Great Escape Story - Sophia B. - 08/08/17

Contest: Winners

Great Escape Story

Submitted by: Sophia B., age 10, Cleveland, OH

Far from the Place I Know . . . and Hate

I have been Orphan 275 all my life. I have known no love, only chores. Madame Von Hagen is the matron of Von Hagen’s Orphanage for Young Girls. All day we clean Madame’s house and clothing.

But I have a plan. When Madame sends me outside to wash her laundry, I will hide all my belongings in the basket and run away to the orphanage named Palmdale, where the children are treated kindly.

“Orphan 275! Go do my laundry!” bellowed Madame.

“I got it,” I shouted back. This was it. I was about to be free. I stuffed my possessions under Madame’s clothes and headed outside. As soon as I passed the gates I began to run. Soon I slowed to a walk, knowing I had traveled far enough. I looked around and saw Orphan 197 carrying bread she had bought for Madame. “What are you doing here?” she asked.

“I ran away from the orphanage,” I answered.

“Great! Can I come, too?” she asked.

“Sure,” I answered. We picked up a map that was lying on a bench.

“We have to travel north until South Street and then go up Lather Avenue. Palmdale will be to the left,” she said.

“Cool!” I responded, and we headed north.

Half an hour later we reached South Street. As we turned to go up Lather Avenue, Orphan 197 asked me, “We need names instead of numbers. I want to be Aubrey.”

“I want to be Jaylen,” I said.

Suddenly a man yelled out to us, “No school, girls?” He walked toward us.

“No, uh . . .” Aubrey searched for something to say.

“We were going to Palmdale to donate these clothes to the orphans,” I jumped in quickly.

“Well then. Don’t let me stop you. Carry on,” he said. We hurried off.

“Look!” Aubrey said. There on a hill, Palmdale sat majestically, a symbol of safety to Aubrey and me. We dashed up the hill, opened the giant gate, and knocked on the huge oak doors. Finally, I was starting a new chapter in my life.


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