Runaways (Orphans 5)

for all and all for one. When one is sad, we're all sad. We all must be happy for one to be happy. We're

sisters. We will always be sisters."

Butterfly's eyelids fluttered.

"We're sisters," Crystal continued, and we

joined in once more. "We will always be sisters." Butterfly's eyes opened and her mouth moved

softly until she was into the chant with us. Then we

stopped and stood back. Butterfly looked from Raven

and me to Crystal.

"What happened?" she asked.

"You're all right now," I reassured her. "Let's

get dressed and get down to breakfast. I'm starving." It had been Crystal who had come up with the

joining and the chant and all because of Butterfly. It

was really Butterfly who had brought the four of us

together in the first place. No one was more

vulnerable here. Crystal was her first protector

because she was rooming with her and then Raven

and I came in to keep the older girls from taking

advantage of both of them. Crystal used her sharp wit

and tongue to put down anyone who ridiculed Janet

for her size and shyness. Eventually, the three of us

circled her like three protective sisters and inevitably

became closer to each other because of it.

Crystal labeled us the Four Ophanteers instead of the Four Musketeers. We were always saying, "All for one and one for all." For now and maybe forever,

we were the only family we had.

Crystal- Said the ritual and the chanting would

defeat our sense of isolation and loneliness. She really

was like a schoolteacher. "Man is a gregarious

animal," she lectured. "Religious and meditation

groups favor group recitations. There's security in

hearing other voices saying the same things or making