More than a Life- part one- The stranger

---------- Chapter 1-----------

I pulled myself up on my elbows, and off of my pallet on the floor. God I hate this place. My name is Emilina Vala.
I am 14 years old and live in the most god awful place I could be living right now. I am in a foster home. Ya but here's the thing, they have no room for me. Like every other freaking place on earth. My own family doesn't want me, and neither does anyone else.
My parents died 2 months ago. Of course I miss them terribly, but honestly if I would have been left alone, I would have done fine. But the state comes and has to drag me all over creation until I landed here.......... temporarily. See My parents were drugys. Addicted to just about everything. Their personal preference though? what do you think. Yes indeed, heroine. I am surprised they didn't die of it. That's right! They went and drove their car right into the lake! That's what gets me. They were just gone. Like that.
I could always take care of myself. I had been pretty much all my life. My parents sure didn't The state came in and tried to give me to, well,every one! Aunt's , uncles, cousins. Nobody. Nobody wanted me. Thought I was just as troubled as my parents. huh. I'm not though. I know better. Everyone here thinks like they do. They treat me like I'm the most dangerous (drug and influence wise) child here. Every where is out of room. This is the best they really have. You want to know how many kids are in this house? 18! Is that even legal?! I am pretty sure that none of this may be legal! People don't really care though.
Maybe the problem as for why no one will take me is that I look to much like my mother. Long brown hair, blue eyes, tan complexion, rather tall. i am actually like an exact copy. That's why no one in my family wants me, or maybe they think I'll be to much like her.
I try and stretch out on the floor. But end up hitting another girl my age, Mary, in the face.
"Hey! Watch it! I'm trying to sleep here!" Out of everyone, I have the most respect for Mary. She doesn't put up with anyone's crap. She's strong and helpful too. She doesn't really like anyone though. She was abused by her mother and moved here after there was concern from someone at her school. You can see the bruises on her. No matter how much she tries to cover it up.
We've probably all been through hell here. There is Mary and me. We share a 2 bedroom room with 4 other people. Her and me are on the floor with pallets. In the first bed is the twins Carrie and Lynette. They apparently moved here after 2 other foster houses, after their dad tried to burn the house down ( and all of them on it) After their mother was murdered. Age 7 On the other bed is Jessica and Lisa. Jessica got here because her parents ignored her and she near starved to death. Age 11 Lisa, who I've been told quickly became Jessica's best friend, had a similar problem, but her parents just left her in the house and left. Just left. Age 9
There are also 10 other children in this 4 bedroom house. The 1st bedroom is our foster parents room. The second is Their two boys, and the other 2 boys. The parents children are Robert and John. They each get they're own bed. The other two are Logan and Andrew. They trade off on who gets the bed. Logan is 13 and Andrew is 10. Logan's parents are do drugs, like mine. But his didn't die. Andrew was abused like mary, but not nearly as bad.
The 3rd room is occupied by 6 other girls. Anna, Nadia, Charrlote, Victoria, Elizabeth and Ellen. There are 3 beds in there as well. Nadia and Ellen, Charrlote and Elizabeth, and Anna and Victoria. Nadia is 8, Ellen is 13, Charrlote is 16, Elizabeth, or Izzy, is 17 and the oldest out of everyone. Anna is 6, and Victoria is 8. Nadia's house burnt down with her mother inside. Ellen is her cousin, they were both sent here after Ellen's father started to...... take advantage, shortly after Nadia arrived at they're house. Charlotte's parents could no longer take care of her and temporarily placed her here while they find jobs and get enough money to get her back. I have no clue why Izzy is here. Mary wouldn't say, nor will anyone else. Maybe they don't know either. Anna was terribly abused by her father in many ways. Less physically though. (Mary still is the worst in my opinion, it scared me when I first arrived how torn up she was. Although she is strong she is very afraid of many things.) Victoria's parents also died by drowning. She doesn't have nay relatives though.
And the last in the back of the house is us.
" What are you doing awake anyway?" Mary sleepily asked, pulling me out of my daze.
" I don't know! Do you have the time? I can't tell anything in this windowless room!"
"How the freak should I know? Now go back to sleep!" She leaned over and hit me with her pillow. One of her scars peeked out of her pajama sleeve.
" How'd you get that one?" I asked carelessly, sometimes she would tell me. She sighed and rolled back to her original possession away from me.
"Just.......... go to sleep."

- authors note- sorry I have to stop so abruptly. Please check back for the rest.