An old church rotting from the inside out, located in a forest charred from death, had a light beaming out of it. A woman in a red gothic styled dress stood beneath the light with her hands clasped. Her eyes were closed, as she faced a room with its door fully opened, revealing a room of emptiness and dust.

She opened her eyes and lowered her hands, then walked out of the church and stared at the lifeless forest. Upon opening her arms out, thousands of rose petals hurtled from behind the church. She had a gentle smile, but it was drizzled with suspicion. As the rose petals settled and landed on the ground, life awakened once again within the forest of death. She watched the grass grow as the trees that once had blacked bark, which now gleamed brown and green.

Walking with a smile that was once gentle, now seeped of corruption. “It’s only a matter of time until I can finally free her. But in the meantime, I’ll watch from the shadows and watch… over you.” Rose petals twirled around her, making her vanish into nothingness.

In the riddled streets of coldened crime Michigan, two kids were both lost and alone. They were close, protecting and watching one another as they walked along a street filled with homelessness. There was nowhere for the two to go, and both were hungry and afraid, yet they still had smiles on their chapped faces. They weren’t ordinary kids though, they were Jack and Angela who’d been homeless ever since their grand escape which transpired four days ago.

During the days of a not so profound life, the two have been through hell, and an absolutely disgusting reality check from the streets they’d been living on. Every street was ruthless, corrupt, and showed absolutely no mercy. But the worst thing about being homeless as children was that there were predators everywhere, ready to snatch someone like Angela.

Jack made sure that none of these things were to happen to his dear adopted sister. He promised Carolyn he’ll take care of her, and he intended to keep that promise. Even though they’d been through such hardships, they were still determined and hadn’t lost hope in each other. They both believed that someday they’d find a permanent home, and when that day would come, then it would truly become a dream come true.

Jack and Angela stopped for a second, watching pedestrians cross a busy intersection. Jack scratched his back then patted Angela’s head. “It’s gonna be a good day today.”

Not saying a word, she held his hand tightly and agreed with a gentle nod. Jack gazed at the cold gray sky and talked to himself, while Angela continued watching those people who had homes and families to go to.

We were unaware of what new life awaited us. We were lost, confused, scared, but most of all… we weren’t prepared at all.

Jack narrowed his eyes and gazed harder.

Already, we were out of food, water, and clothes to wear. He sighed as they began walking again. We’ve been on the street for only four days and already… we’re screwed. We had to sleep either on park benches, under bridges, and sometimes if we’re lucky, sleep in a public library.

Jack and Angela stumbled across a lost kitten, and they both confronted it, showing friendliness and gave him their leftover food. It meowed and purred as they both pet it. Angela smiled brightly.

I still have no clue what city we’re in. It wouldn’t surprise me if we weren’t in Michigan anymore. I have to figure out our current situation. Angela’s still scared and I can’t protect her from strangers. Besides… I’m still a kid!

The kitten ran away as a car’s horn went off. Both children were sad now, but they brought back their smiles and returned to their walk.

They decided in order to survive these wretched streets they had to be sneaky and, as much as Jack hated doing such heinous things, they had to steal stuff. Angela was entirely against the idea, and he didn’t blame her.

Instead, Jack told her the tale of Robin Hood and how he stole from the rich to give to the poor. It didn’t take long for her to buy the story, so They decided to work as a team in order to get what they needed. Doing the deeds felt awful, and it made him feel like a pathetic, desperate fool.

The act of stealing went entirely against what Jack wanted to become as an adult. He bet his dead parents were watching over him now, seeing how worthless he was for coming up with such a foolish and rebellious mindset.

Both Angela and Jack stopped again because they saw a couple of kids playing with their parents in front of their yard. Such a sad sight reminded Jack of how much he’d lost these past eight months from his parents to his friends and now… nothing. Watching them have fun and enjoy life made him think that if they were still alive, he could be in that position right now. Flashbacks brought out a single warm tear that stained his freezing cheek.

Angela, on the other hand, was intrigued. “What are those two doing?” she asked, pointing at the two adults.

Jack wiped away the water drop that trickled down his cheek. “That’s how parents act towards their children. They take care of them and help them, but most importantly they strive to make each other happy.” Jack paused, staying silent for a moment.

“Bro-brother?” Angela asked and tugged his hand.

Jack continued staring at the family, ignoring Angela’s asking. “Yeah… Happiness, something I truly wished never went away, but whatever. I guess that’s just how life works” Jack said quietly to himself.

“Brother!” Angela said loudly, finally grabbing his attention.

“Oh, I’m sorry Angela. Ahem! Yes, families do lots of activities together like, for example, if mommies need help in the kitchen, then it’s our job to help out when dad’s not home. Or when everyone has time for one another they go out to the park and do all sorts of things to keep each other smiling!”

Angela seemed more intrigued after Jack’s explanation. Her eyes even sparkled out of curiosity.

“So if that’s the case, then how is a family made?” she asked, looking up at Jack.

Even Jack couldn’t answer that. He was still oblivious about such a subject, especially when in the process of making a family. Ignoring her question, he continued staring at the family.

The kids were so happy with their parents, yet Jack and Angela couldn’t help but feel really lonely and sad. She clung onto his arm, then rubbed her hand on his and smiled gently.

Jack had had enough of the depressing setting and turned to look at Angela. “Hey Angela, we better get going or else the monsters might snatch you up.”

