A Little Orphanage |SFW|

Chapter 1

I left a trail of broken leaves as I walked down the path.
I always stayed in the parks. The gardener let me sleep in the shed, but I don't really think he was that fond of me. It was always cold in their during the cold months and unbearably hot during the warm months, but it kept me dry nonetheless.

Sometimes families leave there things unattended, so I'd "borrow" a couple dollars from their bag so I could buy snacks and maybe even icecream.

This is how I, Emile, been living for the past 4 years. It's become almost normal for me to be doing something bad.
But one day, somebody noticed what I was doing.

-
I jogged to the shed and pushed the door open. It was a very tough door, you'd need to shove it in order to open it. The door swung open and the smell of soil and sadness met my face, but it was the smell I've been used to for a very long time. I stepped in and shoved the door closed.

I laid down on the pile of burlap sacks in the shed. It was very uncomfortable and very scratchy. A leather backpack sat next to me with the head of a stuffed bear poking out of it. That was Bruce, my stuffed animal and probably only friend. My parents got me that stuffed animal for my 5th birthday. It was one of the only things that survived the fire(other than me of course).

It was dark, with only the light from the sun poking through the cracks in the door. But suddenly the light started to dim, and suddenly, two spots of sunshine leaking through the bottom crack dissolved.

There was a rhythm of knocks on the door. I sat still and didn't move an inch. Another rhythm of knocks. "Jeez, why can't they just give up already." I muttered. Well maybe a bit too loud, because the door handle started to rattle. I grabbed a tiny gardening shovel and my bag, ready to run. There was a push, and a shove, and the door swung open. I thought I could swiftly run past the stranger, so I tried, and failed.

I ran into the strangers chest and they grabbed my shoulders. He smelled like strawberries and milk for some odd reason.

"Hello boy." The stranger said.

I looked up and it was a man, probably in his 30's or 40's. He was very tall. He looked like he could've co-founded Willy Wonkas Chocolate Factory. He had a beard and medium brown hair. I took a few steps back. From his point a view, I looked like a helpless child. I was very short though, I'm almost 5 feet tall.

"Who are you?" I asked the man

"You seem to be homeless, aren't you?" He answered, completely ignoring my question. "How can something so small survive out here? Now what is your name?"

I stammered "um, my name is Emile." This guy was acting very odd. Bruce was hanging out of my bag. I think the man noticed.

"Why what a wonderful bear you have!" He said "what's their name?"

"Oh, his name is bruce." I answered "my parents got it for me when I was young."

"Well your parents must be very nice, where are they by the way?" He asked "I don't think they'd want you to be hiding in a shed."

"Oh um.." I looked down at my feet "there actually dead."

"Ah, I see." I looked back up at him. He pat my head "I'm sorry for asking that" he said. "It's okay" I replied. "Well assuming your homeless, would you like to stay at my orphanage? I run the Little Angels, it's quite luxurious."

"I don't know-"

"Please Emile, you can just stay for one night. I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight knowing you slept out here." He said

"Okay I'll go, just for one night though."