Read The Unwanted (Black Water Tales Book 2) for Free Online Page B

as his illness progressed rapidly, he asked Anastasia is she knew anyone who could nurse him. Anastasia thought first of her mother, but said that she was afraid her mother would be unable as she cared for a couple of unwanted children. Viktor told Anastasia to bring her mother and the children could come along as long as they didn’t bother him. There was plenty of room for them to play and move about without disturbing him much. Shortly after, Magda began coming in with her daughter to care for Viktor, with the children in tow. Often they played on the lawn or in one of rooms at the far end of one of the abandoned corridors while Magda fed or bathed Viktor. As Magda nursed him, they grew close. He was moved by her compassion for the children and though he never admitted it, people believed that he secretly loved having the children around, hearing their laughter ring through the halls. Within months he was dead, leaving everything to Magda to continue her work with the children, including this house. It was rumored that his last words to Magda were Money is nothing without love . That is how St. Sebastian came to be an orphanage. We take in any and all orphaned or unwanted children. We are based on a legacy of love, not money.”
    “That’s beautiful,” Blaire commented.
    “Yes, but unfortunately we have become painfully aware that children need more than love, which brings us to you. St. Sebastian is a non -profit facility that ran out of Viktor’s money long ago, and we are severely underfunded, but we do the best we can.”
    “We’re glad that we can help,” Travis said.
    “We’re short on staff here, so we work on a skeleton crew. There are no teachers, so it is my understanding that you will be setting up some type of lessons for the children?”
    “Yes, I recently graduated with my master’s degree. I have interned in several schools in the United States, created various learning and campus improvement programs, and facilitated many new teach —”
    “Good.” Marko interrupted before moving his eyes to Travis. “And you are the nurse?” “Right.” Travis replied.
    “There are no doctors on staff, so the children do not receive regular medical attention. You will be giving basic medical care?”
    “That’s right,” Travis responded.
    “The children don’t receive any medical attention at all?” Blaire asked.
    “Very little,” Marko responded in an authoritative voice. “Every so often we may get a doctor to come here from Kerchaviv, but it’s rare.”
    Unspoken questions filled the room, like ocean water pouring into the lower decks of a sinking ship, and suddenly everyone was rushing to escape.
    “I should show you around.” Marko closed one of his files and lifted himself stiffly from his chair. Before he came around the desk, he opened his drawer and took out two sets of keys handing one set to each of them.
    “These keys go to various doors throughout the facility from your room to your offices, to the front door, etc. Keep your keys on you at all times,” Marko instructed.
    As they followed Marko through the corridors, the black and white photographs of the cheerful children now filled Blaire with melancholy, and she cringed under their watchful eyes.
    On the third floor, Marko began the tour with a clear directive. “The children are not to be up here. The third floor is for workers only,” Marko spoke clearly and waited for acknowledgement from the visitors. Blaire thought of the boy who had been playing hide and seek in her closet, but thought it better to keep it to herself for now.
    The third floor bathroom, which Blaire and Travis found earlier in the day consisted of a few toilet stalls, two showers and a tub; it reminded her of the bathroom in her freshman dorm, which she hated. Marko skipped over to their room, 3B, and next he motioned to the room of the other caregivers, who used them whenever they were scheduled for an overnight shift.
    “Usually, we have only one