She listened and they both continued onwards, walking along the depressing streets, being reminded of how alone they really were.

The next day came by with Angela and Jack not sleeping well last night. It was mainly due to some crazy guy dancing in the middle of the park naked, screaming that witches stole his life and how spirits were real. He had dropped to the ground gagging, almost as if someone were choking him, though Jack presumed it was the man doing it to himself.

In the middle of another worthless day of gray, they were walking down the street, minding their own business, when a nice looking Black couple stopped them.

“Why are you all alone?” the woman asked.

Jack scratched the back of his head and scrunched his face. “Uhh, well, you see… I’m just walking my sister home from… uhh, sch-school!”

Angela nodded to play along with Jack’s lie. “Yes, we… we… uhhh—” Poor Angela, she was still socially awkward and didn’t finish her sentence.

She froze in place and huddled behind Jack’s back. “Sorry, my sister is very shy, so we’ll be on our way.”

Immediate guilt hit them like a truck, and as the children were about to walk away, the couple surprised them with some money. It wasn’t much but it was enough for the day. It was a blessing from two nice people. No matter how much it was, Jack was grateful of course, without feeling some sort of despair.

“But why?” Jack asked in a guilty tone.

“Oh you kids, we knew ya were homeless just by your clothes alone, but it’s okay. Take it. We know ya kids are hungry,” said the husband of the woman.

The woman approached Angela and rubbed her dirty head. “Take it as a blessing and a choice from God. There’s a reason why we bumped into you kids today. Can’t you see, it was because God made this happen.”

Jack felt like crying but held back his emotions. “Thank you… To the both of you. It means so much, especially for her.”

The woman finished with Angela by giving her one final pat on her head and walked back to her husband’s side. They both smiled at the two and said “God bless the both of you” in unison, then they both walked away. Jack clenched the money in his hand and wiped his forearm over his eyes, still feeling the urge to burst out his caged tears.

Jack lowered his arm and looked over to Angela with a smile. “What would you like to eat for breakfast?”

“Uhh, I don’t know?” Angela said, shrugging.

Flailing the bill in the air, Jack grabbed Angela by an arm and stared at the bill. “Looks like we have twenty dollars, so pick what we should eat for breakfast and dinner today.”

Angela had her lips out in an adorable manner, her eyes sparkling with joy. She nodded while looking at the many food places scattered about, but there were so many to choose from. She didn’t know where to start.

Jack found it enjoyable watching her pick a place, it was adorable. Instead, he offers a suggestion about saving some money so she could have more time to think.

Without disturbing her, he said, “I was thinking, if we get hungry later during lunch time, we should just buy a snack instead to save what little we have.”

Angela looked at him and ultimately couldn’t really decide what she wanted. Jack had forgotten that she was still oblivious to the outside world, so he just made her point at a place instead.

They walked for a while until they were on a street filled with even more restaurants. Along the sidewalk filled with loud folks and homeless people, they kept looking around to see what establishments were around.

She stopped and pointed to a place that caught her eyes. Upon looking at whatever she spotted Jack couldn’t believe she’d pointed at a place that defiled and violated her innocent eyes. Jack’s face turned red with laughter just from the thought alone. He couldn’t believe she picked a place like Boozums!

Jack patted her back and wiped his tears of laughter. “I’m sorry Angela, but that place is only for adults.”

“Why?” she asked.

“According to my dad, it’s a place we’re not allowed to go in.”

Jack remembered his father being embarrassed when he’d accidentally walked in one when Jack was eight. Both one day were just striding along a sidewalk in downtown Detroit when Jack saw the establishment because it caught his young curious eyes. He rushed towards said building and his father tried catching him but Jack was too fast for his father, so when he did burst through those doors, the first thing he saw was a huge butt, then dozens along with drooling men.

Jack remembered that face his father made, it was so hilarious, how red it was along with how his father tried explaining to the owner why a young kid like Jack somehow made his way into the building.

Goodtimes… Goodtimes.

Angela crossed her arms and adorably pouted, then looked away, puffing her cheeks out. “I thought it loo-looked cool! Hmph!”

Jack chuckled and patted her head. She looked everywhere and finally pointed at another place. It was McDuckale’s. “How-How about that! Gonna laugh at-at me no-now!”

What a smug smile she has. Why does she feel so proud of herself?

Jack smiled and grabbed her hand. “It’s fine.”

“Hmph! You better praise my de-decision.”

“You could quit being a smart one Angela, it’s perfect. Now, let’s go.” They headed towards the fast food restaurant with growling stomachs. Both children could already taste the food.

As they were about to walk inside, they were confronted by some random man. He stood in front of them and blocked their way, acting like a bully. “You kids alone?” the man asked with an aggressive tone.

Hearing his voice already gave Jack signs of danger. He took a sharp breath and held Angela’s hand. “No… we were going inside with our… family! Who is… waiting inside there…?”

The man noticed how much Jack’s finger quivered when he pointed at the place. He laughed and walked up to Jack, wrapping his skinny yet built arm around his shoulder, making Jack feel more uncomfortable. “Shit! You really are a lying little bitch!” He started clenching his arm with aggression. “Give me whatever you got in your pocket, you little punk ass bitch!”

The man got more aggressive and grabbed the collar of Jack’s shirt while Jack shook his head. People started noticing, so Jack gave him the meanest look he could give.

