The Darkness Within (тнε вιg ειgнт- ∂ιsηεү, ∂яεαмωσякs)

Eugene

Eugene didn't remember much about his past. He didn't remember anything in fact. Eugene always hoped his parent's were out there, waiting for him. He lived in an orphanage. He had no friends. He was just an awkward boy, hidden in the shadows. Eugene stared up at the dusty wooden ceiling. His rickety old bunk bed felt like it could collapse at any second. He shared a bunk with a tall olive skin toned boy, about his age. Eugene was ten, and unbearably lonely.

Eugene heard a "psst" from below him, and he leaned over the bunk-bed to see the olive toned boy staring up at him. "Yeah?" He whispered and the boy climbed up the bunk-bed. Eugene was confused, he sat against the edge of the beds top railing. "Hi. I'm Arnwaldo Schnitz." Arnwaldo held out his hand. Eugene raised an eyebrow. "I'm Eugene Fizherbert." Eugene replied and took his hand.

They shook hands quickly and Eugene sighed. The musky air was a normal thing for the orphans. Each of them could be crushed by the wooden ceiling at any moment. The orphanage was old, maybe fifty to one hundred years old. He always wished the King and Queen of corona would fix up the orphanage. But they never came out to see the children, and Eugene could understand why. They had lost their daughter, their princess, their flower, and he knew it would break their hearts.

However, if they would just come out, one time, they would see. Eugene knew the queen and king loved their subjects. People were kind and loving, at least near the castle. In the outskirts, the dark places, was where the orphanages were. The other parts were bright and beautiful, not a soul left behind. Eugene stared at Arnwaldo.

"So uh...?" He questioned, confused as to why Arnwaldo was even awake. It was probably twelve in the morning. "Oh right!' Arnwaldo said, snapping back from his staring in silence. "I've seen you've been lonely, so I decided to become your friend." Eugene scoffed. "Me? Come on. We've both been here for all our lives. You've never talked to me before. Even when we first moved from the juvenile room and got our bunks."

The juvenile room was where kids eight and under lived. They slept there at least. Everyone "lived" here. There was a dinging hall, juvenile room, minor room, adolescent room, study room (most orphans couldn't read, so Eugene saw no point in them being there) and the outside space. The rooms were all small, except for the dining hall. The minor room had nine through twelve year old's.

Adolescent was thirteen through sixteen. And after that, well you were out, kicked, booted. You had to reside on your own. Eugene sighed. "Well I can't shake you so...I guess." Arnwaldo beamed like the sun as he crawled down the latter. Eugene crawled under the small quilt, almost like every other kid's quilt, and drifted off to sleep once again.

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The minor's abode was like a distant memory as soon as Eugene saw the Adolescent hall. It had nicer, large beds. No longer did the orphans have to share a bunk. They each had a small nightstand, a small drawer to hold belongings. Eugene laughed when he saw it."Wow, right Arnwaldo?" Eugene said and looked back at a gawking Arnwaldo.

"Yea-ha!" He said and rushed to his bed, which so conveniently, was next to Eugene's. They flopped onto the nice mattresses and both sighed. "It feels like a cloud!" The thirteen year-old said, and Eugene just laughed. "You don't even know what clouds feel like!" Arnwaldo stuck his tongue out. "They feel like this." Eugene shrugged and looked inside his nightstand. He pulled out a book. "Whoa look at this!" He said and threw it at Arnwaldo. It struck him in the eye with a 'thump'. "Oww." He whined and looked at the book. "I can't read. What does it say?"

Eugene shrugged. "I dunno." The sound of a throat clearing startled them. Eugene turned around to see a very appealing girl, although she looked about three years older. "I can read," She stated, a sly smirk on her freckled face. Eugene felt immediately drawn to her. "If you can listen." She walked over and sat next to him. Eugene raised his eyebrows. "So, what's your name?" He flirted, trying out a new face.