The Legend of Qtoria

Chapter 1
The Kritner

"Get up!" howled Helga Kritner.
Helga Kritner, the demonic orphanage keeper, was making her daily morning rounds.
Kirk, wide awake, heard her perfectly but made no reply. Candie on the other hand, was still asleep and didn't hear a word.
"I said get up you vorthless children!" she yelled again.
"I'm up!" Kirk retorted.
They had to get up earlier than usual on friday for their weekly baths.
"Time to get up already?" Candie asked groggily, who had by now opened her eyes.
"Yep...bath day." Kirk answered as he stared around the shabby room he and his sister shared.
The peeling wallpaper and the cracked and molding ceiling wasn't getting better, in fact, it was getting worse by the day. Kirk left to go brush his teeth. He came back, got his sister and his clothes and made their way down the dark dank cooridoor down to the bathroom. They got to the back of the slowly growing line and waited patiently for their turn in the bathroom.
"Next!" Helga Kritner called out in her booming Sweedish voice.
A timid little boy named Theodore stepped forward. He was shaking as if he'd do anything to escape this moment.
"Hurvy up. I time you for two minutes," She told the six year old boy,"hurvy up!"
He scampered away to take his bath, and, in less than two minutes was out and fully dressed.
"Next!"
One by one the children took their turn, not spending more than two minutes each, until all were bathed and ready for the week. In the breakfast room, they lined up for their meal of grits and half an orange.
"Yum..." said Kirk sarcastically. As he took a seat next to Candie.
"It's not that bad," consoled Candie. "It could be worse..."
"Yeah, but I've always dreamed of a different life than the one I have. I want something more. I know it's out there, somewhere."
"We're stuck here so we'll have to deal with it for now," said Candie positively, "we'll get out some day..."
They finished their breakfast and went out for their "playtime" as The Kritner called it. All the children liked to call her The Kritner because she was so evil.
"What ya doin Kirk?" demanded the orphanage bully, Butch.
"Nothin' Butch," Kirk answered defensively, "what's it to you?"
"O, nuthin'..." Butch went on, "I was just wonderin' how you were doin'. I've heard rumors that you cry yourself to sleep at night, and wanted to know if they were true..."
"That's a lie and you know it Butch...or should i say...Manny?"
"Cut that out Kirk, or I'll beat your head in!"
"What you gonna do about it, Manny? Gonna tell The Kritner on me? Huh? She can't save you, can..."
But before Kirk could even finnish his sentence, Manny took as swing at him and hit him right in the jawbone. He rolled onto the ground. Kirk, somewhat dazed, picked himself up again and jumped on Manny's back and held on tight. Finally, with much struggle, Manny lost conciousness. Being satisfied with himself, started to walk away, when Candie ran up to him.
"You just aren't going to leave him there are you?"
"Why not?" asked Kirk.
Candie gave him the evil eye and Kirk quickly turned around and ran to The Kritner and told her.
"You vittle menace!" she cried."How could you!"
She ran over to Manny's side and quickly administered CPR. Within minutes he came to.
"Kirk tried to kill me!" was the first thing he said.
"I was trying to keep him from killing me!" Kirk spat out.
"Come vith me!" The Kritner said, almost in a whisper.
She grabbed Kirk by the ear and drug him all the way up to her office, Candie tagging behind the whole way. When they got to her office, she threw him down on one of the overstuffed armchairs sitting in the middle of the room.
"How could you do zis after all I've done for you?"
"But I didn't DO anything! I was saving myself from..."
"Be qviet!" The Kritner said.
"But I saw the whle thing Mrs. Kritner," Candie piped up. "Manny did start it."
"Of course you vould say somesing like zat! He iz your brother!" The Kritner snapped back. "You vould do anysing to get him out of a jam! Are you leestening to me? You girl! Are you paeying attention to vat i am saying?"
Of course Candie wasn't paying any attention, she was enthralled with the little chipmunk sitting in the window. It seemed to be listening...
"Girl!" The Kritner's voce boomed.
"Yes Mrs. Kritner?" Candie asked.
"From vere deed you geet that neclace from?" She asked.
"I don't know..." Candie replied,"I imagine scince I was born, cuz I don't remember ever not having it."
"It is so beautiful...I vant it...geeve it to me."




Chapter 2