The Runaway Dreamers

Chapter 1

"Stop it! STOP!" I couldn't help but giggle as my daddy threw me high in to the air, then catching me in his arms. "Higher, higher, daddy!" I would demand. He would tell me off for being bossy occasionally, but it was rare. I was his princess after all.

"Time for tea, princess!" He would holler me from the kitchen after play time. It was perfect. But not that afternoon.

"Coming, daddy!" I yelled excitedly. "What's for di-"

"Just a second, darling... Don't come in for a s-second. J-ju-just s-stay right the-there..."

He sounded panicked and that scared me. He was a tall man, with broad shoulders, and by far the strongest man in our neighbourhood. I've seen him scared only once before, when my puppy, Carlos, ran away. He was frightened that he would upset me. But when he told me, I could see how upset he was himself so I tried my best to act like I wasn't all that bothered, but it really hurt me inside.

He begged for me to wait outside. What was he hiding? I couldn't stand it anymore. I uncrossed my legs and brushed the grass off of the back of my baby blue gingham dress. It was slightly faded from mud stains as a 7 year olds life is only so clean, in every game, mud or paint is always involved.

I tiptoed quickly over the the door and saw my daddy standing there, with a body in front of him. It was a woman, a young face. Her eyes were open, they were a warm green colour like new leaves on the trees in spring. She was wearing an apron with was stained with a dark, red liquid. Blood. Her hair was in a tight bun at the top of her head with little strands kissing her cheeks. She was dead. Worst of all, she was my mother. Worse still, there was something that startled me even more. As if it wasn't horrifying enough to see my mother lying dead on the floor, but I saw it my fathers hand. A knife. He turned quickly and stared at me. Dropping it on the the tiled floor, now covered in speckles of blood.

I winced. For about a minute we just stood there, staring at eachother. Neither of us were sure what to do. So I bolted. I ran for my life through the door and up to the local shop. I knew the people that worked there, they were close family friends so I knew I could trust them. "Wait, Saffron! Please! Believe me, it was an accident!" I could hear his footsteps pounding on the floor behind me, trying to catch me and was only inches away.

I felt the tears slip down my cheeks, blurring my vision and making it all the more difficult to run. I couldn't make it to the shop, he would surely catch me. Suddenly, an alley caught my eye. I dodged my daddy's grasp and ducked in to the alley. It was only thin, hard for even a fox to fit through. But I was skinny, too skinny. I was never a fan of food and it finally came to my advantage. My father cried out to me, desperate for me to come home and forgive him, it was no use. I refused to budge.

Eventually, I heard his footsteps slowly edge away from the opening in the wall and the sound got further and further away, the coast was clear. I let my back slip down the wall, my dress was dirtied from where I stumbled whilst running and the dust cloud attached itself to my dress. I silently began to cry.

"Wh-who are you!?"

I heard a panicked voice behind me. It sounded like a young boy.

"Th-this is my place. You need to go!.."

I turned to look at him. He was pale, almost sickly. His arms were thin and his legs like sticks attached to his body.

"I-I'm sorry m-my mother was k-ki-killed by m-my dad and I have nowhere else to g-go..."

He slowly began to step towards me and sat down beside me, taking my hand.

"Do you want to be friends?" He smiled kindly, his grin was welcoming and made me feel at home. I looked down at our hands, our fingers intertwined with one another's. I felt my cheeks begin to burn and I realised I was blushing.

"Yes please..." I said, putting on a fake smile and wiping my tears. How could a boy I just met, take away almost all of the pain I had just felt? "My name is Saffron... Who are you?"

"My name is Carlos.. And I'm 8"

"I had a puppy once named Carlos, he ran away though.. And left me.." I let go of his hand and tightly hugged my knees. Tears began trickling down my cheeks again.

He lifted up my head and once again grabbed my hand.

"I'm not like your puppy then." He smiled.

"Why?"

"Because I would never leave you..." He began to blush as a crimson glow swept over his pale face. I smiled honestly, I hoped he was telling the truth. I didn't want him to go, I didn't want to be alone. I didn't want this feeling I have when I'm with him to ever go away.