“Come on! Give us a break, you jerk! We’re hungry and all we wanted was something to eat!” Jack said, raising his voice in annoyance.

Jack’s outburst aggravated the man even more, so he punched Jack’s stomach. Surprising Angela and Jack, the man threw Jack onto the ground and started kicking him. Angela grabbed the man’s arm and begged him to stop, but that aggravated him even more. He pushed Angela away. She toppled and fell onto the pavement.

“Don’t you touch her!!” Jack shouted at the stranger.

More people gathered around to see what all the commotion was about. The stranger noticed all the attention gathering around him, but he didn’t seem to care.

“Or what you little punk homeless bitch? You ain’t got nothing. You’re just a little bum ass kid!” He got in one last good kick on Jack before stepping away.

That blow knocked the wind out of Jack for a second, but that wasn’t going to stop him. Without thinking, he got back up and rushed the man while shouting out in anger. However, that only led Jack to run into the man’s foot that quickly lifted. The man donkey kicked Jack away, making him fall backwards and gag out from the powerful force.

A couple of bystanders yelled, “Stop or we’ll call the cops. Leave the kids alone!”

“Mind your own business and shut the fuck up!” the man shouted.

He didn’t realize that another group of bystanders had walked up behind the spectators and got the guy from behind. They were a group of six, all mean and scary looking, much bigger than the jerk. They tapped his shoulder and he turned around, then quickly took a step back.

“If you don’t stop, we’ll either beat your punk ass or worse, kill you, bitch.”

“Aight! I’ll leave the little punk alone. I don’t know why y'all defending some bum ass kid though?”

One of the men in the group walked up to the man and got in his face. “Cause we don’t like punk bitches like you who pick on someone weaker than yourself,” he said in a deep and menacing voice.

“Yeah! Get the fuck out of here, you pussy!” another man shouted in the group.

“Aight damn!” Throwing his hands up in the air, he said, “I’mma go now… Sheesh, calm down! We’re all brothas here!”

The guy walked away and the bystanders dispersed, going about their separate ways. Although some in the crowd wanted to make sure they were fine and offered any help, all Jack could do was thank them… for nothing.

Jack was still on the ground groaning from the pain, but he had enough energy to speak. “Thank you,” he said calmly to the guy who appeared to be the toughest out of the bunch. When he took a closer look, the man was like a giant. Tall and really buff yet gentle.

The guy looked at Jack and smiled. With a wave of his hand, he walked away with his group in tow. Angela grabbed Jack’s arm and helped him get off the ground. She was still frightened.

He was on all fours now, trying to regain his breath. “It’s okay, Angela. I’m fine,” Jack said, calming her down.

“But you should see a doctor. You could be hurt.”

“We can’t, Angela. There’s no way we can afford it.” Jack spat and wiped his lip with his wrist. “Even getting an exam costs a lot of money.” He pulled out the twenty dollar bill that the nice couple gave them.

Angela stared at the money. “Li-like how much?”

Jack flailed it around and chuckled. “Imagine this bill in my hand, but instead of one perhaps like a stack of… well, a lot!”

“Woah,” Angela said in a worried yet calm tone.

Jack got on his knees and hugged her to settle her down more. After a moment, he got up and they finally headed inside McDuckale’s to enjoy their breakfast.

After they decided on what to get, they ate comfortably and their stomachs were stuffed. They had about twelve dollars left after that meal, however, they still had enough for tonight but if they were hungry during lunch time, they might have enough to get a snack to share.

Both children left McDuckale’s and kept walking around town, trying to figure out where they were. It was messing with Jack so much. He was getting sick of being confused, not knowing where they were. He then spotted a man sitting at a bus stop.

“Hey mister!” Jack asked as he walked up to the man.

The man looked at him, smiled, and said, “Hello youngster.”

“Do you know what this area is called?”

He looked at Jack and scratched his head, probably thinking that Jack was messing with him. “Well, if you’re talking about the state, we’re in Michigan. But if you’re talking about the town, we’re in Lippincott. However, if you’re talking about the city, we’re in Flint.”

“FLINT?!” Jack shouted with shock.

He had no idea they were so far from Detroit, but at least they were still in Michigan, to say the least.

“Thanks for letting us know,” Jack said, thankful for the information.

“Please do be careful and don’t get into any trouble,” the old man warned.

“Thank you,” Jack said again, then regrouped with Angela. They both continued on their way.

As the day went by, Jack’s head started feeling all fuzzy. He guessed he might be dehydrated or perhaps he was getting sick. They still didn’t have a proper plan for survival and more importantly, they had no idea what to do with their lives. He was surprised they weren’t dead yet, especially after today. Boy were they lucky.

Jack guessed God and his parents were watching over him, protecting him from death. One assumption did come to Jack’s mind which was the couple’s blessing, so maybe that’s why they felt so lucky. Although he wouldn’t say they were out of danger yet, since he’d been beaten up a couple times already. The world sure was cruel.

He also realized that Flint was worse than Detroit. There was a clear difference between the rich and poor. Even though crime was huge in his city, Flint took the spot for sure. If the city looked this bad and the conditions were horrid, Jack could only imagine what the neighborhoods were like.

After a long mentally and physically exhausting day, the sun settled down and nightfall drew near. Angela and Jack, who were prowling through some random street, decided to eat dinner at a diner they’d just spotted.

