An Orphan's Story

Chapter 3

Every evening after the toddlers had eaten their dinner, the dining room was a mess. Not only the big table was covered by smashed food and spilled drinks, the childrens chairs and the entire floor was covere das well.
„How can twenty two babies make such a mess?“ one oft the girls responsible for cleaning the room whined while the other one just laughed. „They’ll learn and in a few years they will have to clean up this mess, so stop complaining“

While the dining room got cleaned and prepeard for the older ones to eat, Tooru and the other toddlers got prepeard for bed. It was made sure that they were clean so that no one would stain one oft he expensive pillows.
Together they waddled towards their beds, wearing nightshirts and warm socks. It already was october and winter got closer with ever day, making it harder and harder to keep the old building warm.
Tooru held onto one oft he older kid’s hands tightly. Slowly he learned to walk but he still was the slowest. He was terrified oft the idea of walking around by his own, without holding on to someone and often he just ended up just sitting down, scared of taking any more steps.
Today seemed to be a good day since he managed to walk the entire way towards his bed without wanting to picked up.
„Good job buddy!“ The boy who had helped him cheered as he put the little boy into his bed and kissed his head. „Soon you’ll be the fastest to run around, don’t worry“ he hummed and covered Tooru with his blanket.
„You pwomis?“ the toddler asked, nuzzling into his bunny who had been waiting in his bed. A sleepy smile spread across his face as the older boy nodded and slowly Tooru closed his eyes. „Goood night“ his older friend wispered but Tooru already was too sleepy to answer and before he even noticed himself he was asleep.
But he didn’t stay that peacful for a long time. Dark dreams made the little boy kick his legs and turn in his bed, just like nearly every night.
He always had had problems sleeping and his normaly so cheerful and happy mood seemed to change as soon as he closed his eyes. No one really knew why Tooru behaved like that, usually younger children didn’t have nightmares that often. Sister Mary said it probably had something to do with how Tooru’s parents had treated him before they left him in the woods near the orphanage. Since no one knew who the boy’s parents were they could only imagine which cruel things they had done to him.
And just like every night Tooru ended up waking up crying, the small body trembling of fear. He, luckily, never was able to remember what he had been dreaming of.
The darknes surrounding him just made the fear grow even more and slowly his sobs got louder. Desperatly he was trying to grab his stuffed animal but it seemed nowhere to be found. Tooru was about to call out for his Mama, the name he decided to give sister Mary even though she had told the kids not to call her like that, as a wispering voice next to his bed made him wince.
„Did you have a bad dream?“ the boy lying in the bed next to him wispered softly.
„Y-Yes…“ Tooru managed to answer rather calmly before a new wave of sobs and tears made him unable to speak.
He was able to hear some rumbling next to him and only seconds after a smal hand began to gently rub his head.
„Don’t worry“ the boy, who had climbed over his bed’s grid in ordert to be able to reach Tooru, wispered. „It’s alright“
The gentle touch calmed Tooru down a little and he looked over at the other one. „My bunny“ he wispered softly inbetween sobs and nearly immediatly the stuffed animal got picked up from the floor and placed next to Tooru.
He grabbed his soft friend and hugged it as tightly as possible, not wanting to let go ever again, still sobbing quietly. After a few more seconds the toy’s saviour got up and decided to climb over Tooru’s bed’s grid and let himself slide down next tot he hazle haired boy.
„It’s alright“ He wispered, hugging the smaller boy and covering them both with the soft blanket.
Surprised at first Tooru soon completely calmed down and cuddled into the warm body next to him. He didn’t expect this to happen but he was glad it did and with the other’s arm around him and his bunny against his chest he slowly was able to fall asleep again, feeling save and protected from all the darkness surrounding him, being able to spend the rest oft he night asleep, without being interuped by any bad dreams.