Lost And Found

Gaining Hope

I curled up into a ball on the dirty street. My ragged clothes barely fighting against the savage bite of the chilly wind. I sigh sadly, before thinking about my pathetic life. How I was different from everyone else. How I was disappointment to my family. How i drove them insane.

How I let it all get to me. How I was losing hope, myself. How there was no one in this cruel world who understood the troubles of being a 'freak' as the people put it.

The drunk people stumbled out of the bar, laughing savagely. I whimper as a group come towards me. I flinch as one grabs an empty glass bottle and smashes it against a dusty brick wall. "F--FREAK!" He screams, the word echoing across the empty streets of New York.

The others laugh manically. He lifts the smashed bottle up and brutally smashes it against my leg, causing my leg to release a pool of blood. I cry out. Looking at my injured leg, I sob.

They continue to hit me savagely for a good ten minutes before a man comes running over and fights them off. He looked at me, shrivelled up in the dirty corner crying. Blood stained on the rags I call clothes. "Oh. You poor thing" he mutters.

He walks closer and I wince. "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you." He says softly. "Phillip! Get help" he screams as a young man with brown hair and ocean blue eyes comes running over. He nods instantly and runs to a building. "I'm Phineas Barnum. I'm here to help you, okay" he says calming me down.

"H-Hope." I stutter weakly. "Excuse me?" He says politely. Still holding a cloth on the most savage wounds. "My name. M-my name is Hope" I say weakly. "Nice to meet you Hope."

A group of people with concerned faces come running over. They all lift me up gently, trying not to hurt me. I wince again.

They carry me to a building. The one they all came out of. "It's gonna be alright hun'" a woman calls to me. Phineas, a kind, brown haired man with soft brown eyes looks at me in worry. Then, I smile inside. Is this what I have been hoping for. Someone who understands and is giving misfits a chance? I have finally found hope.

He orders the group to set me down on the bed they have. "Phillip. Get Charity. She was a nurse. She can heal the wounds." Phineas asks the man I saw earlier and he nods, grabbing his top hat and coat, he sprinted out.

"Hey. Hope's a nice name. You're gonna be fine. My wife, Charity is coming. She was a nurse, she'll be able to help you with your wounds." He says softly. I smile weakly. "Thank You. Mr B-Barnum" I stutter out with immense difficulty.

A beautiful woman with blonde hair runs in holding a bag full of medical supplies. She must be Charity. "Hello. I'm Charity, I'm here to help you. Can you stay still for me?" I weakly nod.

"Phin, put pressure on the wound." She hands a wet cloth to him as she points to the worse cut. The one he done with the glass bottle. He quickly obeys and holds the cloth down on my leg. I flinch "Sorry, if this hurts Hope" he mutters.

"Lettie. Apply some pressure on that wound please" she hands her another wet cloth and she instantly grabs it putting pressure on the wound on my arm.

After hours, she wraps bandages round my wounds and cleans her kit away. "She needs rest Phin, bring her to our house and put her in the spare room. It should take around a week for her to fully recover but she will have scars on her legs and arms I'm afraid." I close my eyes. These people were so kind to me, even though I'm different to them.

~1 week and 2 days later~

I groan and stretch my arms as I open my eyes. Two little girls are at the end of the bed, their eyes wide open. "Daddy!" One screams "she's awake!". She had curly blonde hair and was adorable.

The door opened and revealed the man who saved my life. He was smiling. "Helen, Caroline. Can I speak to her alone?" Their faces fall. "Just for 5 minutes. Go play with your new dolls!" He says with kindness in his voice. They nod and run out laughing. "How Ya' feeling?" He asks.

I rub my eyes. "Fine, thanks to you" I reply. He chuckles "It's nothing. No one deserves what they did to you." He replies.

"I get it all the time, although that was a tad worse than normal" I say. "A tad? They could've killed you!" His voice was raised and he was fuelled with anger.

"I- I best be going Mr Barnum. Thank you for helping me but it was a waste of your time. And supplies." I mutter.

"Nonsense. Here, I'll get you some clothes. Meet me downstairs when you're ready." He smiles before handing me expensive comfy clothes. "I-I can't take those. I'm perfectly fine in my own clothes" I say politely. He looks at my blood stained rags and raises an eyebrow. "You're wearing these okay." He says instantly before getting up and walking out.

I get out of the bed, looking at my scars. I take off the rags and slip on the clothes he's given me. A simple crimson dress and a small dark blue coat.It fitted perfectly. The first time for years, I'm wearing clothes that fit me.

I limp over to the door and open it. Revealing a beautiful chandelier and a marble house. I gasp in awe. A man chuckles behind me. "It's somethin' isn't it? Phillip Carlyle" his hand held out waiting for me to shake it. I shake it and he helps me down the stairs.

"T-thanks Mr Carlyle" I stutter
"Call me Phillip"
I nod slowly before Charity smiles at me. I smile weakly back.

A/N:n1024 words! So I really wanted to do something like this and I've worked really hard on it so please vote and comment any ideas!