Dark Friends

by Mark Butler

  “It's not even three”

  “We'll spend a few hours there, at least. Then we have to drive back.”

  “We'll be fine.” Steven answered, “As long as I have my coffee, I can do anything.”

  Just as Steven started considering pulling over again, Lisson Orphanage appeared over the horizon. The surrounding land was completely flat, adding to the orphanages' distinctive appearance. The main tower jutted out of the earth at a perfect right angle, it's black spire pointing accusingly at the sky. Two smaller towers flanked the main one, like two frostbitten fingers frozen in their positions. Smaller buildings radiated from the big towers, marring the green landscape. Jesus, Steven thought, Edgar Allan Poe himself couldn't have created a more sinister prison to contain children.

  The sun was setting behind the facility as the McCrees' car pulled into the driveway, creating an ominous shadow that stretched across the road. Unsure of where to park, Steven pulled his car onto the grass by the drive, looking for any signs of life. There were none. The Orphanage looked completely abandoned, and he was tempted to double-check the address and directions that he had been given. But this had to be it. There were no other structures in sight, and they hadn't seen any towns or signs of civilization for miles.

  “We're expected, right?” Catina whispered, fearful of breaking the silence that emanated from Lisson. She had expected the place to be lively, with kids running around and visiting parents vying for space.

  “Of course. Let's go in.” Steven replied. Catina gripped his hand tightly as they ascended the short staircase, and a cold breeze suddenly kicked up, startling the couple. The wind died down as quickly as it started and a raven started cawing from the roof.

  “What is this, a horror movie? C'mon, let's go meet our newest family member.” Steven quipped.

  “You're right, we're acting like kids.”

  Steven paused at the solid black double doors and knocked loudly. Almost immediately, an enormous man answered, giving the McCree's a cartoonish smile.

  “Hello, and welcome to Lisson Orphanage, I am Jared Ellis, the Head Counselor.” the man boomed. He stuck his meaty paw out and Steven gave it a firm grip.

  “I'm Steven McCree's and this is my wife, Catina.”

  “We've been expecting you, please, come in.”

  “Can we park over on the grass like that” Steven pointed to his car, “Or will we get towed or ticketed?”

  Ellis started laughing inexplicably. He guffawed and gripped his stomach, as though the excessive amusement was too much.

  “No, you're fine” he said between tears, “We don't get much traffic around here.” With that, he turned and led the couple towards his office. Catina felt like she was at some medieval prison. The building was deathly silent and there were only a few lights on to illuminate the cavernous interior. Once inside Ellis' modest office, the couple seated themselves and declined drinks.

  As a professional, practicing psychologist, Steven immediately noticed that Ellis exhibited several unusual behaviors. He made eye contact irregularly; he would start talking, then look them in the eyes, and if they were looking back, he looked away immediately, only to look back again. He couldn't hold a gaze for more than a second. He shuffled nervously, constantly straightening and rearranging stacks of paper on his desk. He clearly didn't know what to do with his hands, like he wanted to hide them with motion. He seemed to have no natural interest in Catina, which was very odd; Steven had never met a man who didn't appreciate looking at Catina. Steven concluded Mr. Ellis was made highly uncomfortable by their presence in his orphanage. What possible benefit could the children reap from being around this weirdo? Steven knew that many adults were more comfortable around adolescents than adults, but Ellis was not that type. He was socially ineffectual, true enough, but he didn't have the aura of someone who could raise children. He was like a child himself; probably due to low intelligence. Steven felt a chill down his spine as he considered that this man might be a situational or preferential child abuser; he fit the profile. But Steven could only assume the man was innocent until he had evidence to the contrary. A glance at Catina confirmed she was thinking the same thing.

  The McCrees sat politely for a one-sided, thirty-minute conversation that consisted of the orphanages history and present condition. Ellis droned on and on, talking about everything from the buildings construction to the orphanages mission. He told them why he had the best orphanage in the country and maybe even the world. He kept saying that the kids that were there all grew up to be well-adjusted, successful members of society. But the McCrees were not dumb people; they wondered if Ellis thought that they were undercover inspectors of some sort. Eventually, Ellis announced that he was ready to show them the kids, and had they chosen any names?

