found you," he says,"I've been searching for you, Sybil Grace, for 15 years." I let go of him and wipe my years. "There is so much you don't know, so much I need to tell you, but I can't tell you here." He says, "Let's go home."

He signs my release form and I grab onto his hand. Together, we walk out of the cold, stone building I will never have to see again. We walk hand-in-hand into the black carriage. Joy and happiness fills me, the emptiness that was within me is now filled. Ryker and I ride off and head to London.

I look out the carriage window and examine the tall buildings of London that are lit up by beautiful city lights. I look up at the enormous building that has a clock on all sides, it's 10:37 p.m.

The carriage slows and jerks as we come to a full stop. Ryker taps me on the shoulder, "we're home," he says as he blows out the lanturn that was hung in the center of the carriage, "let's go inside and head to bed."

I take a deep breath in and let it back out, "I want to know the truth, I need to know," I take another breath and ask him, "where's my mom?" I stand up and my legs shake.

He helps me out of the carriage and looks into my eyes, "we need to rest, I will tell you everything tomorrow, I promise."

We walk through the dark night and up the stairs that lead to my new home. Ryker opens the victorian-style door and guides me up the stairs. His green eyes scan the doorway and he wipes his face with his hands. He has freckles too, I must get mine from him.