Time

A voice tells you to wake up. You groan, your eyes feeling like they are glued shut. You try to sit up, but your head feels heavy like it's filled with lead. The voice tells you to take it slow, to let yourself adjust to the light. You squint as you look around, taking in your surroundings. You're in a small room, the walls painted a pale blue. There's a window to your right, the blinds drawn to let in a sliver of light. You try to remember how you got here, but your mind is blank, like a canvas waiting to be painted.

A voice chuckles, seeing the confusion on your face. "Don't worry, kiddo. You're safe now."

You turn your head to see the source of the voice, a man sitting in a chair next to the bed. He's wearing a black and yellow jacket, his hair nice, neat, and clean with a deep black color. His eyes are bright green, and he's grinning at you like a child with his favorite toy in his hands.

"Who are you?" you manage to croak out, your throat feeling dry.

The man's grin widens. "You can call me Jack. I found you passed out on the street and brought you here to my place. You were in pretty bad shape, kiddo."

You nod slowly, still trying to process everything. "Thank you, Jack."

He waves a hand dismissively. "No need for thanks. I just did what any decent person would do. Now, do you remember anything from before? Your name, where you're from?"

You shake your head, feeling a pang of fear in your chest. "I'm ten years old and my name is Samual."

Jack nods, a thoughtful look on his face. "Don't worry, Samual. Memory loss can happen after a traumatic event. But we'll get you better. Just rest for now, okay?"

You close your eyes again as your drift off into sleep, feeling something you have never felt before. peace. When you wake up, Jack is still sitting next to you. You sit up slowly, feeling a little more like yourself. Jack hands you a glass of water and you drink it slowly, feeling grateful for the simple act of kindness.

"Feeling better?" Jack asks.

You nod, looking at him with curiosity. "Who are you really, Jack? Why did you help me?"

Jack's expression turns serious. "I'm a detective. I was on a case when I found you. Someone had tried to kill you, but they didn't do a very good job."

Your heart races at the words "tried to kill you". You immediately knew it was your parents, they seriously hated you. You know your parents hated you, but that much? "I'm sorry to bother you, Jack"

Jack shrugs. "That's alright samual it isn't your fault. But don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you. You're under my protection now.

"You feel a sense of relief wash over you at Jack's words. For the first time in your life, you feel like someone cares about you.

"Thank you, Jack," you say, your voice barely above a whisper.

Jack smiles warmly at you. "No need to thank me, kiddo. It's my job to keep people safe. Now, how about I get you something to eat? You must be starving."

You realize that you are indeed quite hungry, so you nod eagerly. Jack gets up from his seat and heads to the kitchen. You take a moment to look around the room. It's a small, cozy apartment with only a few pieces of furniture, but it feels like home.

When Jack comes back with a plate of food, you dig in eagerly. It's simple fare - eggs and toast - but it tastes amazing. You eat every last bite, feeling your hunger slowly dissipate.

You think about how happy you are in a nice house like this one, and what it was like before eating off the ground rarely the dog's food out of its bowl. Hell, that dog was treated better than you. Not once did your dad kick that dog in the stomach as he did you. Now you have a full belly and a real home with Jack to look after you.