  “Well actually, the list that we were sent was quite vague. We were hoping to see some more of the kids' files. Family histories, medical conditions and behavior reports.” Steven said.

  “That would take weeks to compile, sir. Would you like for me to prepare those for you and we can re-schedule for...October?”

  “No.” Catina said, “We'll see the kids today, now. We're tired of delays and mis-communications. Just show us the kids now, and we'll go from there.”

  “As you wish. So, give me a name” Ellis replied, looking relieved. Steven thought that Ellis looked damn happy that he wouldn't have to make all those extra reports, and that after today he wouldn't have to deal with these would-be adoptive parents anymore.

  “I like...hmm...Amelia.” Catina announced.

  It couldn't be. Not their first choice. Impossible. There was only one girl named Amelia in the entire orphanage, and Ellis couldn't bear the idea that she would be ripped away from him.

  “She's a trouble-maker. You don't want her.”

  “Sir? I like the name Amelia and I want to see this girl.” Catina said, setting her jaw.

  “Are you sure? She's nearly sixteen now, and perhaps beyond redemption.”

  “My wife asked to see Amelia, Mr. Ellis, please show her to us now.” Steven said, looking Ellis in the eye. In his years of practice, he knew that most large men like Ellis who chose to work around small kids everyday were damnable timid during an adult confrontation. Steven believed that if ninety-nine percent of bullies met with token resistance at any point, they would quickly fold. His hypothesis proved correct.

  “Wait here for a minute.” Ellis said, rising out of his chair and rushing out of the office. He thought that he could get another girl and tell her to act like her name was Amelia. But...wait, he told them her age, too. That meant he had to find an older girl to pretend to be Amelia. But what if they liked the fake-Amelia? She might let her real name slip at anytime, or forget to respond when called by the name. For all his power and influence, Ellis could not hope to manipulate intelligent adults with his tricks. He was simply too accustomed to controlling children. Unable to form an alternative plan that might work, Ellis set out to fetch Amelia.

  Amelia was taking a walk. She still felt change in the air, and she needed to be on the move. She had told the patio-counselor that Ellis wanted to see her that day, and he let her go without question. Amelia grinned to herself as she left the work-area. She went into the orphanage and started wandering around, looking at nothing in particular. The great stone walls no longer frightened her, she felt that she frightened them, with her intimate knowledge of the facility. She was a queen in her palace, walking around without a care in the world. She could go where she pleased, do what she wanted, and not worry about anyone or anything. She eventually got to where the third floor was accessed. She looked up and saw a white string about 2 feet long and hanging from the ceiling. At the end of the string was a small white ball that Ellis pulled to open the attic door, which lowered the staircase. Amelia gazed at the ball, thinking how Ellis had it used to get her to the third floor. She didn't blame the ball, of course, but it hadn't helped her, either. Moving quickly, Amelia went to Counselor Vale's office, demanding
to borrow a pair of scissors. He thought nothing of the request, and handed them over quickly. She had hesitated then, wondering if he was expecting her to compliment his fading good looks. She had ended up exiting awkwardly, not even bothering to explain why she needed the scissors. She went to an empty office further down the hall and took a plastic folding chair from a closet. She had seen it there about a year and a half ago. With her supplies gathered, Amelia went back to where the third floor was accessed and cut the string as close to the ceiling as she could. Though she knew it wouldn't stop Ellis from abusing his charges, she felt a little better anyway.

  Ellis finally found her, putting away an old folding chair in one of the unused offices. He didn't care why she was there; he needed her.

  “Amelia, there are people here who want to take you away” Ellis said by way of greeting.

  “What? What are you talking about?” Amelia said, her limitless mind unable to comprehend his words.

  “There is a couple here. They want to adopt a child. They asked to see you. Follow me now.” Ellis said, grabbing her wrist and pulling her along behind him.