They went inside, and when they walked through the glass doors, the sweet smell of home cooked deliciousness destroyed their noses with smells so captivating that made them feel right at home. Eating in such a quiet, wholesome environment really made them forget about what happened earlier in the day.

Angela, on the other hand, enjoyed it so much, she even asked for seconds. Jack couldn’t say no to that wondrous smile of hers with her face smeared in maple syrup, so he ordered more food for her than he did for himself. He still could go on, even if he didn’t eat much. He was older so it was essential for her to consume more than him.

After finishing their meal, Jack checked on their budget and realized they were all out of cash. He sighed and grabbed her hand. “Oh well, it was a nice day while it lasted, thanks to those nice people.” He turned to her, smiling. “Wasn’t it, Angela?”

She smiled brightly as well. “Yeah! Thank you random strangers for your blessings!”

Angela’s speech had improved a little since they’d escaped. Of course it had improved with him, but as for other people… not really. She hated crowds the most, and even if she was around two people or more, she’d start having an anxiety attack. Jack guessed she was really anti-social.

He kept looking around to see where they could spend the night. After what happened last night with the weird guy, they definitely couldn’t sleep at the park.

Angela pulled on Jack’s hoodie and got his attention. “Brother! I need to relax somewhere quiet,” Angela said nervously.

Somewhere quiet huh? I wonder if she’s going to pray or something.

“How about we go under that bridge, Angela? Sound good to you?”

“Yeah, that’s fine.”

They headed towards the bridge and when the children arrived, Jack made sure to look around the area to see if it was safe. When the coast was clear, Jack said, “Nobody’s around. No weird naked people yelling about nonsense. You can do whatever you need to do.”

Angela came over to Jack, sat down, closed her eyes, and then put her hands together.

Jack remembered Carolyn telling him that Angela could talk to spirits or whatever… so he wondered if she was doing that now. Wait! What was he thinking? He knew there was no way crap like that existed. But still, there was a question he still had on mind and it was about that faceless girl…

He wondered why she kept appearing in his dreams. She appeared every so often but only to haunt him, to tease him, or worse… It freaking made things feel real when they weren’t. But not only that, she made him forget some of those vivid dreams. She was the biggest burden on Jack’s shoulders, and a complete mystery to him. Lastly, he wondered why she was so clingy.

He felt so conflicted. There was something else in his heart telling him to avoid her, then to stay with her, but… she had helped him during the worst times. Jack knew, out of all those times she had helped him and patronized him… that she could get screwed.

Jack, who stood and stared off into nothing and talked to himself, hadn’t noticed Angela standing behind him. She was confused about his current train of thought, so she tugged on his jacket and poked his back.

“I’m finished Jack!”

He broke away from his thoughts and noticed her seeking attention. He got more serious and looked directly into her eyes. “Good, but Angela, I have a question to ask you.”

“What is it?”

Jack stopped momentarily, then gave it some thought. He wanted to be sure he asked her correctly. “What do you do when you close your eyes? Do you pray or something?”

“I guess you could say that. Carolyn told me as long as I prayed, my nightmares wouldn’t come back.”

“Oh, I guess if that works to relive your mind as you sleep, then I see no problem with that.”

That wasn’t the answer he was seeking, but hearing her say something so innocent made him chuckle in relief.

I guess I’m not the only one struggling with nightmares. I wonder if they’re as bad as mine?

Thinking to himself and self explaining, Jack didn’t realize how focused Angela was on the street, mostly with the passing cars. She stared at each car on the freeway because she was amazed by their shapes and sizes. Seeing her intrigued about a big hunk of metal really made Jack feel bad for her.

Poor girl. How oblivious is she to the world?

Jack wrapped his arm around her shoulders, getting her full attention. He started pointing out and explaining every vehicle that passed by.

After a while, she leaned her head on his hand that hung loosely on her shoulder. “Hey brother… can I ask you something?”

“What’s up?”

She looked up at him with a sad look on her face. “Do you ever question… your own existence?”

The mood changed, the air felt sad. Jack’s heart became wrenched by extreme sadness. They were both still as cars drove by, their lights flashing across the children’s bodies while the night breeze blew.

Jack couldn’t believe what she’d just asked him. He was at a loss for words.

How could she ask such a depressing question? She couldn’t be referring to herself, could she?

To brighten the blackened mood, Jack gently patted her head, trying to relieve her saddened look. “Angela… why would you ask me such a sad question? And if you’re talking about yourself, you’re far too young to think that way.”

She shook her head, stood up, and then raised her head to stare at the half lit moon. “Because… someone told me I’m no more than a filled vessel that was meant to be empty… and that I should just give myself up and let them consume me so they could take back what was rightfully theirs.”

Angela spoke so naturally and perfectly. But just hearing her say that made his blood boil. “Listen Angela, whoever told you that… has no right to judge your existence!”

When she heard those meaningful words reach her soul, she couldn’t help but smile. Without turning back, she continued walking.

“Where are you going?”

She looked over her shoulder and smiled gently. “Come on, we should keep searching for a place to sleep.”

Why should we search when we’re already here? What’s gotten into her? And how could she be so calm after such a seriously depressing conversation?

Jack caught up to her and held her hand.

They continued to walk in search of a place to sleep for the night, hoping for the best. Jack still felt confused about why they searched for another location when they were at a pretty good spot. They walked for over an hour and decided to sleep under one of the overpasses on the freeway. It was no different than the one before, but to Jack he didn’t care. The nights were starting to get a little chilly. He knew that fall was upon them and he had to think of a way for them to survive, especially when winter came.

