They dropped me off like a package. There was an iron gate, looking at least like 150 years old. When I pulled it, it went open with a loud creak. Around the cold iron, twines must have been climbing for quite a long time. They whistled in the soft wind when I closed the gate behind me. Only then, the vehicle left, obviously making sure I would enter and not run away into the endless green of the woods. In front of me, in a cared for, but rough-shaped garden, was my destination: The Hightower Home for Young Boys and Girls. The name sounded like a free-time enjoyment facility for rich kids, when in fact it was the place you went when you had no parents and also had been kicked out of the other child care facilities in the county. Which was obviously true for me. “Be careful, or you’ll be taken to the Hightower”. That was what they said.

When I pushed the button on the golden bell, a surprisingly bright chime seemed to flood the insides of the house. Then there were steps and the door was opened. A lady, unusually tall in a grey dress looked down at me and my checkered suitcase.

“We were already expecting you.” She stepped back and following the gesture she made (which was rather demanding than welcoming) I took my suitcase and went inside. “I am Miss Adamson”, the lady said. “Follow me”. The house seemed dark and heavy, despite the sunlight coming from huge windows everywhere. We walked towards another door, past walls full of strange pictures. Miss Adamson finally stopped and knocked. Then she opened the door, pushed me and my suitcase inside and closed the door again.

I was alone with a woman, grey-haired and with a very strict facial expression. She was sitting behind a huge dark wooden desk. The sign placed in front said “Headmistress”. I gave her the letter from Sweetwater Children’s Home, the last institution I had been dismissed from. The lady retrieved a letter opener from her desk, ripped open the creamy coloured envelope and read the letter. Then she looked at me again.

“Elisa Halicott, aged 11, mother unknown, father unknown, referred from Sweetwater Children’s Home for repeated severe disobedience towards superiors and repeated damage of school property.”

I swallowed. Trying to explain that not everything on the list was my fault would not have worked, as it had not worked at Sweetwater either.

“My name is Mrs. Evans, I am the headmistress. Don’t think you can continue the malicious quest you started, because here it won’t work. I have eyes and ears everywhere.” Her voice was clear and cold like half-frozen water.

“But, I…” My face flushed. I was not on any quest and surely not a malicious one. Maybe she would let me explain after all why the things at Sweetwater and the other places were damaged.

“Silence, young lady! I won’t hear of any excuses!” Mrs. Evans picked up a short cane from the desk and held it so close to my face that I could smell the wooden scent of the material.

“Disobedience, unlike in other places, will have consequences here”, she hissed. “Now go, Miss Adamson will show you your room.”

I got up, picked up my suitcase and stepped out of the office. “Follow me.” Miss Adamson took the stairs up to the first floor. I couldn’t see any children, they were probably in class. Like the rest of the house, brown and yellow were the dominant colours. The wooden floor creaked under our steps. There was a long hallway bearing the same old-fashioned yellow wallpaper. Miss Adamson opened the second door to the right and let me enter. To my surprise, the wallpaper was green here and there were two beds, two desks and white curtains. “This is your room. You are sharing it with Melissa Underheart.” Miss Adamson showed a brief smile, in fact, the first smile I had gotten since I could not remember when. “Please unpack. Dinner time is at 6 p.m. sharp. If you are late, you will be excluded.” Then she left.

I opened the small checkered suitcase and placed my few belongings on the bed. I just owned underwear, stockings and a few dresses for clothing. Then there was Ted, my teddybear, whom I had gotten from a bag of stuffed toys someone had donated. He was brown, black-eyed and patient and the only one who thought I was not getting too old for stuffed toys.

I sat down on the bed and closed my eyes, realizing how tired I was.

Then the door flew open and a girl in jeans, a white t-shirt and with bright blonde hair came in. She stopped and stared at me with a mixture of surprise and anger. “Get out, this is MY room.”

I got up from the bed. “Miss Adamson said that we are sharing it.” I saw the flickering in her eyes and expected her to push or slap me. Instead, she rolled her eyes and went to sit on her bed.

She must have been about my age and her clothes looked like they were new. Suddenly I felt very old-fashioned in my black and purple dress and brown leather shoes.

“I am Elisa. Elisa Halicott. Are you Melissa?” She turned around. “Yes, smartpants, I am.”

Great. Guess I just got a new friend.

I was just deciding whether I should feel desperate about being in this place when I heard a noise coming from the wall next to us. It sounded like someone was hitting the wall again and again, in the same dull rhythm. “What is that?” I asked, but Melissa just grumbled, her face to the wall. I opened the door and looked to the right, to where the noise was coming from. Near the wall, further down the hallway, a little boy was sitting cross-legged on the floor. I went towards him. He was playing with a small red ball and passing it against the wall repeatedly. “Hey…” I approached him carefully. “What are you doing here? What is your name? I am Elisa.”

The boy did not look up. Instead he carried on his playing with no expression on his pale little face. Then I heard him say: “Victor.” “Nice to meet you” I replied. He did not look as if he was fond of further talking, so I went inside the room again. The noise had now stopped. “That was Victor.” I explained. “Do you know him?” Melissa turned around. She looked angry and a little anxious. “Don’t you talk about Victor! I mean it!”

“Why…” I started but she interrupted me. “Just don’t mention him, ok?” So I went silent but asked myself what was going on between her and that boy.

The weeks passed and were filled with the daily dullness of classes, punishment, food that tasted like soaked cardboard and just few moments I had for recreation. Nobody seemed to take notice of me and few of the other children talked to me. Until one evening at dinner. We were supposed to stay silent during the meal and except for the clunking of plates, forks and spoons, nothing could be heard. Then, the noise started again. The noise of Victor throwing the ball against the wall. I turned to the girl next to me. “Isn’t Victor coming to dinner? Has he been suspended?” The girl looked at me. “Who?” “Victor, the boy with the red ball. I can hear him playing upstairs.”

The girl snorted. “Are you a nutcase? I cannot hear anything”.

“Silence, girls!” Miss Adamson had heard us. I looked at my plate and wanted to continue to eat when suddenly someone knocked over my glass of water. I hadn’t even touched it. The noise upstairs continued.

“Miss Halicott!” The headmistress stood next to me, holding her cane to my cheek then quickly and sharply hit my fingers with it.

“You are suspended from dinner! Go to your room!” The noise persisted and even got louder. No one seemed to notice though. I got up and took a quick look around the room. Melissa had taken a seat at the other table as she had refused to sit with me. She had her ears covered with her hands and her eyes were shut tightly.

Later that night, after bedtime, I couldn’t resist.

“Melissa, you heard the noise, too, didn’t you?” I did not expect any reply from her, but she surprised me by jumping out of the bed, switching on the light and grabbing my arms. “If you tell that to anyone, you are dead, hear me, DEAD!”

I pushed her away. “Ok, ok, I won’t say anything, if you don’t say anything.” I rubbed my arms. My fingers still hurt, too, from the headmistress’s cane.

“You don’t know anything, Elisa Smartpants.” Melissa was still furious and about to grab me again when the lamp above us started to drizzle and then went dark.

I heard her walk towards the bed, crawl into it and pull the blanket over her.

“Welcome to hell.” she said.