What To Do?

Chapter 1

A small, shrivelled, boy with clothes that looked as though they had gone through one of the worst adventures of the multiverse, stepped in front of Drew who was on her way to High School. Desperate, the boy laid his hands in front of her and begged, "Please. I haven't eaten in days."

Drew remembered something her mother had once told her.

Donate, her mother had said. Not because you get anything like blessings in return but because you have something they do not and it is important to be human in this evil and devilish world.

Drew knew she had an empathetic look on her face as she ransacked her bag for some money. She found a five-dollar note and gave it to the boy.

"Use it well," she told him, making sure the boy understood what she meant.

Drew Hayes was a fifteen-year-old sophomore at Baymore High. She was an average American girl with ginger hair and hazel eyes. And right now, she was on her way to school.

The boy walked away gratefully with the money after a polite "thank you". Drew turned, smiling, and went about her day.

The day went fine. Not good. Not bad. Just fine.

Drew reached home late, having visited her best friend, Halley, after school. She completed her homework, ate dinner, and went to sleep.

A normal day.

Normal compared to what was waiting for her tomorrow.

#

The next day, as soon as school finished, Drew escaped the teacher's eyes by running to Gourgon Park.

Gourgon park was usually empty. It did not have visitors, especially not during the unforgiving cold of the winter. The trees looked naked without leaves. The timing was also just right, not too sunny but enough light for Drew to draw the bewildering beauty of nature.

Time ticked by and soon, Drew was halfway done with her sketch.

The weather became colder as the sun started to set.

Maybe it was the way Drew's eyes were eager to capture every detail into her sketchbook but a few minutes later, she noticed a man talking to a boy not too far from where she was sitting.

She recognized the boy. It was the same one who had begged her money yesterday. He was wearing the same clothes and looked a bit on edge as the big, bulgy man talked to him. They were close enough for her to hear the conversation.

"Hey, you must be that boy on the streets every day!" The man said in an excited and optimistic voice. "I've been looking for you!"

"Really?" The boy asked.

"Yeah. I am a part of this organization called Association for Orphans and Kids, long for AOK," he explained. "We give homes to kids alone with nowhere to live; kids who sleep on the streets. We are aware of how crucial it is to address the problem."

Drew's heart blossomed. So, there were actually people who threw light onto the rising problem. People to help the ones in need. It warmed her heart. The next sentence he said ruined the delight.

"But in order to get the privileges, you will have to follow me," the man said, keeping his voice happy. "I will take you to the headquarters. It is just nearby."

Drew's smile broke. From the deepest parts of her mind, a thought emerged. It begged to be heard. What is happening? Is this a kidnapping?

"I am not supposed to follow strangers," the boy said, backing off.

"NO! I am no stranger. I have proof," he removed a card to show to the boy. The words were too tiny for Drew to read. But then the boy said, "I cannot read," as if he was ashamed.

This time, Drew stood up and tip-toed closer to the two humans. When she was close enough, she hid behind a tree. Her heart thundered inside her chest. This was none of her business. She shouldn't get in the middle of something she didn't understand. But another part of her brain asked a question, 'What if his life is in danger?'

"It is okay, my friend," the man insisted. "I know how bad things in the street can get. I have been there. I can help."

This seemed to have an effect on the boy. He went silent. The pause that followed was so silent, it sent goosebumps up her Drew's skin. Hidden behind a tree, she couldn't see anything.

"Ok," the voice was so silent she almost missed them. The boy. He had agreed.

"Thank you," Drew could hear the smile on the man's face. "You will not regret it."