The Child

I’m hungry curled up in a ball shivering. It’s a cold night and I’m lost. I’ve never been in this part of the city before. People keep ignoring me I know they hate me. The blanket that he hands me is warm. I’m thankful. He asks my name I don’t think that I should be careful I just give it to him. He smiles at me and says I have a nice name; I smile back through chattering teeth that are just starting to calm down. He offers his hand to me and says he’ll take me home if I am willing to trust him. I know I shouldn’t but something else tells me that just this once I’ll be safe. When I tell him where I live, he nods and tells me that it will be ok. He walks me through streets well lit and when I can no longer walk he picks me up and carries me the rest of the way. I hear my parents voices filled with worry as they speak with the man, thanking him for bringing me home. I am thankful to him.