The winter in Michigan was brutally cold, so if they were out with no winter clothing they’d be screwed. Jack was mostly afraid that a snow storm would hit this year because if it did, then there was no way in hell they’d survive. They would be human popsicles in no time.

The cars above them weren’t too loud but the eerie wind did creep the children out a bit and sent chills down their spines. Even though Jack had sat down on the concrete ground, Angela felt safer sitting on his lap.

She was cold and began to shiver, so Jack wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight to offer warmth while he was cold. He wasn’t really bothered by the chill since he was already used to that kind of weather.

Jack told Angela to get off him for a moment. She complied and stood aside. He reached into his backpack and took out a blanket, then extended it wide open and signaled Angela to sit back down. She did, then he wrapped the blanket around her.

She kissed his cheek. “Thank you, brother.” Then she immediately fell asleep in his arms.

Jack smiled and rested his head against hers, but he couldn’t sleep yet. He knew there were dangerous people around.

While staring off in the distance, Jack noticed some women who stood at a corner. Cars kept pulling up to them and they appeared to be chatting for a while, then the women would enter the men’s cars. After thirty minutes, the women would be dropped off back at the corner they were originally standing at.

Jack wondered what was going on between those people. And it appeared to be quite frequent too. He kept watching them go back and forth to help him fall asleep.

The next day was really rough for them since they starved throughout the day. Jack tried his best to feed Angela with what little they had. He didn’t mind not having a nibble, because Angela’s well-being was his top priority.

They ended up walking back to the underpass where they’d slept last night. Angela sat on Jack’s lap, He wrapped his arms around her to share his warmth.

Poor Angela. She looks so scared and hungry.

With his eyes squinting out of frustration, Jack felt Angela jump out of his lap. The entire area became engulfed by fog so thick he could hardly see through it, let alone notice any lights penetrating the thick gray mass. Even the sky blended with it.

Angela stood at the edge of the sidewalk. She seemed rather strange. She stood there, not saying a single word, still as a rock, staring into the thick fog that suddenly appeared. Jack called her name once and got no response. All he got was a howling wind to respond to his call instead. He called out to her again. This time, she moved her head from side to side and clenched her fists.

“Why are you acting funny?” Jack asked.

She didn’t answer him. Instead, she ran into the wall of fog, disappearing from his sight.

“Angela! Where are you going?!” Jack shouted as he quickly stood up to chase after her.

Running through the dense fog and having no clue where he was heading, Jack kept shouting Angela’s name, but all he heard was her giggles echoing within the gray mist. He stopped to hear where her unusual giggles were coming from, so he looked right, left, then back again.

Her giggles sounded familiar, like the ones in his dreams. It was enough to give him the chills. To see if they were alone, he tried asking for anyone’s help, but then he noticed there were no people around.

The sounds of cars were dead. The ambiance of people had completely vanished. There was absolute solitude.

What the hell is going on?

Jack stood in the middle of the empty street, feeling scared and alone. There was no time to panic. He had to find Angela.

Countless minutes passed by, and Jack was still panting from all the running and feeling afraid. “Angela!”

Why did she run off? Why is she doing this? Does she hate me now? Is it because I didn’t feed her? If that were the case… then, what the hell is all the giggling about?!

“Angela!” he kept shouting out, releasing his anger and sadness.

Jack’s eyes began to get watery. The feeling of loneliness was coming back. On the brink of tears and feeling on the verge of giving up the useless search, he saw her outline a couple of feet in front of him. He quickly rushed to her, but she started running away again… laughing all innocent like.

Much more anger grew inside Jack. He was livid. His eyes were leaking, his teeth gritted. Jack was absolutely furious. After chasing her for a minute, she disappeared once again.

Shit! Where could she have gone?

Standing alone in the thickness of gray solitude, Jack dropped to his knees and clutched his head in frustration. He angrily yanked on his hair and kept shouting her name in desperation. His own angry voice echoed and bounced off his dirty eardrums. It was his only reply, which made him feel abandoned.

Jack couldn’t take it anymore. He punched the ground, bruising the flesh on his knuckles. He watched as blood leaked out. His eye twitched and he punched the ground again. Jack screamed from the pain.

He wondered if this was all a dream. If it was, then he wouldn’t be in so much pain let alone hurt himself.

But when Jack felt his sanity was about to break, the misty gray in front of him started to drift away. It was drifting fast, and it was enough for him to see clearly what was in front of him now.

A house that was so old and rotted, made of mossy brick and dying wood, seemingly belonging to that of the Dark Ages. It stood before Jack all dark and menacing. He thought he’d traveled back to medieval times.

As the rest of the fog disappeared, it revealed something more terrifying than abandonment. Jack noticed there was no city and no streetlights. He was standing in the middle of some old freaking town.

His eyes expanded so much from shock that he thought they were about to burst out of his eye sockets.

Some of the fog stayed behind and was still evident, but the house in front of him stood out the most. While he was analyzing his current situation, he heard Angela’s laughter again. It was coming from inside the home of stone and decayed wood.

Jack wondered why these strange occurrences were always happening to him. Was it another one of his bizarre dreams? It couldn’t be, but for Jack it felt too damn real. He looked at his knuckles. They were bleeding and he could feel the burning, throbbing pain.

