ℕ𝔼𝕍𝔼ℝ𝕃𝔸ℕ𝔻

Chapter 1

The life of an orphan was a lonely one. Most of your days were spent doing chores or staring out at the smog filled London sky. 

You had learned how to tune out your teachers from a young age, most of them not caring. After all, you were just one of many orphans and there were bigger problems such as the recent bombings of naval and air yards along the English coast. According to the caretakers at the orphanage most were afraid that civilian areas may be targeted next. 

However, war or no war, your life hasn't changed much. Just the same boring schedule that made everyday blend into the next. Little did you know your life would change soon.

It was raining again. The sound of drops lashing against the window of the orphanage usually puts everyone to sleep, leaving you the last person asleep. The rain, which seemed to put everyone else in a state of ease, unsettled you. You felt more vulnerable in the rain. It was harder to hear and to see. 

You sat by the window of the bedroom you shared with six others. Normally the room was just for girls however recent times had seen more boys ending up here than girls.You were sharing a bed with a boy who was barely 7 named Owen for no reason other than there was no space elsewhere. Everyone else was already sharing and the only other option was sleeping on the floor. You'd take the old mattress over the dirty floor any day.

The rain was slowly stopping, going from a downpour to a sad drizzle and you were finally going to pack it in for the night when something moved in the corner of your eye. Turning you saw nothing but shadows. Walking cautiously towards the wall you saw nothing wrong with it. Was the motion just your tired mind playing tricks on you? With a shake of your head you crept back over to your bed, jumping as Owen suddenly turned to face you. You quickly put a finger over your lips signaling him to stay quiet and he sleepily nodded. You slipped off your slippers and crawled into the bed facing the wall that was slightly illuminated thanks to a flickering streetlight that was off more than it was on. 

Instead of the normal faded wallpaper the shadow of a boy stared back making you twitch. The shadow, seeming to notice you watching it, waved before vanishing as the streetlight flickered off. "Did you see that?" You whispered but Owen just let out a snore. The next time the light flickered on about 15 seconds later the shadow was gone leaving you wondering if you were just seeing things.