Tiptoeing down the narrow hallway of the orphanage, he tries to muffle the sound of his footsteps, fearing the wrath of the madam if he wakes her.
His heart thuds loudly in his chest, fueled by the fear of punishment for daring to venture out at this hour. But the urgency of his bladder overrides his fear; he has to use the bathroom desperately.
This place, this orphanage, is unlike anything he's read about in books with the help if his bestfriend. It's a strange, suffocating environment filled with rules that seem designed to crush their spirits.
He recalls a story he had heard about orphanage, but this reality is far harsher. The rules here are strict, leaving almost no room for joy or freedom.
Every breath feels like a precious gift, earned through silent obedience. They're confined to their rooms after 7 PM, once they've been served their meager dinner of soup. Breakfast is always the same, as are the tasks they're assigned each day. And lunch? It's merely a dream, never materializing into reality.
But perhaps the most perplexing aspect of this orphanage is the absence of adoptions. In all his seventeen years of life, he's never seen a couple visit to take a child home. It's always the same faces: the madam, her husband, and their son.
The sound of sudden heavy footsteps filled the hallway echoing through the place, his breath catches in his throat as he freezes in place, as the familiar screech of the madam's boots fills him with panic, sending his heart racing.
Desperation to hide drives him to dart towards the living room, drawn by the faint glow of the TV illuminating the darkness. With a surge of adrenaline, he dashes into the room, his eyes widening in astonishment.
It's the first time he's ever set foot in this forbidden space. The realization hits him like a punch to the gut - if he's caught here, the consequences will be severe - likely another brutal punishment he's not yet recovered from. His heart pounds in his chest, and he struggles to control his ragged breaths, his mind racing with fear.
Tears threaten to spill from the corners of his eyes as he cowers behind the large couch, curling into himself in a desperate attempt to make himself as small as possible. He prays silently, begging to avoid detection as the footsteps draw nearer, each thud sending a jolt of terror through his trembling body.