He looked up and stared at the strange house. It made his legs shake and his knees become weak. The old medieval-like town that was apparent in the fog was creepy, even if the place was another dream, it oddly seemed familiar to Jack for some reason.

He swallowed every bit of fear he felt, then clenched his fist and finally built up the courage inside him to walk inside the strange house. He placed a hand on the wooden door, then gently pushed it as softly as possible. It creaked loudly and seemed ready to fall apart. When it was fully open, he looked inside and saw a single dining room, with a lonely candle lit on a table. Jack looked over his shoulder and noticed it was dark out.

Jack walked in quietly, whispering “Angela” once he was inside the dark dusty room. His own footsteps sent shivers down his spine. Just hearing it stomp on the wooden, dead floor made him feel anxious. Everything was too creepy.

“Where is she?” Jack whispered to himself.

He approached the single candle and stared into its flame, which was dim and seemed to be struggling to stay bright. Just by watching the flame struggle flashed a memory filled with lost hope into Jack’s mind, from the moment he lost everything that night. It beamed horrific new ones from that day forward which angered Jack even more.

He could feel his fingernails digging into his dirty skin as he clenched them ferociously. Blood dripped between his fingers. A single drop of red fell onto the ground, which caused an instant supernatural reaction.

Jack heard a loud bang from upstairs. Angela’s laughter came back to Jack’s ears but very faintly.

“Angela!”

He felt his palm burning and when he looked at it, Jack noticed he got carried away from clenching his hand that intensely. But he couldn’t help in doing so. He then approached the stairs leading up to total darkness. He was even more afraid because something wasn’t right. He could feel his gut wrenching, begging for him to stay put. However, his curiosity and determination to get Angela back was overwhelming.

“Angela, when I get my hands on you… I’ll!”

Suddenly, he heard his name being called by a different voice, along with Angela’s.

“Who’s there?” he asked, but shook his head and began walking up to the blackness that awaited him.

Step by step the wooden staircase creaked ever so loudly. Jack’s hand was on the wooden fragile rail, sliding upward as he ascended. His face was full of fright, yet he was ready to face whatever scare that awaited him.

At last, he got to the top of the stairs and looked down a hallway. There was a single door with a light of orange gleaming beneath it. There was no time to stop. Jack needed to get Angela and punish her.

Approaching the door within the plague of darkness, goosebumps rose on Jack’s arms. His heart began beating fast. The dull thudding of his heart echoed in the eeriness. Out of nowhere someone called his name again. It came from behind the door.

“Jack!” they playfully said. “Be mine, we’ll be together forever.” Faint giggles of torment ruptured into his mind, reminding Jack of his past.

Covering his ears to muffle the sounds of corrupted innocence, Jack continued to walk forward. He was almost at the door until he felt something grab his shoulder. His heart beat even faster and cold sweat dripped down his face. He didn’t want to look back, but his stupidity got the better of him… so he did… and what his eyes set on was something absolutely horrifying. There was Angela. Her… her eyes…

“Wh-Wh-Why!!” Jack screamed.

It was Angela with her flesh ripped open, exposing her own arteries and veins like puppet strings. Blood oozed off of her exposed body and dripped onto the floor. Her eyes were cut out and hollow.

Jack was petrified. She kept saying his name while she approached him in a very creepy and loose limbed kind of manner. It was like someone was controlling her from the darkness above, pulling her limbs like a puppeteer. Her eyes began to spill black liquid out of its sockets and splashed all over the floor. Her head wobbled around, moving back and forth to every step she made.

“Jack!” she said in a very dead voice. “I love you brother!” Then she emitted a deadened giggle.

Jack screamed again. Upon walking backwards, he tripped over his own foot and fell. She stopped, then lifted off the ground, hovering in front of him like an empty vessel. The sound of her pumping veins haunted his ears. The disgusting noises they made were horrifying. But Jack couldn’t take it any longer. He balled up, covered his head and cried in terror.

“Please, someone! Make it stop… Make it stop!”

All of a sudden, the door behind him slowly opened, revealing a haunting orange light. Jack got up and turned around to see what had opened the door. It was a boy of his age that stood in front of that glowing light. He looked just like him, yet at the same time… he didn’t because of his skin color, height, and hair color.

Jack stared at him. The other boy had hair covering his face, but Jack could still see his eyes. They were full of remorse. He tried telling Jack something, but he began to melt into black goo, slowly dissolving into a pile of tar. That steaming pile of black started moving on its own, then slithered away back into the room that glowed orange. The door slammed shut and the sound of laughter burst throughout the house.

Jack was traumatized from witnessing the tragic scene, so much so that he just stared at the door. At first, he didn’t say anything, not even by letting out a single breath, but then he broke out in laughter, as if he had completely fallen into the hands of insanity. He cried and laughed at the same time as he stood up, staring at the lifeless body of Angela dangling from the ceiling.

The girl in the white dress walked out from the same room. She too laughed along with him, but her laughter was that of innocence, not insanity. Their laughter echoed out into the town streets and haunted the fog that was once gray, which now transformed into a misty black.

She approached Jack and hugged him as he continued laughing while his eyes leaked profusely. Angela’s corpse flunge towards Jack and her dead hands grabbed his throat. The fingers tightened around his neck and she began strangling him. He struggled to laugh, and as his eyes turned red, his life was being drained before him. He continued smiling like some broken soul who had finally accepted his fate.

