The Caught Luna novel Chapter 2

Not in reality.

Society today is harsh. That should be what everyone laughs at because society is the joke.

After leaving the Aldridge Orphanage, I thought the hospital was bad. No. Living out here is bad.

I spent most of my time jumping cities and towns looking for jobs all for nothing. No one wants a dirty, homeless orphan-girl working for them. That is the conclusion I have come to. No one cares if you are the hardest-working person on the face of the Earth. If you don't fit the ideal image of society, you don't deserve their time.

It isn't my entire fault for not being able to shower. I need money to buy shampoo...and a shower.

The voice in my head whined. It was upset because I was upset. It just wanted me to be happy, but the past two weeks were filled with nothing but sorrow.

Pushing away the chuckles of the rude people surrounding me, I decided to just find a park or anywhere to sleep for the night. It was only about noon, but it's better to know where you are going to set up camp for the night ahead of time I have learned.

When you don't have money, obviously you can't afford anything a normal person would be able to afford which includes motel rooms. So, bus stop and park benches have became my best friend.

I didn't lift my eyes up from the sidewalk I walked on. I wasn't scared, more like ashamed. I didn't want to look at anyone because as long as they look better than I do, they believe they're better than me. I never used to believe silly things like that, but lately I have.

I knew the moment I looked up at some woman jogging down the pavement with her fancy Nikes on, her freshly washed hair pulled back into a ponytail, and expensive cellphone blasting music into her ears through shiny new earbuds, I'd probably have a mental break down.

I don't think people understand how much that can hurt. I wouldn't.

Eventually, I found the community park. There weren't a lot of people there. I'm guessing it's because of the dark clouds that seem to be gathering in the sky. I expected it to rain since it seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

Great. I thought thinking about just how much I was starting to hate April. I shook away the pessimistic comment from the voice in my head and continued walking through the park until I found the jackpot.

It was a little play set, but there was a little house type of thing at the top. Of course, it wasn't really a house. It was a platform above the ground that had slides coming out of the sides, but it had a roof-looking thing over it. It was perfect for me.

I gulped and drummed my fingers on tho wooden table. I decided that it would be best to search around the town once more for a job of some kind before the night. If I had no luck, then I'd leave tomorrow morning.

The rest of the day resulted in the same way it usually did. People looked at me like I was garbage, and by the end of the day, I felt like it too.

They didn't have to say anything for me to know that I wasn't accepted. I don't think they meant for me to know what they were thinking, but actions speak louder than words sometimes.

I made my way back to the park. My feet hurt and my stomach rumbled from being empty for so long. I wiped one last year from my eye as I walk across the road that lead to the park.

I walked through the gate. My first night of sleeping on benches scared me to death. I didn't sleep at all. As the week went on, though, I got used to the eery noises of the night. Now, I don't have any problems with them, but something was different about this night.

I was about half way through the park when I heart a rustle in the trees. I stopped. Usually, I'd just brush it off knowing it was the wind, but I knew this wasn't just something I could pass off as me being the almighty tree whisperer.

I could feel my senses shift. Everything got so much sharper; my vision, sense of smell, and hearing. I could hear what sounded like for steps, but they were fast. I whipped my head to the right, then the left. I turned around and could feel my heart rate accelerate.