Unravelling The Mystery

I woke up with a start.

What sort of dream was that? It didn’t sit well with me...

I had been having strange dreams repeatedly, and each one was weirder than the last.

I’m an orphan. I was raised in an orphanage, and they told me I had been left on the doorstep by someone—no one knows who. It’s sad that I never had the chance to meet my parents or find out if I had any siblings, but I was never one to complain. Having been brought up in a humble but surprisingly nice environment, I knew better than to be ungrateful.

The orphanage where I grew up was run by sisters who taught us to always be grateful for whatever situation we found ourselves in. They showed us the importance of cherishing every moment of our lives. Even though we weren’t as advantaged as others, we still had the chance to improve our futures. The sisters were kind and patient with us, and for that, I’ll always be thankful.

Anyway, my name is Chloe, and I’m about to tell you my story—how it all started, how it progressed, and how my life changed so suddenly it left me in a daze... lol.

I was told I was born on November 20th. The sisters knew this because there was a piece of paper stuck on my right side.

Yay... at least something about me is certain (*sarcasm). So, I had the chance to celebrate my birthday every year.

It also turned out that I was exactly one year old when I was left outside the home.

As I grew up, the sisters and my fellow siblings at the orphanage always said I was strange in some ways. They marveled at how quickly I grasped things and how easily I could figure out what was going on around me.

It was no surprise that I became a favorite student as the years went by. I was ahead in most of my classes throughout school. I excelled in nearly all subjects, except for art and history, which were not my strong suits.

I finished school last year at the age of seventeen. Surprising, I know—but since I was ahead in all my classes, I was able to graduate early.

I was supposed to start college at the beginning of this year, but due to financial challenges at the orphanage, I had to take time off to work and save money.

Our home, known as *Sweet Home for You and Me*, had close to two hundred kids. It was understandable that the sisters struggled to manage all of us at the same time. The older kids usually helped out, and we all enjoyed each other’s company—we were practically family.

I got a job at a coffee shop near the orphanage, where I’ve been working all year to save up. People seemed to like me, probably because I’m social and, well, not bad-looking.

This was both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, I received a lot of tips—good ones, too. On the other hand, I often had to fend off unwanted advances from people who tried to get me alone.

Today happens to be my eighteenth birthday.

But those dreams I’ve been having... they’re disconcerting and unsettling.