Rose was waiting for Angela to return. It was already dark and she wasn’t back yet. As the hours went by, Rose started to wonder if Angela wasn't in any trouble. It wasn't like she couldn’t have. She had trouble written all over her. It was like she enjoyed and attracted trouble. But she was a good girl. And she was more than her roommate, she was her friend, even if she wouldn’t admit it. She was her only friend.
She was looking out the small window that overlooked the front gate as it was almost time to be locked for the night. And Angela was still not back. Rose was looking so hard through the semidarkness, trying to distinguish the shapes in the yard, that her eyes stung. But all she could distinguish was the shape of the old oaks in the yard and of the few benches which she had never used. She didn’t like to sit on the benches in the orphanage yard because it only added up to her insecurities. She didn’t like to be out in the open like that. She felt safer in their small dank room than out there. Some of the other kids in the orphanage could sometimes be real jerks, teasing her and upsetting her. It was not like they had something against her in particular, it was what they did to all the weak kids in there. The strong were bullying the weak and Miss Eveline always seemed oblivious to all these. Yeah, good Miss Eveline…
Suddenly, something caught Rose's eyes. There was someone in the yard. She started to look more carefully through the window, trying to see better and hoping it was Ange. There was a black silhouette running fast next to the wall. Who was that and why didn’t she come straight through the yard? Because by the shape of the silhouette it was clear it was a girl and not a boy. It was as if she didn’t want to be seen, as if she was hiding. Then the silhouette got under her window and looked up for a second. That's when Rose had a better view. It was a girl clad all in black leather and she was wearing ahood. But when she looked up she saw her features, she saw her kind and daring eyes, she saw …Angela!!
“Ange?”, Rose whispered after she had opened the window.
“Shush!”, came a short pleading reply and now Rose was sure as she also recognized Angela's voice. But what was she doing? Why was she sneaking like that and what was with the costume??
“Open the window more, Rose, and let me in.”
“Through the window?? Why don't you use the front gates as…”, but she was interrupted by Angela.
“Shush, please, just do as I say. We'll talk once I am I side, ok?”, and with that they were both quiet.
To Rose's astonishment, Angela started climbing the walls to their room like a cat. Good thing they were living on the first floor and she didn’t have to climb much. But still…
Rose was looking at Angela, wondering how she was able to do that. She was like a mountain climber but she had no safety hooks. She could have fallen any time. But somehow, Rose knew that Angela wasn't going to fall. She was too skilled by the way it looked and too fast. Before she had time to even think of anything else, Angela was standing next to her in their tiny room and closing the window behind her.
“Uh, what's with the costume, Ange? Did you go to a masquerade ball without me? Why would you do that? You know I never have any fun, you could have at least asked me…maybe I would have come, too.”, and Rose pretended to be upset as if Ange had just hurt her feelings.
“Oh, shut up. We both know that if that was the case, you wouldn’t have come, anyway. You never leave this room except for breakfast, lunch and dinner when you go to the canteen. And you do that because you have to and because Miss Eveline won't serve your meals to your room, otherwise you would never leave this room”.
Rose lowered her eyes in acknowledgement. She knew that Angela was right again. She was a scardy cat. She was just trying to survive in the cruel world she was born, with no family or friends besides Angela. For a brief moment she thought of what they were going to do next year when they'd turn 18 and Miss Eveline would kick them out of the orphanage. That thought obsessed her. She even had nightmares almost every night about it. And she would wake up screaming and sweating like a dog, although dogs don’t sweat.
“No, you fool, I wasn't at any costume party. I was …can I trust you!?”, Angelaasked her dead serious, piercing her eyes with her gaze as if she was trying to read her soul.
“You must know by now that you can. Whatever it is, I am your friend. You know you can trust me, Ange. It's not like I have a lot of other friends I am going to talk to about any of whatever this is. You are my only friend. And even if I had other friends besides you, which I don’t, I would still keep your secrets.”
Angela seemed more relaxed. She knew Rose was right and that she was no snitch. But she had to be sure. Her life depended on it, so she went on asking her while she was undressing and putting on her casual shabby clothes.
“Would you keep quiet even if Clark and his nincompoops would torture you!?”
“Uh, well, in that case I think I would even give them a drawing of you with this costume on and a key to our room to get you…”, she said smiling.
“What?” Angela almost yelled.
“Hold your horses, Ange, I was only messing with you. You know that I would keep quiet, no matter what. I may be shy and a coward when it comes to fights with bullies, but I will tell you something that I am not: I am not a traitor! No matter what they would do to me. I'd rather die than let them hurt you. Think it this way, if you want to be certain: if they'd hurt you, who would protect me then, huh? I would be vulnerable. So no, whatever this is, your secret is safe with me”.
“Thank you, Rose”.
“So, what is it, Ange? Why are you dressed like that and why were you sneaking?”, Rose asked her with curiosity in her big bright eyes.
“How can I put this? Do you remember the snake shaped ring? This ring?” and Angela showed her the snake shaped ring with two rubies for eyes.
“Yeah…what does that have to do with anything? You are not making any sense.”
“It has everything to do with it. Well, truth is I was good with a bow and arrows before, too, and pretty skilled with my rusty sword and I could also handle a knife well but now… now I am great with all these weapons and God knows what else I could be good at and haven't tried yet. It's because of the ring. I am one hundred procent sure it is because of it. I will never take it off. I like it. But not just for me. I will help those who need my help, those like you, if I think about it. But I can't just go running around as myself and do this. I need this disguise. Now do you understand?”.
But Rose was looking at her agape. She heard what Angela was saying but she was looking at her as if she didn’t understand what she was saying. So Angela approached her and closed her mouth as she was standing with her mouth open in astonishment. Then she started laughing at her to lighten up the tension in the room. The tension was almost electrifying.
“Soooo... let me get this straight”, uttered Rose when she finally found her words again. “Do you mean you are like a superhero or something? If so, then first of all, I am your biggest fan, and second, I am the luckiest person around, to have a superhero living with me in this not so grand orphanage room… but never mind the room, this is great news, Ange! Let me see your costume” and Rose took the leather pants from the bed and started studying the material. Then she took the vest and the hood, touching their fabric as if they were made of golden thread.
“The costume is exquisite! But where did you find it? And how did you afford it? I've never seen anything like this before…”, Rose was saying mesmerized by the costume's beauty and simplicity.
“That’s a long story. But let's just say that I think it is one of a kind and as for affording it, I….I filched it. Don't judge me. I know we only steal food to survive, but this is for my survival, also. It will keep my identity safe. Just imagine what some people would do to have the ring. No one must know of it or who the one behind this costume is. Because I will help those in danger and in difficulty and I will upset those who put the first ones in danger. But I want to be able to put my head on the pillow at night without worrying that someone might try to kill me to take the ring. But truth is I was lucky to find the costume. Let's just stop here and have some sleep, ok? I'm tired”, Angela said yawning already and almost asleep in her bed.
“Ok, just one last question” Rose insisted, “did you save someone already!? Tell me all about it….”. But Angela was snoring by the time she finished talking so she dropped the subject and as Angela was safe asleep in her bed, she also decided to get some rest.
On her way to sleep, Rose started imagining Angela fighting like a she-devil with a fire sword in her handand an ice shield in her other hand, slicing monsters that were coming to life from the deepest corners of her mind. It wasn't long till two different snores were heard in the small orphanage room. A black raven was resting on the ledge of the window in the darkness that engulfed everything like a mantle and was looking at them as the two girls were snoring peacefully.
The night was dark and the perils lurking everywhere were even darker….