  “What should I do?” Amelia said, not thinking. Her heart was pounding and her mouth felt dry. Adoptive parents! Who would want her, though? A sarcastic teenager with no refinement.

  “Tell them you like to break things. And yell a lot. Tell them you don't like them.” Ellis said. Amelia smiled at his words. He was like a child, trying to manipulate his parents into letting him keep his toy. He was normally smarter than this, but not by much.

  “OK” she said, and Ellis spun around and kissed her on the mouth.

  “Never leave me babe, promise?”

  “I promise” Amelia said, wondering exactly how she could accomplish the exact opposite.

  “What's taking him so long?” Catina asked Steven for the third time. They had been waiting for almost fifteen minutes.

  “He should know where this girl is, I agree.” Steven replied, reading her thoughts.

  “I don't like him. He's too...shifty.”

  “Yea, he's a real weirdo.”

  The McCrees continued to wait patiently, inspecting the office to pass the time. His office was remarkably clean. There were no stains, no dust and no trash in sight. Steven figured that Ellis probably had one of the orphans clean it.

  Without warning, Ellis suddenly re-entered the room with a pale young girl in tow. She was unusually thin and her head seemed too large for her body. She followed directly behind Ellis, keeping her eyes down. When Ellis circled his desk to sit down, the girl followed.

  “Amelia, sit” Ellis said, gesturing to a vacant chair on the side of his desk.

  “Hi Amelia, my name is Catina, and this is my husband, Steve.” Catina said, hoping to relax the girl. Amelia looked up and locked eyes with Catina, trying to read her. They stared hard at each other for a full minute, oblivious of the men in the room. Amelia's eyes then shifted to Steve, trying to see if he could be intimidated. He was not interested in a battle of wills, it seemed, as he smiled warmly and looked at Amelia with a calm interest.

  “Hi” Amelia said.

  “So, Amelia, do you have any family?” Catina inquired.

  “No”

  “Where are you from?'

  “I've always lived in orphanages.”

  “OK. Do you like living here?”

  “It's all I know.”

  “Well, there's a whole world out there, one that is full of beauty and adventure. Do you ever want to be there?” Steve chimed in.

  “I don't know.” Amelia said, her gaze wandering around the room.

  “Well, I think that we're done here, then.” Ellis said, standing up and motioning for Amelia to leave.

  “We're not done, not by a long shot. I want to talk to her alone.” Catina said, cowing Ellis.

  “Well...uh, of course. I'll just, um...”

  “We'll be outside.” Steve said, making his way towards the door.

  “Yea, outside.” Ellis mumbled, leaving the room.

  The two men stood in the hallway for a moment, looking around awkwardly.

  “Can I have a tour?” Steve asked.

  “Yea, why not?”

  Without so much as another word, Ellis took off down the hall, beckoning Steve to follow. The halls were poorly lit and had high windows, too high for a six-foot man to see out of. All the doors had a rustic, medieval look to them. Ellis said nothing as he walked through halls, content to let Steve observe his kingdom.

  “So this is a girls-majority orphanage? Do you have any boys?” Steve asked.

  “Yea, a few. They work the more physical jobs, either in the kitchen or the yard.”

  “I want to see some boys.” Steve said off-handedly. Ellis turned and looked at Steve, raising his eyebrows.

  “They're working.” Ellis said in a tone that implied it would be impossible to see the boys while they worked.

  “Show them to me now.”

  “Did I do something to piss you off? Why are you and your wife so...fascinated? These kids are poor as dirt. They have no families and nothing to look forward to. They find comfort in the regularity of their work, not in having people stare at them like this is a zoo. Seeing you will only upset them.”

  “You know what, Ellis? I don't like you. You're dirty. Your office is too clean for how busy this orphanage must keep you. You feel uncomfortable around adult women, like my wife. You've made it very difficult for me and my wife to find a child that we might adopt, and now you're acting obscenely sanctimonious. So no, I don't like you. Now, show me the male orphans you keep here or I'll have the State Department on the phone so quickly...”

