˹𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐫˼ ⇾ 𝐓. 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐝𝐨𝐧

A New Beginning

❝𝐖𝐞'𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐲. 𝐍𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲'𝐬 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭. 𝐈 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐰𝐲, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐮𝐬.❞

- Johnny Depp

"Now, I must warn you, Mr. and Mrs. Harmon, the child you selected to meet today isn't like the others. She's very... peculiar, if you will," Gladys Cooper, the owner of Augustus Flay's Home for Orphaned Children, said warily, motioning for the lively and incredibly excited couple to follow her.

The orphanage the glowing parents had come across was quaint and clean, and the occupants were absolutely adorable children, ranging from newborns to toddlers and touched every ethnicity known to man. As the trio made their way through the three story building, it was clear that they were not the only ones in the market for a new addition to their family.

Vivian Harmon, the lady of the house, raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow, "What do you mean peculiar? Aren't all children a little odd when they're young?"

"I, myself, find it difficult to explain," The graying women abruptly turned a corner, and promptly led them through a set of large, magnificent double doors, continuing on through the grand place. "She has always been a little bit different from the others, as I said before. Never wanting to socialize, or go outside to play on the jungle gym. She only took to two of our staff members, and even then, they reported that she was a far cry from what they're used to."

"It sounds like you're saying she's an introvert," Ben Harmon, the one who carried the last name proudly and passed it along to his wife a few years into the past, commented. Those many degrees in psychology and sociology didn't go to waste as he become one of the best psychiatrists on the East Coast. "It isn't uncommon for children to choose to not speak for short periods of time. It's usually tied to some tragic event occurring in their lives."

Gladys stopped outside of another set of double doors, and appeared to be contemplating very deeply about something. After staring at the wood of the door for a moment longer, the older woman turned towards the couple, and sighed regretfully, "I cannot bring myself to let you meet her unless you know her full history. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I allowed her to see you, and get her little hopes up again, only to be let down if you back out of the adoption."

"Whatever it is, I'm sure we'll still want to meet her," Ben smiled, the excitement in his veins coming out through his facial expression, and they matched his wife's entirely.

"Very well," Another sigh was taken, only it was much deeper this time and filled with a devastating amount of sorrow. "She was brought to us after her family was murdered in their home. The father took the lives of her mother, and all three of her siblings before taking his own. Almost a year old, no one assumed that what she had seen that day would have lasting affects on her. But, as it seems, we were mistaken."

"What affects, exactly?" Vivian inquired after her heart had stopped ramming against her rib cage at the tale, though it was watered down extensively.

"Up until recently she had terrible night terrors, and could not sleep without some sort of light source. Over all, she's an incredible little girl. Very sweet, and very kind to those she's used to. Please, don't let the past have any sway over your decision. It wouldn't be fair to her."

Vivian, who had a reputation for being skittish, almost threw up at the nerves that were bunched up in her stomach, and Ben calmly reached over, squeezing her hand in reassurance. The doors seemed to take an eternity to open, and once they did, a blast of sunlight hit their eyes. The natural brilliance coated everything magnificently, including the little child sitting in front of an old piano. A breathless gasp left Ben's chest, and Vivian brought a hand up to cover her mouth, starstruck.

There, sitting on the bench in front of the piano, was a little girl around the age of four. The long, spiral curls that hung down her back were a light shade of blonde, probably the lightest shade that could naturally be created. The beautiful shade contrasted with her skin perfectly, making her appear to be a miniature version of the creatures from the skies above. Her posture was straight, her little feet dangling a few feet above the ground.

She was perfect, in every sense of the word.

Close behind Gladys, the Harmons felt that uneasy feeling vanish, and utter fascination filled their systems as they approached her. Standing on the other side of the bench, the older woman's voice lost its tough undertone, as she gently spoke to the child, "Wednesday, these are the people I told you about earlier. Why don't you say hello, darling?"

The quiet sounds that came from the keys of the large instrument fell silent. A moment passed as the girl looked up, meeting eyes with the caretaker, who nodded encouragingly. Then, after what seemed like an eternity to the excited couple, Wednesday turned her attention towards Vivian and Ben. A soft chuckle flew from Ben's lips as he bent down, bringing his face closer to her's, admiring her delicate features and innocent expression. Her eyes, those curious and skeptical orbs, were the color of a deep blue, the kind of blue you found out in the middle of the sea.

"Hello, Wednesday. My name is Ben, and this is my wife, Vivian," His voice was gentle and welcoming, in the hopes that the guarded gleam in her eyes would fade away.

Vivian stepped forward, bending down as well, and gave the child a motherly smile. Dark eyes narrowing skeptically, Wednesday seemed to be reading them in some way, as if she was looking beneath the surface of their appearance. As the child gauged them, the understanding couple took the chance to take her in as well. Despite being so young, the girl was breathtaking, and they knew by the haunted aura that radiated from her, that she would need to heavily guarded. Such a timid, fragile creature needed the best protection possible, and that's exactly what she would get in the days to follow.

Continuing to look at the child, Vivian felt a wave of intense emotion hit her, and fought the tears prickling in her eyes, "We're going to take care of you from now on, sweetheart. We're going to be your family, and love you with everything we have."

Ben smiled widely at his emotional wife, knowing that this was the reaction he had been hoping for. This out-of-the-blue adoption was precisely what their family needed. This incredibly peculiar, yet seemingly perfect child was what they needed, and she would change the course of their lives permanently.

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BE SURE TO COMMENT & VOTE! WHAT DID YOU GUYS THINK? ATTACHED PICTURE IS OF WEDNESDAY HARMON AT EIGHTEEN-YEARS-OLD, AIN'T SHE JUST PERFECT?