For eight years, they abused me for some
reason unknown to me. I wasn't entirely sure what happened, but I had
gone to bed one night, my adopted parents yelling at me, just like my
biological parents before them, who had abused me for seven years,
and I woke up and found them dead. I was now fifteen, and I was
orphaned once again.

     I packed my things, crying because I was on my
own again, and it wouldn't be long before the orphanage found out and
took me back again. I did not want to risk getting adopted by another
abusive family, so I ran away from that horrid place, where I had
lived for fifteen years.

     I decided to leave America entirely and go to
Europe or Asia. I decided that Asia was my best bet, even though my
ancestors came from Europe.

     It took me a very long time to get there, but
I eventually landed in Europe, and started to walk to where I had
officially planned to go: China. I heard much about it, and I wanted
to go.

     I was walking for months, never really
stopping for much except for food and water. I still wore the same
clothes that I had on when I left America, and it wasn't much: A
long-sleeved patchwork dress. That was all I had with me now since I
lost everything else I had brought with me.

     I collapsed on the ground face-first in the
middle of a bamboo forest one I had landed in what I believed to be
China. I didn't want to walk anymore. I thought it would be better to
just die and end my suffering forever.

     I had been laying in that same spot for about
3 hours, my long blonde hair a tangled mess, as it had always been,
giving up life as I knew it, when I heard a voice saying, “Aiyah!
You won't get anywhere like that, aru!” I slowly got up and
looked up at the person speaking to me. He wore red shoes, yellow
pants, and a green long-sleeved shirt, the sleeves covering his
hands. I noticed around him, were four children, three boys and one
girl, all Asian, and all were hiding behind him. I looked up at his
face and I couldn't look away. He had medium length dark brown hair
tied back into a ponytail, his eyes a golden-brown color. His eyes,
had a look of pity about them. Before I had a chance to say anything,
I felt myself blackout, and I fell unconscious.

     When I woke up, I wasn't where I was before in
the bamboo forest. It looked like I was in a house. I sat up, yawned,
and looked down at myself. I gasped aloud. I wasn't wearing my
patchwork dress anymore, but I was wearing a green dress with an
intricate gold and red dragon design on it. I wearing green shoes
that had the same style as the shoes that the man I had seen earlier
was wearing. I reached up to scratch my head and found that my long
blonde hair had been brushed. I was very confused and shocked by all
this.

     “Good morning, aru.” said the same
voice from earlier. I looked toward the door and saw him, the person
in the woods. He walked into the room. “Good morning.” I
replied awkwardly. I stood up from the bed. He stopped in front of
me. I looked up at him and he at me. I blushed and looked down.
“Something wrong, aru?” he asked me. I shook my head no
and looked back up at him. “Its nothing.” I gave him a
look of questioning. “How did I get here?” He smiled and
said, “I carried you here after you passed out, aru.” I
looked at him, amazed. Normally one wouldn't do that for me.

     He suddenly reached for for me and I became
afraid. In the families I was once part of, if someone were to reach
out to me, they often times would slap or hurt me in some way. I fell
back on the bed, squeaking in terror. He looked at me, confused. I
started crying. I felt I could trust him, but I was afraid of what
would happen. Before I knew what happened, he had wrapped his arms
around me. I didn't try to pull away, because I realized that he had
no intention of bringing harm to me. I continued to sob however,
because this was the first time someone had shown love and tenderness
toward me instead of hate and pain. He stroked my hair. “Abused,
aru?” I sobbed harder when he said that. “You don't need
to fear us. We won't hurt you, aru.” He picked me up and held
me close. He held me until I stopped sobbing.

     When I had stopped crying, he set me down on
the bed, then he sat next to me. “What is your name, aru?”
he asked me. I looked down at my feet. I had a name, but It was
almost ever used. “Alice.” I said quietly. “My
name is Alice.” He smiled as I closed my eyes and rested my
head on his shoulder. “You can call me Yao.” he said. I
smiled. “Okay.” I whispered, falling asleep on his
shoulder.

     Yao, I thought to myself, I don't ever want to
leave. Don't make me leave. He seemed to be able to read my thoughts
because just after I thought that, he said to me, “You don't
have to leave if you don't want. You can stay.” I fell asleep
with the words “You can stay. We won't hurt you.” running
through my head. I finally had a home. I was home.