The Accepted Outcast

Chapter 22: That Night

That evening, Ellie's mother had guests over. Ellie, still just six years old, had been strictly instructed to remain in her room due to her appearance; her mother was concerned that Ellie might embarrass her in front of the visitors. So, Ellie sat on her golden bed in her luxurious room, observing the canary her parents had just bought. The bird was locked in a cage, perched on a table, chirping away as if it were auditioning for a Broadway show.

Feeling bored, Ellie had no desire to play with the canary; instead, she simply watched it from her bed, contemplating the meaning of life—or at least the meaning of being stuck in her room. Suddenly, her door swung open, and a young boy her age stumbled into her room, looking utterly lost. Curious, Ellie hopped off her bed and approached him. "Who are you?" she asked, her voice a mix of innocence and intrigue.

The boy replied, "I came here with my mom and dad to visit Miss Malcolm, but I left the living room and got lost."

Ellie couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of a lost boy wandering through a house filled with adults, like a lone explorer in a jungle of awkward small talk.

Ellie immediately recognized that he was the child of the guests. With a burst of excitement, she exclaimed, "This is my room! My name is Ellie Malcolm. Do you want to play with me?" The boy paused for a moment, then nodded. Ellie, brimming with enthusiasm, took his hand and dashed over to where she kept her toys. "What do you want to play with? I have a lot of toys!"

The boy stared at the toys for a moment before asking, "Don't you have a knife?" Ellie, taken aback, replied, "Do you play with a knife?" The boy calmly responded, "Yes, my mom often gives me a knife to hurt and kill my dog."

Ellie, both surprised and confused, asked, "Why would you hurt an innocent dog?"

"Because it's fun," the boy answered with a soft smile. Then he inquired, "Why are you here alone?"

Ellie replied, "Well, my mom asked me to stay in the room because she says I am ugly."

The boy stared at her for several moments before saying, "I don't think you are ugly; I think you look like a lizard." Ellie felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her and replied, "That's cruel; I didn't ask to look like this." The boy continued to gaze at her and clarified, "I said you are not ugly. Instead, you resemble a lizard. And I like lizards, so will you marry me?"

Ellie was even more confused, struggling to comprehend the boy's peculiar logic. She calmly responded, "No, I can't marry you. I will marry my canary bird. Sorry." The boy, undeterred, asked, "If I kill your bird, will you marry me?"

Ellie felt a surge of alarm and quickly replied, "No, I prefer my bird." The boy stood up and walked toward the cage where her canary was kept. Upon reaching it, he opened the cage, seized the canary, and strangled it until it stopped moving. He then callously tossed the lifeless body onto the floor. Ellie screamed in horror at the shocking turn of events and burst into tears.

As Ellie wept, the boy simply gazed at her, his expression a mixture of confusion and indifference. Suddenly, a maid entered the room, having heard Ellie's cries, and swiftly took the boy away. From that moment on, Ellie never saw him again; the memory of that day faded into the recesses of her mind.

Now, as she looked at Damien, she couldn't help but examine the striking resemblance he bore to the boy who had once taken the life of her beloved bird. The memories flooded back, vivid and painful. With a sudden burst of emotion, she exclaimed, "Damien, can you please stop assaulting that boy and let him go?"

To her surprise, Damien complied without hesitation, releasing the boy, who dashed away in a flurry of panic. With a smile, Damien turned to Ellie and asked, "Ellie, why do the other students bully you?"