Hippopotamus_599
Legacy Name: Hippopotamus_599

Hippopotamus, or more commonly known as Tam, was tossed out of her home at the young age of four. Helpless, afraid and alone, she was found two days after being left in a dumpster. The man who found her wasn't fond of babies, though he was kind enough to take her to an orphanage, where she has lived ever since. Now, at the age of thirteen, she is sick of living in the cramped, dirty orphanage and has a plan. A plan to escape.

Moving stealthily, Tam tip-toed across the cold concrete, doing her best to keep quiet. The thin fabric of her nightgown did next to nothing to keep cold drafts from numbing her thin, pale arms and legs. She almost stopped and headed back to her room, but she shook her head and scolded herself.
Do you really want to stay in this dump? she asked herself. The answer was a clear, firm 'no'. There was no doubt that she wouldn't miss the creaky staircase, the thin duvet on her bed, the sloppy, tiny morsels of food she was given three times a day. And she would definitely not miss the private tutor who came to teach her everyday; he was an old, cranky man with few grey wisps of hair and a big attitude. Every time Tam misunderstood something, he would snap at her and shake his head. Never once did he praise her, even when her answers were one hundred percent correct.
But, the one thing that Tam hated most of all about the orphanage were the other children. They were all under the age of ten, and every one of them was violent and obtrusive. Despite the fact that she had her own room, the other children all bothered Tam an enormous amount, whether they were poking her, teasing her about the fact that her family had abandoned her or stealing her drawings, they were always somewhere close by.
The only things that Tam carried with her in a small rucksack were her notebook (which held all of her drawings), drawing pencils and the France travel guide she'd stolen from the lounge. France was the place that she was trying to escape to; despite the fact that she lived nowhere near Europe,

Tam inaudibly slipped down the stairs, dodging the creaky areas, and snuck into the lounge. The lounge was made up of a few mangy armchairs, an old television that was smeared with dirty fingerprints and a bookcase containing many battered novels. In the corner, obscured from view behind a lacy floral curtain, one of the windows was open ajar.

Layout by myself.
Overlay by Emi