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Once the shift was complete, I ran hard for several minutes. After the initial rush, I sought out scents and trails, moving alone for a long time. Somehow, the three of us all ended up in the same space, where we rested, ate, and then explored lazily for a time. There was so much to explore, so much to uncover, but once Byron was ready to go, Ryan and I reluctantly prepared to leave, too, shifting back once we found our belongings again.
The run, though short, had reinvigorated me. I felt more positive and energetic about our task. Things were already going well. They would continue to do so. They had to.
I was wrong. The orphanage was long gone. The ruins of the building remained, the majority of the structure lost to fire at least a decade ago.
“I should have come back years ago,” Mr Harding lamented. “How could it be gone?”
“I’m sorry,” Ryan said. “Maybe they rebuilt it elsewhere.”
“They didn’t,” a heavily accented voice said from behind us.
We all turned as one. A middle-aged man carrying a box was watching us with interest.
“You speak English?” Byron said.
The stranger nodded. “Looking for the orphanage?”
“We need to speak to the people who worked there,” Mr Harding said. “Badly.”
“It was always a terrible place.” The man grimaced as he glanced at the ruined building. “Most are glad it’s gone.”
“What about the staff?” Mr Harding continued. “They must be around. I have to find them. I found my daughter in that orphanage, but she’s very sick now. I need to know where she came from. It’s urgent.”
“They’re all gone. Doubt you’d find them now. Not many jobs here. Land is barely worth anything. Nobody stays anymore.”
“There was one woman,” Mr Harding said. “I remember she said she would never leave. Lena something.”
“Ah, I remember Lena.” The man set down his box with a heavy sigh. “She went home to her village, I heard. Wasn’t sorry to see her go. Too old-fashioned, full of superstitions.”
“Do you have a phone number for her?” Byron asked. “Do you know anyone who might be able to contact her?”
“There’s no power where she lives. You’ll have to go there yourself if you want to speak to old Lena. That’s if she’s still alive. Haven’t heard a word about her in years. There’s a bus, maybe tomorrow, that will get you close enough if you survive the journey. I wouldn’t bother. Only a madwoman would go back to where she came from.” He picked up his box and moved on, the conversation apparently over.
“She could still live in her village,” I said. “If there’s a bus, it won’t be a problem for us.”
“I hate this place,” Byron said. “We’re chasing stories.” He looked to Margo’s father. “It’s your call.”
“I’m going,” Mr Harding said firmly. “No question.”
“Same,” I said.
“I’ll find out about the bus, see if I can get more details about Lena’s home,” Ryan said. “But we might as well ask around some more about the orphanage. Somebody might know something that could help us. This Leah woman might be impossible to track down. I’ll feel better if we have alternatives.”
We did try, but very few people wanted to talk to us in the small town. The few who opened up told us much the same as the old man although some were more forthcoming about Lena’s whereabouts. Whether it was the language barrier or something else, nobody wanted to discuss the orphanage further, except to say they were glad it was gone.
That evening, while having a meal, the server stopped to chat with us. Ryan pushed her with questions which she seemed eager to answer. Most of the townspeople were wary of outsiders, especially the older members of the population, after a pollution spill at the old gold mine years ago. It had been caused by foreigners, according to the woman, which led to a lot of hate and suspicion. But that was nothing compared to the ill-will towards the old orphanage.
“My mother won’t talk about it,” she said. “But I’ve heard that the place was burned down on purpose. Children died. It was an awful time. But they weren’t cared for properly in that place anyway. We’re all glad it’s gone.” Somehow, that ended the conversation, and it did nothing to mend the weird feeling in my chest. Every path we took led to more questions. Would we ever find the answers we needed?
