"We thank you Lord, for all you give..."

"...the food we eat, the lives we live; and to our loved ones far away, please send your blessing, Lord we pray. And held us all to lives our days with thankful hearts and loving ways" said Mother Superior, from the head of the staff table.
"Amen" she finished.

"Amen"

All of the girls and the staff of The Asylum begin to eat the food they were served.
"Did you wake up late again, Anna?" one of the girls ask her from one of the tables they were sitting at.
"Almost. Sister Alice woke me up so I can avoid punishment" she tells them as they were slowly eating.
"Did you hear, The Asylum are having visitors?" another girl states, causing the group to become curious at the news.
"Who?" a girl asked with curiosity in her voice.
"Well, Mother Superior and the other staff talking..." she started to say till another girl interrupted her.
"You were ear dropping?" she asked.
"I did not mean to. I just on my way when I overheard them talking" the girl explain herself.
"So, what did they say?" Anna pressed, wanting to know more of the conversation from the adults.
"How a rich couple are coming here" the girl inform them, causing the others to become sudden overcome with happiness.
"I wonder what they are like?" one of the girls said.
"I wonder if they are kind and caring?" another girl questioned as they continue to talk among themselves.
With hope, curiosity and wonder in the children voices as Anna was trying to get her head around this.

Voices..Voices..Voices..Voices

"But why?" said Anna, causing the other girls to become quiet and turned to her.
"What do you mean?" one of the girls asked.
"But why would they come here? To this place, there must a reason" said Anna, which got them thinking themselves.
"Maybe they here to adopt one of us" a girl suggested with a smile, fill with hopes and dreams.
"Or take any one of us for work" another girl said bluntly, breaking every one of their hearts in a single heartbeat.

*Classroom*
"Now don't suppose there are only bare white sands at the bottom of the sea"

"No indeed! The most marvelous trees and flowers grow down there, with such pliant stalks and leaves that the least stir in the water makes them move about as though they were alive" a girl said outloud.
Reading from a book she held in her hands as the child was standing up from her seat.
"Thank you, Dalia. You may sit" the teacher tells her and she smile before sitting back down in her chair.
"Tessie, please read the next lines" the teacher instructed and the shakily girl before her rise up from her seat, opened book in hand.

"A-All sort of fi...fi...fill?" Tessie stutter out, trying so hard to read the words from the book.

"Stop"

Causing the girl to become quiet as everyone can see that the teacher was not looking very happy right now.
"Tessie. Come to the front, now" the teacher demanded with a firm voice.
The girl looked up as she went and placed the book down on the table.

Voices... Snicker

Tessie went all the way up to the front of the classroom.
Silent and embarrassed as the girl stays silence, with the other children watching on.
The teacher opened one of the drawers of the desk, getting out a cap from within as the girl makes it to the front.
Once the child has done so, they went and placed the Dunce Cap upon the girl head.

Snicker

"I want you sit there and think about what you have done. You stupid and lazy girl" the teacher tells her, firmly.
The girl instantly went on over to the wooden stool in the corner of the room and sat down, facing away from the class.

"Now let continue with the reading, Matidla" the teacher said and the certain girl stood up from her seat.
Contine to read the book as Tessie silently cries in the corner, unfaze by anyone with the lesson continue on.

Voice...Scribble..Voice..Scribble

A teacher was in the middle of teaching as they walked down, through the rows and rows of girls.
Who were writing down what the teacher was saying, on the slates in front of them.

Scratch...Scratch...Voices..Giggle

The teacher stopped talking and turn left, to see a group of girls huddled together.
"What is going on here?" the teacher questioned, causing the girls to quickly break apart.
Sitting up straight in their chairs as the teacher went around to the other side.
To a certain girl that was minute ago, others were ganging around about.
"Stand up now" the teacher demanded and the girl did as she was up told.
Then she turn to become face to face with the teacher, who was holding a wooden cane in their hand, with a tight grip.

"Hold out your hand" the teacher demanded, firmly and the girl hesitant for a moment, before she did as the child was told.
The teacher raises the cane before...

Slap!...Wince!...Slap!

Meanwhile...

A class of girls were sitting down in their seats as they were in ghe middle of practicing some needle work on some linen.
"Make sure they are neat and perfect" an nun tells them all as she was in charge of the lesson.

"Yes, Miss"

*Dinner Hall*
Voices..Voices

Mother Superior went and picked up the bell, ding..ding
Causing everyone to suddenly become silence, "Your attention, please" she called.
Placing down the bell onto the table as everyone in the hall turned to her.
"I have an important announcement I like to make. A rich couple are going to be paying a visit to The Asylum" Mother Superiors informed.

Whispers...Whispers...

"So I want every one of you to be on your best behaviour for them when they come and visit" Mother Superior tells all of the girls.

*Bedroom*
"Father, thank you for holding me together today"

"I needed you, and you were for me. Thank you for every bit of love, mercy, and grace that was shown to me though I did not deserve it. Thank you for your faithfulness even in my suffering. To you alone be the glory" all of the girls in the room said together in union as they prayed by their beds.

"Amen"

The girls stood up and got ready for bed as Anna took off her locket.
Place it gently down onto the wooden beside table as she went and pulled back the bed cover.
Anna went and climbed into the bed as she pulled the cover over herself before shutting her eyes to go to sleep.