Jack slowly closed his eyes as he let out his last breath. The last thing he heard was a boy’s voice calling him a “helpless fool.” And then complete darkness surrounded him.

He opened his eyes and saw that he was back in reality, gasping for air because he thought he was still being strangled. After regaining his strangled breath, his broken laughter returned, but he still had a corrupted smile. He saw the gray cold sky in his view and felt his back rub against a rough surface.

Jack stood up and noticed he was on the ground. Not noticing how he was still smiling, Jack looked to his side and saw a frightened Angela huddled up in a corner. He let out one more deranged chuckle and stood to his feet, then approached her.

“What’s wrong Angela?” Jack asked, with a terrifyingly calm smile that could haunt her dreams.

She jumped out of her cowardness and embraced him while she cried her eyes out, trying to break her brother’s awful curse. “You were laughing in your sleep, and tried to hurt yourself!”

She pulled out a sharp object that had his blood on it. Jack’s broken smile faded. He was shocked. He grabbed the object, not noticing the cuts on his palms. Throwing it aside he held his sister as she cried, apologizing for what he’d done.

“I am… a helpless fool,” Jack said quietly beneath his breath.

Jack was unaware of what happened to him in the real world, yet he knew what occurred in his dream. Thinking about this made him more scared of what might happen to him next. The thought alone left him shivering in complete and utter fear. Between his face being permanently shocked and Angela’s muffled cries, Jack couldn’t help but let out one last single chuckle, which left him tormented for the rest of the week.

Weeks stormed by ever since that horrific nightmare Jack had experienced. He couldn’t forget how much he’d scared Angela, let alone being oblivious about harming himself. She even told him she’d fought with him to get that object out of his hand as he did such madness to himself. In doing so, she’d accidently pushed him away and caused him to fall on his back, which woke him up.

Jack knew he was a piece of crap. He let his nightmares get the best of him, which was enough to go out of control and potentially hurt Angela. However, they were still in a horrible situation. Both children hadn’t eaten anything for almost three days. Jack was surprised Angela had been so tough these past few weeks from experiencing that awful moment when he decided to lose himself.

Poor girl. She’s too young to mature this fast. I really wished I had a magic wand to give her a proper childhood and regain her lost memories of society.

The cold was growing frosty by the day, and fall was finally here. They needed new clothes pronto. Both children walked along the sidewalk and passed a clothing store.

Angela couldn’t help herself but stop abruptly and glare happily through the window. “Loo-Look! Brother, they’re so pretty!”

It was cute watching her being curious, so Jack suggested they should take a look inside. “Let’s see what future purchases we could claim. I’m sure there’s a whole inventory of things you might love.”

Her eyes glistened and she burst with excitement.

“Really?! Awesome. Let’s go in!” She swarmed in first out of excitement, leaving Jack behind. He knew it would be a good way to take their minds off of their food crisis.

They entered the store and Angela immediately went to the girls section to check what type of inventory they had. Jack chuckled. Just watching her be this happy was enough to keep him smiling.

Jack walked over to the boys section to see what they had as well. He marveled at all the lovely clothes, which reminded him of his old life. Unfortunately, some things always came to an end, even to kids like them.

Looking at the prices made him realize just how much his parents really loved him and how privileged his life was. The cost of the items was enough to make him shake his head. He never knew the prices were ridiculous.

As Jack continued observing all the clothes that sparkled with beauty and smelled of home and comfort, the store owner came up to him with a smile.

She was a nice lady who may have been in her forties. As soon as she was in front of him, she had an aroma of flowery perfume which was nice to the nose and had that aura of easing comfort.

She patted his shoulder. “Hello! How are you children today?” She then looked behind Jack and looked around. “Oh, where are your parents’ young one?”

Knowing she would ask such a question, Jack had already prepared himself. “Oh, well, it’s a long story, but we don’t have parents. Actually, we’re homeless.” He pointed at Angela, who was examining every bit of clothing that caught her attention. “That’s my sister Angela and I’m taking care of her myself.”

The store clerk looked so sad after Jack had told her of their situation. She couldn’t help herself but to hug him. “You poor things! I’m sorry that it’s been so rough. To think you’re so mature for your ages. How awful!”

Mmm, she smelled really good. She’s so soft like a teddy bear.

Jack didn’t mind her hugging him because it reminded Jack of how both his mother and Carolyn used to do the same. He smiled. “It’s nothing really… Sorry we’re wasting your time, especially with how we don’t have any money.”

“Angela, are you done with looking around?” Jack asked.

“Yes!” she shouted as she ran back to Jack with open arms. “There’s lots of pretty stuff here! Hopefully one day we can-can come back he-here!” Angela smiled and her eyes flashed with satisfaction.

“Oh my God!” the store clerk shouted, because when she noticed Angela closely, she was traumatized by her adorableness. “She’s so adorable! I’ve never seen a child this beautiful in my life!”

The clerk wanted to touch Angela’s hair, but Angela was afraid and hid behind Jack.

“Oh! I’m so sorry… Uh, Angela’s your name, right?”

Jack patted Angela’s head to ease her. “She’s a little shy. She’s just not used to people yet.” He then explained to the clerk how anti-social Angela was and the reasoning behind it. Of course, he didn’t tell her the truth, but he came up with a lie instead.

“Well, how about you two wait here and I’ll take you guys somewhere to get some new clothes.” She smiled at them and they decided to stay until she was finished with her work.

