On the far left corner of the cemetery hiding in the shadows of the high stone wall was a grave. A girl no more than thirteen walked into the cemetery, for some reason unknown to anyone this was where she went to relax. She sat in front of a group of headstones and talked to them. Today she decided to look around the cemetery for she had an overly large amount of flowers for the three graves which she spent her time at. She wandered the cemetery occasionally leaving a tulip or two at flowerless graves.

Now the grave that I had mentioned earlier was covered in moss and vines, ignored by all. The girl was appalled when she saw this. No one deserved such a sad grave in the girls opinion so she knelt in front of that grave and began yanking the vines and moss off it. All too soon it got dark and she heard 8 tolls of the bell. She stood up leaving her whole overly large bouquet at the sad grave and returned to the place she had the misery of calling home.

Her home was an orphanage, even though she was a pretty well behaved girl she had not been adopted. The reason was the only time she talked was when she was in the cemetery talking to those three graves. The coroner had considered adopting the girl since she spent almost all her time at the cemetery but since he already had 12 children of his own he could not afford to feed another mouth. She went to the dining room and ate dinner with the rest of the children. Then she and her roommate Emmy walked to their room which was quite elegant for an orphanage room. Perhaps it was because they had both been there for 9 years. They were a year apart, Emmy had been 3 when she was brought here and the girl had been 4. Emmy was known to have violent streaks and be very jumpy. If it weren’t for the girl Emmy would be just plain mean.

Emmy just couldn’t find it in her heart to be a jerk to the elder girl who had been like a sister to her. Emmy came from an abusive home but the girl had just lost her family. No I shouldn’t say that. The girl saw her family murdered right in front of her eyes. Luckily, or unluckily depending on how you look at it, the murder refused to kill one so young.

“Night,” Emmy said climbing onto her side of the queen size bed. They had a queen because the orphanage was not heated and in the winter the only warmth kids could get was from each other. The girl climbed under the covers of her side and fell asleep.

Waking up at the crack of dawn as usual the girl went down stairs and grabbed a roll and chunk of cheese then headed to the flower shop which opened at this hour just for her then closed again once she was gone. Walking in the girl grabbed six large bouquet’s of flowers. “Are you doing this for Thanks Giving sweetie,” Mrs. VanDecamp asked knowing that the girl wouldn’t so much as nod.

The girl left with her yellow and white tulip bouquets and her small breakfast. She hopped the cemetery gate knowing that the coroner didn’t care and sat down in front of the three graves. She ate breakfast there as usual then she left three of the six bouquets at the graves then she went straight to the neglected grave. She placed the bouquets at the grave and began cleaning it off. She finally got the thing uncovered but it was packed with mud.

Deciding that after lunch she would return with a scrub brush she picked up two of the remaining bouquets and walked around the cemetery putting a tulip or two down where there were no flowers.

The bell tolled twelve times and the girl returned to the orphanage for lunch. Emmy looked curiously at her roommates mud covered state. At which the girl only shrugged then sat down next to Emmy and began to eat. After lunch the girl went to the wash room and grabbed a bucket, car wash soap, and a scrub brush. After filling the bucket with water the girl left for the cemetery. Instead of talking to the three graves she was usually found at the girl walked straight to the neglected grave.

Finally the grave was clean and it read.

Here lies Karen Lenox. Loving baby sister. 1991-1995.

The girl gasped in shock. For the name on the neglected grave was hers.