The Stranger

Chapter 1

𝔻𝕖𝕤𝕔𝕣𝕚𝕡𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟:

Excitable Drury is a "older sister" at the orphanage. She helps with her younger brothers and sisters as well as performs chores in the kitchen. She's satisfied with her lot in life until she meets a mysterious exotic pale man. Craving him, lusting for a mysterious stranger, is wrong when they live in the forbidden forest, but
Drury is drawn more to him everyday.

*＊✿❀　❀✿＊**＊✿❀　❀✿＊*

The younger children are shouting and throwing rocks at some brown bulk.

Drury runs up to see they are screaming monster at some man.

"Stop that! Bad children, go back inside!" She grabs a switch and threatens with it.
"He's a monster, Drury!" One of them shouts as they scatter. Tossing the stick aside, she moves to help the man.

"I'm sorry about them. They are just ignorant little brats. I should know. I'm an older sister here, but..." She stops when she gets a glimpse of the man. He's very pale with white hair, crimson eyes surrounded by scratches, dry chapped lips, with deep old wounds.

His face is wrapped in dirty bandages, his bulky brown hooded coat is tattered, and he has a white fur scarf. His eyes are seething with hate. They are a small village, and Drury knows everyone. This must be the strange albino the others were talking about lurking around at night.

Her heart flutters like a bird, most of the men here are swarthy and stout, but this man was the most exotic being she has ever seen. She gives him a nervous smile and turns her face trying to hide her burning face.

"Are you hungry? Is that why you're risking the sun. I don't know much about your condition, but I heard that the sun is painful."
He pushes her away, growling as he shifts deeper in the woods. He doesn't leave. He stands in the shadows, watching her with suspicion.

"Do you not speak? You don't speak our language? Oh, no wonder it's been so hard, you poor man. Wait here, I'll be right back," Drury says as she dashes into the orphanage. She will be aged out soon, but she's still hoping to stay and become what they call a big sister, helping raise all the little ones. That was before Drury saw the most interesting person. She grabs a basket and starts throwing food in.

"Drury, are you stealing food again!" Mary screams at her.

"Uh-huh," She runs out laughing as Mary throws a wooden spoon after her. She stops at the end of the woods and doesn't see him. She sees his head pop out from behind a tree. He's scratching his neck under the white furry scarf he's wearing. He's much taller than she thought. She smiles and waves, and he disappears back behind the tree. Drury sets down the basket in the shadows under a tree and hopes she gets to see him again. She prances off to calm Mary down. Otherwise, she will tell the head sister and won't get anything to eat tonight. The day drags on with her chores, but she can't help her thoughts wandering back to the stranger. Her eyes dart woods, and she is a little saddened when she doesn't see him again by the time she has to head in for dinner. Drury helps tucks in the boys. Harry grabs her before she leaves.

"That man is a monster," he says to with his most serious face. On an eight-year-old, it's almost comical to her.    
"Harry, he's just a man with a skin problem. No monsters can get past the magical barrier. You shouldn't be throwing stones at strangers. You never know when an Angel or a Devil will come knocking at your door, so it's best to be polite to all. Now get some sleep."
"What's this about some man with skin problems?" Mary asks curiously.
"I'll tell you upstairs," She whispers back, giving Harry a light peck on the head before she goes giggling with Mary up the stairs.

Lying in bed, the girls giggle and gossip. Drury shares a room with two other older sisters.
"Could you two shut up? It's lights out." Hannah grumbles.
"No! Drury is going to tell about a man she met today. What is Yumi, the fishmonger's boy?"
"No, he's a stranger." The other girls wrinkle their noses.