The House Of Immortality

It was the same routine every day, every week, every month. Every year. Even when there was special events on; New Years Eve and Day, Valentines Day, Easter, Halloween, Bonfire Night and Christmas, as well as birthdays. Here in this orphanage, nothing ever changed, there was no reason for it to, after all.

So why did today feel so different?

The previous night, I had fallen asleep right beside the window, with a diary in my lap. I always did this, every single Christmas. Oh, it was also my birthday. On the night before after it was lights out, I would use my torch to read through previous diaries until I fell asleep. Although they were all pretty much the same, nothing interesting ever happened so of course they would be the same, however my handwriting had improved vastly. You wouldn't even realise it was the same person if you compared the first one I wrote in to the latest one. Now being loopy, slightly slanted and very neat.

Looking out of the window, I noticed that there was a fresh layer of elegant, white snow on the ground, trees and rooftops. I smiled slightly because it was quite a beautiful sight. Wouldn't be long until it was ruined. I shivered involuntarily, so stood up, banging my head in the process, and found some warmer pyjamas since I was only wearing shorts and a t-shirt right now. Once changed, I noticed four parcels on my bed, all neatly wrapped, three of which I knew of, however one took me by surprise. Small and soft. It also had a label.

Happy Birthday NikNak!

That was all that was wrote on it, I turned the label over in my hands, and surely enough, there was nothing on the back either. Cautiously, I tore open the present, to find a pair of gloves. They had the ends chopped off, where my fingertips would be. The design was unique, black and grey stripes, with gold and silver sparkles in the black bits. I ran my finger over them and already I liked the feel. Tempted as I was to try them on, something made me extremely weary about them. There was something about them. Where did they come from? Nobody here called me NikNak, so did people outside of the orphanage know who I was? Did I have a family? If I did, who were-

"Nikita," Came a soft voice from the other side of the door, accompanied by a knock. It was Maria, I recognised her soft, gentle tone of voice by now. I quickly stuffed the gloves into my pocket before I walked over and opened it. I smiled as I saw her kind smile, dimples and her cheeks dotted with light freckles, with her golden curls framing her face, her sapphire eyes saw straight through my own lime green ones. She was young, my guess was that she was in her early twenties, but I could be wrong. "Happy birthday, sweetie, now hurry up or you'll miss breakfast." I nodded and offered her a smile as she closed the door again. I detested the way she called me sweetie, then again, none of the other workers were like that so it was a nice gesture, I laughed lowly to myself as my mind decided to like it today. I put the gloves underneath my pillow before I went to go join the other children for breakfast.

There was a full English breakfast available today, as it was Christmas, however I decided to stick with the usual cereal. I was not a fond lover of change. I took my place at the table and ate in silence as I listened to everybody else's conversation. The person to the right of me, Elise, wished me a happy birthday. It was as if time itself had frozen then, so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Then it began. The person next to Elise said happy birthday to me, then the person after that and so on, until it finally got back to me. Like the game Chinese Whispers, but then again, not. A bit like a Mexican wave!

"Happy birthday Nik," came the voice of my best friend, Callum. It snapped me back to reality, as the long chain had ended. "Thanks," I said along with a fake smile to everybody around the table. I do appreciate them wishing me a happy birthday, however I had something else on my mind today. I finished my breakfast, I was the first, as usual. Before I rushed up to my room, I whispered to Callum, "Meet me in my room." I made it very discreet, then hurried up to my bedroom.

Upstairs, I played with my gloves, wondering, hoping, praying. I so badly wanted to know my past, how did I get here, who were my family? If they knew I was here why didn't they come and get me? My door opened, Callum never bothered knocking anymore. We were best friends so of course he didn't. I threw him the gloves, and I smiled at his quick reactions as he caught them. "Oh thanks!" He said with a laugh. "Unfortunately I hadn't planned on getting you a present." He said with a shrug. I shook my head. "They're mine," I said and walked over, passing him the label, he read it, and as I did, turned it over. "Hm." He said simply and passed the label and gloves back over as he sat next to me on the bed.