Welcome To The Family

Chapter One

SCREEEEEECH.

Inside the crumbling 'Garde Foster Home,' the eyes of a ginger-haired teen spring open. His eyes set on the cream curtains that billow in the darkness. Shivering, he makes his way to the window, the cold night summer air breathes down his neck. He inspects the room, squinting his eyes to see if any of his roommates seem awake. It's hard to tell in the moonlight, but the two other twin beds appear occupied.

Closing the window to restore warmth to the room, he witnesses a brown and white owl tackle a bat wrestling in the sky. The bright owl nicks the bat's wing, and its prey strikes the ground. Looking wounded, a bat lets out another loud screech. With a brave flap of its wings, the bat propels through the air. He attacks and sinks its fangs into the owl. The once alpha lets out a surrendering fatal yelp that rings through the night.

The teen puts his back into lowering the stiff window pane, it slides shut. An arm quickly wraps around his neck. A threatening knife comes into his view.

"God, no-no-no. Please stop. PLEASE." The ginger yells, hoping to wake his roommates. With their combined efforts, they most likely would be able to overpower this maniac.

"What's going on." Light floods the room. Standing in the doorway is an older woman with graying hair soothing a baby in her arms. She's her worrying face shifts to a dumbfounded expression. She glares at the brunette teenage boy who holds the ginger in a chokehold. "Beckett! Let go of Babe."

"But Ma, little orphan ugly shut the window! It's always what he wants." Beckett tightens his grip.

Babe pulls his arm away just enough to cough out, "It was starting to feel like the north pole."

"Get another blanket, idiot." The maniac brushes the blade against Babe's cheek.

"Enough!" Ma shouts, putting her foot down.

Beckett's arm releases from Babe's neck, he takes a moment to catch his breath then turns to his attacker, who flaunts a knife and a smirk. "Happy birthday, skeleton!" Beckett kicks Babe in the nuts and runs off.

"Will you two shut the fuck up!" a young girl rises from her bed and tosses one of her many pillows at the fleeing Beckett. Unfortunately, it misses.

Babe's head drops and fills with witty insults. He should stand up to the dick head, but he can never find the courage in the moment.

"Hey, watch your mouth Yani. You can curse when you're 17." The house mother responds.

"I'm ten. That's old enough, Ma."

"Not in my house." She turns to Babe. "Go back to sleep. I'll take care of him."

"I'll try." He wasn't exactly sure how he'd do that since his heart is ready to lead a jailbreak.

She turns the corner in pursuit only to stick her head back into the room. "Happy birthday Babe."

"Thank you." He almost forgot. Today was his seventeenth birthday. For a moment, his heart fills with warmth. Then the temperature drops again as Ma scurries off in search of the maniac.

"God, I hate him. At this point, I'd do anything to get away from him."

"Can you please turn 18 already so we can get out of here?" Yani tosses a pillow at Babe. "And can you turn off the light?"

"You're going to run out of those eventually." He jumps back up to turn off the light. Ma can remember the birthday of all her orphans but not to turn off the light.

"What are you gonna do, beat me up with that feeble body?" She laughs.

"You're the most deranged 10-year old, I know." He tosses her feather missiles back.

"Yeah yeah, at least I know how to stand up for myself."

"Yeah yeah, but your aim sucks." He mocks, but inside he's jealous of a 10-year-old being more courageous than he'll ever be. "One more birthday, then we're out of here. That is if Beckett doesn't snap and kill me first." He knows it's not the worst place for the two of them, but he's confident there's something better out there. On the other hand he has hopes he'll be adopted at the last minute, he doesn't know if he can take another brutal year of torture from Beckett. Each year he dishes out enough bruises and rudeness to last Babe a lifetime, just because he can.

"Fingers crossed. Goodnight. Enjoy the surprise party tomorrow."

"That's a real-life spoiler, you brat!" He flips back on the light and dives into bed. "Now, you have to turn it off."