“You heard that Angela? The nice clerk lady’s going to purchase us some new clothes for winter!”

She smiled and grabbed Jack’s arm out of excitement. “Yeah! I don’t care where we get them, as lon-long as my brother’s warm, then I’ll be fine too!”

They decided to take a seat on a couch the lady had near the front counter. Angela sat on Jack’s lap and decided to take a power nap.

Heck, why not! Jack thought. It was the most comfortable they’d been since their time at the facility. He decided to take a nap as well to pass the time.

After a couple hours, the nice lady woke them up and told them to wait outside the store for a brief moment.

They both yawned, rubbed their eyes and got up. They headed out of the store to wait for her. Ten minutes passed by and at last the lady came out and locked her store. “It’s been a while since I’ve accompanied children.”

That’s a rather strange statement. She doesn’t look old at all.

“Come along children! We’re getting in my car,” the lady said.

“You know what cars are, right Angela?”

“Those moving stuff on wheels we always see, right?” She began making vroom noises and imitated cars with her hands. “You explained them to me wh-when we esca—”

Jack covered her mouth and forced out a forced laugh.

They got into the woman’s car and it was so cool. Jack had never seen a car like hers before. Angela couldn’t help herself and was wowed by the sight of it too. The car was big like a boat, a color of teal and had white fin strips, not to mention how it looked rather antique. But what made the car more visibly appealing to the eye was the chrome all across the car. Real chrome! Not the cheap imitation chrome used in most modern cars.

“What type of car is this? I’ve never seen it before!” Jack asked.

“Oh my. Well, it’s a 1957 Chevy Bel Air. She’s a beauty, isn’t she.”

“It is! Wait, I can’t sit in something this clean!” Jack exclaimed.

He was so mesmerized by the car that it almost made him forget that he was a dirty hobo. “Oh, mind my manners, but I think we’re too dirty to sit on something so precious and clean.”

“It’s fine,” she said and gently patted his head. “It’s much easier to clean these types of cars than those modern ones.”

She opened the passenger side door and Jack hopped inside feeling really excited. Angela jumped onto his lap and she too was still amazed.

Jack thought to himself, This couldn’t be Angela’s first time in a car, right? He knew her memories were probably altered by Dr. Cato, but still.

The woman looked really happy. She was so intrigued at how Angela was observing her entire vehicle.

They put their seatbelts on and once she started the vehicle, the rumble of the engine was intense. Jack felt it vibrate through his body and the sound, he loved the sound it produced. It was rather relaxing to him and was like music to his ears.

Angela was astounded, but Jack guessed she had really forgotten what it was like to be inside a vehicle.

As they were driving along, Jack realized by looking out the window that the city was no better than Detroit after all. He wondered if all of Michigan was that bad.

Seeing all these homeless people alongside the road and watching some of them act crazy reminded Jack of how different a life he had. He was mostly raised inside a loving home bigger than most of all these businesses and had clothes that were just as expensive as the ladies had displayed, which made him realize just how privileged he was, how truly privileged. The final nail to his realization was the fact that he could sleep soundly without any sense of danger, until that horrid night of course.

After a smooth yet bumpy ride, they arrived at another clothing store. It looked much different than the one the lady owned, but Jack didn’t mind it. As long as they both got the necessary clothing they needed, Jack knew they should be fine.

They got out of the car and headed inside the store. It was a rather strange store because Jack had never seen anything like it before. There was a bunch of clothing sections and furniture that was rather dusty, with random electronics as well as toys.

Angela headed off to a section where they had some pretty ancient televisions. “Brother!” she called out.

“I’m coming Angela! Give me a second,” Jack replied.

He walked over and saw her staring at the TV that was on. She looked amazed and surprised. “Bro, what’s this? It has static, yet pretty pictures!”

“Oh! It’s an old television? Wait… What?! Don’t tell me you’ve never seen one before?”

“No… I haven’t? We-Well I don’t recall ev-ever seeing one.” Angela looked confused and scratched her head.

The lady called them over and they headed towards her direction. She showed them clothing that she’d picked out for the two. She got Angela a hoodie warm enough to keep her from getting any chills and she also got Angela a scarf, including a bookbag. She got Jack a jacket and beanie.

“Thank you for everything that you’ve done for us,” Jack said.

“That’s not a problem at all,” she said, while also giving the children some boots just in case the weather turned for the worse.

Jack felt horrible how they were wasting her money, but she didn’t mind. He couldn’t help himself, so he gave her a hug of gratitude. Angela also gave her one, which made the lady look even happier.

As they exited the store, Jack said to the lady, “We need to get going before it gets too dark.”

She understood and pulled out her wallet, surprising them even more because she gave the children thirty dollars.

Jack gasped, then gave her another hug. “Thank you so much,” he whispered in her ear.

“Thank you kindly,” Angela said to the old woman.

The woman was more than happy to help out. “Not a problem little ones. I love helping children, especially those in need.”

Jack let go of her and nodded. “You’re an amazing person. I’ll never forget you.”

“Me too!” Angela said as well.

The nice lady smiled wholesomely. “You two be careful and make sure not to get into any danger.” Both Angela and Jack gave her one final hug and started walking away.

As the children left, they waved goodbye to the nice lady. She waved back at them with a beautiful smile too. Jack had forgotten that not everyone was a piece of crap or evil, but there were also some good folks out there as well. He was glad Angela got to experience someone as generous as her.