  “OK, OK. It's just fun and games, right?” Ellis interrupted Steve, hoping to prevent a call to Ellis' superiors. He gave Steve a friendly grin and a chummy punch on the shoulder: “Let's go to the yard.”

  Steve followed Ellis to the yard, his mind exploring explanations for Ellis' behavior. He clearly didn't want more adults at his facility. Could he be abusing the kids? When Ellis was defending why Steven couldn't see the boys, he had seemed...authoritative. He must have forgotten that he was speaking to a grown man. He probably felt immensely comfortable in his habitat, content to leave the outside world to its devices. Steve felt an incredibly strong suspicion that Ellis had a horrible secret.

  Catina waited until the men left the room and the door shut, then she fixed her gaze on Amelia, wondering what to say.

  “Amelia, you've been in this office before.”

  “So? I clean it as punishment sometimes.”

  “What do you do that warrants punishments.” Catina said, wondering if Amelia knew what 'warrants' means. The question threw Amelia off-track, at least momentarily.

  “I forget to make my bed, or do my work fast enough. Sometimes I talk back to the counselors.” Amelia said, hoping to shift the blame onto herself.

  “What other punishments do the counselors administer?”

  “Um, more work. Sometimes we get spanked.”

  “Hard?”

  “Hard enough.”

  “Amelia, one time Steve punched me.” Catina lied, hoping to confirm her suspicions.

  “OK.”

  “No, it's not OK. Men aren't allowed to hit women. Ever. Not even if they have a reason.”

  “OK.”

  “Amelia, what do you want to do with your life?” Catina asked. That question threw Amelia into a loop. Nobody had ever asked her what she wanted. In truth, she had never truly thought about it, either. She knew that one day she would grow up and have to care for herself, but she never thought about the details. Her mind flooded with possibilities: Doctor, lawyer, teacher, retailer, writer, singer...

  “I want the opportunity to do whatever I want.” Amelia responded, leaving Catina slightly exasperated.

  “Well, you have an opportunity, right here, right now, to get on the path to self-fulfillment” Catina said grandly, hoping to impress.

  “For females, self-fulfillment primarily deri
ves from the completeness of their relationships. Men are more prone to experience a sense of fulfillment from their careers and achievements.” Amelia said immediately, quoting a book on gender differences and dynamics that she had read nearly two years ago.

  “That's...very true.” Catina responded, her mind whirling. Who was this young girl that was so quick with her thoughts and words?

  “Amelia, do you employ defense mechanisms, such as your intellect, to hide the fact that you've been sexually abused?”

  Amelia said nothing, contenting herself to stare into Catina's eyes. She didn't like this older, stupid woman. She just had some quality about her that threw Amelia off, made her feel uncomfortable. Had Amelia been older, she would have recognized Catina's worldliness and experience with children as the source of her insight.

  “You can try to stare me down all day, Ms. Amelia, but it doesn't change the fact that you're going to be my daughter.”

  After ten minutes, Ellis and Steve returned from their tour. Steve was convinced that Ellis was abusive toward his orphans. Every child there had seemed emaciated and terrified. Steve had followed Ellis all around the orphanage, watched Ellis walk with bow-legs and an exaggerated swagger. He had seen Ellis' hungry eyes, looking at the children akin to the way a lion would look at an antelope.

  “We're back, ladies.” Steve said.

  “I want her, Steve.” Catina said. Steve looked at Catina, noting her defensive body posture. Legs crossed, arms folded. Her chest wasn't square to him, but was angled, like she was pointing her shoulder at him. She looked him in the eyes, daring him to deny her this girl.

  “Well, let's do the paperwork, then.” Steve said, instantly causing Catina to uncross her arms. Steve smiled. She could keep nothing from him.

  “No.” Ellis said, not looking at anything.

  “What? Sir, if you don't release this child into our care, right now, you're gonna have serious problems.” Steve said, hardening his voice.

  “But...no...” Ellis said, looking at everyone in the room, pleading with his eyes, “She's all I have.”