The storm raged on as the wind whipped icily around me, cutting through my thin Icebreaker.
I had worn it to lunch before running away from the unthinkable truth that had been told.
The only thing keeping me alive as the rain lashed about, was my own horse's body heat radiating around as my mind worked overtime.
How could this have happened?
My life, a sack of lies balled up and hidden from me, now unleashed and thrown at me, hitting me with full force, leaving me barely able to breathe as the effect of reality left me with a broken heart.
Thunder clapped and lightning cracked overhead, adding to my emotional feeling that while everyone else boomed with power and energy, I felt weak and helpless.
I had been happy and content, a normal school girl with a passion for horses - that was until that day.
My goose bumps prickled and tingled as I remembered the past few hours as if it was all still happening.
I still felt the agony of it all as it turned out my life wasn't a perfect jigsaw puzzle.
Instead, a piece of the puzzle had been slotted in somewhere it didn't really belong.
I felt as if I truly was lost at sea.
Shivers racked my body, shaking me, trying to keep me from the cold, which enveloped the small country town and the surrounding farms in a tight embrace.
Things had started off normally that morning.
I had leapt out of bed and had a hearty breakfast, got changed, brushed my teeth and then spent the rest of my time with my horse as the storm brewed around us.
Then the clocked chimed 12:55.
Inside, I heard shouting and with the thought that something had happened, I ran towards the closed door.
But I came to a screaming halt when I heard my name.
''We can't tell her. It would destroy her.''
''She has the right to know.''
With my heart racing, I put my head phones in and pretended I had heard nothing.
I opened the door and wandered in.
Mum's and Dad's heads whipped around to meet me.
Fear and despair burned in their eyes.
They quickly composed themselves.
They plastered a smile on their faces and greeted me with false pleasure, but the look never left their eyes.
Gently they told me to sit down.
Pulling out a chair, I nervously sat down and let my gaze flicker between them.
They spoke the next words that would turn out to ruin my life.
''Listen Georgia, we have decided to tell you something that you may not want to hear.''
I jiggled around nervously waiting for the words to come. What were they going to say?Then the words finally spilled out.
I listened, not wanting to believe what they were saying.
I had never really felt like I belonged. I felt like I was always set apart from the rest, and now I knew why.
I sprinted outside and fetched my horse's halter before racing out to the paddock and vaulting on to her warm fuzzy back.
I galloped away, racing the wind, trying to erase the memory of the words as they had spilled out: Georgia, you are . . .
''Georgia! Where are you? Geoorrgggiiiaa!''
My memory was broken when I heard Mum's voice yelling, saying she was sorry for not telling me.
My horse nickered and flicked her ears as a beam of light landed on us through the rain.
There was my mother, covered in waterproof clothing, with the mask of worry and hurt on her face, but not as hurt as I was.
I boiled with anger when I yelled out into to the emptiness, ''Why didn't you tell me that I was adopted?''
• By Brooke Johnston, Year 10, Roxburgh Area School
