Innocent Blue

St. Maria's Catholic Orphanage Est. 1948 in the heart of Pepper Hill, Massachusetts. Now Pepper Hill was an all American town and the inhabitants still are, many have the American flag waving outside their houses with "God Bless America" signs or any other red white and blue paraphernalia. A small town of only about 700 where everyone knew everyone and the sun shined everyday. Now you'd think with such a small town and the feel of vibrant America coursing through its veins that this out of the way place wouldn't need an orphanage. Well, everyone makes mistakes and even here there is no shortage of regret to be had. Men shaking up with women only to produce a child that no one wants, left to what? Rot alone? No a better solution...build a place to hide all your dirty secrets.

All the promiscuity of one whore could lead to a child and since everyone believes in the "American Way" you can't kill unborn children it would be fair! No instead let them grow up alone with no one to call mommy or daddy. Now a place like that, it's not always right if you know what I mean. Would you want to run a children's home that houses everyone's mistakes? To see little ones hurt and abandoned everyday? No see that can change people.

Maybe even places.

I want to focus on one girl, her name is Casey Blue. They named her that because blue seemed to be her favorite color, that and they never knew her parents. The caretakers loved her, she was sweet, smart, and playful. It broke their hearts to know such a sweet child had been abandoned. Oh and her laugh! Oh her laugh was the cutest thing you ever heard!...She was the example of innocence at its core and happiness in all things being only 9...but like all good things it ends.

"I don't want to take anymore medicine Ms. Clents. It makes my tummy hurt," Casey whined as Ms. Clents the head nun brought medicine for her cold.

"Now now, sweetie this can only help you get better so you can play with all of your friends again." Ms. Clents raised the bottle and poured some onto the heavy table spoon she held. "It will be alright Casey, now come on and open up." She was very softspoken but always had a hint of sterness in her voice, a habit brought on by disciplining so many kids.

"OK...but I don't wanna take it anymore after this." Ms. Clents gently set the spoon on Casey's bottom lip and let the liquid flow into her mouth.

"See that wasn't so bad huh?" She said lowering the spoon back the nightstand next to the bed.

"It tastes awful! But thank you for helping me Ms. Clents."

"That is quite alright Casey you know I would never let anything happen to you, now you should get some more rest." She turned from the little bed Casey was laying on and walked out of the room closing the door behind her.

Now there is Casey alone in a dimly lit room and sick as a dog, It was a pitiful sight to see such a bright young girl stricken with illness, I mean "She never deserved anything but good things and it just wasn't fair" according to Mrs. Shelm the elementary school teacher. And it's true she never did deserve the hardships she faced and the loneliness she felt, she deserved much better than to be thrown in with the other regrets.

But life isn't fair.

So she lays there in a dingy bed covered with an ancient blanket that may have been there since the place was opened. The blinds on the window are closed, the lamp next to her seems to be losing light by the hour, and the room is small, cramped and made of concrete. So why would they ever put such a sick girl in here? So that she wouldn't get the other kids sick of course, "Wouldn't want an epidemic around here little missy!" said Ms. Walthers shortly before confining her to this cold dark room. Left to her thoughts she dreamed of being outside again in the fresh air with the sun kissing her face, of playing with all her friends and that one nice boy Johnny who wasn't all icky like other boys, of even being in school and learning all the new things that she never though were possible.

But as these dreams faded reality set back in and only the room was there to greet her. It seemed like she had been in this room for an eternity...maybe she would never get out! What if they forgot about her! What if, if something terrible happened and no one could find her! Or or they lost the key! Or the building caught fire! Or a tornado hits! Where will I go? Where will I run? What will I do!

"No! Stop that!" She scolded herself "Nothing bad has happened and as soon as I am better they will let me out." This comforted her hearing her own voice. Sometimes the mind can be dangerous if left unchecked.

So the hours dragged on. Alone. She laid there thinking. Thinking. Dreaming. Wondering.

"What was that?" she thought, "I swear I saw something move...There again!" She was curious at first but the more it moved the more frightened she got. The wall. It pulsed. "It'll be OK...It is only the darkness playing tricks on me." She blinked and it was no longer there.

"Ha I knew it!" she said triumphantly, "I don't need to be scared."

"Hello?"

She froze as she heard another voice in the room with her.

"Hello?..." It whispered to her ears in a sweet voice.

She couldn't move her eyes darted around the room trying to find the source of the voice but no one else could be hiding in such a small room.

"I've come to help you...Please answer me..." The voice continued in its seductive whisper

Casey could not think straight, she was terrified beyond belief and the voice only kept asking her to answer.

"Please answer me...I will not hurt you..." The whisper sounded so sweet but something was wrong and Casey knew it.

"Stop!" She screamed "Leave me alone!" She threw her pillow into the darkness that seemed to grow around her.

"You have answered me child...Thank you..." The whisper turned into a voice. A very unpleasant voice. "You have spoken and allowed me to see you."

"No! Go away!" She screamed with all her might "Leave me alone! No! Get away! They will hear me and come get you! So get away from me!"

"NO ONE IS COMING YOU SICK LITTLE BRAT NOW SHUT THAT BASTARD MOUTH OF YOURS!" The disembodied voice turned into a sickening roar that shook the foundations of the room. "YOU HAVE ALLOWED ME MY TIME AND I WILL USE IT AS I PLEASE."

"No! Please stop it!" She was screaming as hard as she could trying to make the voice go away. It threw the blanket off of her body as she cried and screamed. She couldn't move, it felt like a thousand pound of pressure was on her chest. "Get of of me! Get away! Leave me alone!" She labored the last screams because the pressure was becoming too much for her to handle and her tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Yes...You are now mine..." The roar died back down to a whisper. The body of poor little Casey Blue levitated over the bed and was limp, half crushed, and bleeding. Her breathing was the only sound in the room and the little chokes of blood that were spurting from her mouth. "Everyone loves a child...When it isn't their own mistake you daughter of whores." The whisper was right in her ear.

"Why?" Casey asked the voice "Why are you going to kill me? I don't want to die..." This question was broken and she fought to get the words out.

The voice simply said "Because I can."

She was found torn apart with her limbs scattered through the room, her organs matted onto the bed and her blood caked the walls. Her head was stuck onto one of the bed posts and her night gown had been reduced to ribbons. This was all that was left of Casey Blue. It was counted as the most gruesome murder to be recorded in the state of Massachuesetts and is still left unsolved.

The newspaper headline was as follows.

"Innocent Blue"

At the local Orphanage in Pepper Hill 9 year old Casey Blue was found dead in a sick room torn to pieces by something that police said "Could not have been human. The force it takes to tear someone to pieces like that is...well it's more than any one person could do." The case is being closely investigated and officials say that it may be linked to the other killings in the-

I supposed the rest isn't important but, always remember.

A place to hide away regrets and shame can be good, some things don't need to see the light of day. But be careful because things like that, can change people.

Maybe even places.