A/N: I had to write a flash Fiction story where I added a new character to a book I was reading. The book that this story is based off of is Three Little Words.
I woke up in my bunk to a loud sobbing in the cottage. I rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. Someone was always crying, such was the nature of foster care. When I found sleep unreachable I crawled out of bed and stumbled to the common room.
At the dining room table I saw a kid with their face down on the table. They appeared to have scars from some serious burns. I got a glass of water for each of us and sat down close to them.
"I'm Ashley," I introduced myself.
"Elmer," said a small voice.
"So, what brought you here?" I asked him.
He glanced up and said, "My parents and sister died in a fire."
I looked at his scars and asked, "How long ago?"
"A month," he said, "I was in a coma for twenty five days and they brought me here when I got out of the hospital. No one told me what happened until I got here."
How horrible, not knowing what happened to your family. Sure nobody told me much of anything, but I at least knew that my family was alive. I felt so bad for him. I decided that I would try to help him adjust.
I talked him through the basics of camp and then went back to bed. In the morning when I got up he seemed to have calmed down a little. I explained some of the more complicated things like cliques over breakfast. I led him around all day and taught him all the rules and activities.
At dinner we saw "shoppers" and he was immediately curious. I told him what they were doing and taught him how to pick out who they were interested in. He was unsure about the whole process and asked if it worked. I said it was iffy, and that many kids got returned, but some found a forever home with a loving family and were happy. He still seemed dubious. Later he confided in me that he didn't want to be adopted cause he still missed his own family. I empathized with him because I didn't either and I couldn't imagine knowing that your family was dead.
He was there for a few weeks and eventually settled in. At one of our picnics I noticed a couple "shopping" for him and tried to tell him. He didn't believe me and wouldn't hear what I had to say. There were several other times I saw the couple watching him, but I didn't say anything for fear of angering him.
One day he was approached by his social worker who said that there was someone there to see him. He didn't want to meet them and had to be convinced. When he begrudgingly left I asked the social worker if he was being adopted. She said maybe.
When he came he seemed sullen but thoughtful. I asked him how it went. He said okay, and that he had a lot to think about. I let him be.
The next week he went for a stay and came back with an aura of acceptance. "They're nice," he said, "and I like them, but I still miss my parents."
"That's okay," I replied, "You can accept them as your new parents and still love your biological ones."
He looked thoughtful and nodded.
Soon after he left to stay with them forever. I wasn't surprised that he was not returned because unlike many of the rest of us, he had had a loving family before, and while he had some trauma he was still better adjusted than many. I hoped he found a wonderful new home, and that I could end up like him.
