The Whisperer

by Patricia Monsoon

Jackson, a regular boy in a not-so-regular orphanage, has a normal life until the day comes in which a strange newspaper ad falls into his possession. His life will change forever, for better, or for worse.

1. Chapter 1

THE WHISPERER

BY EAGLE EYES

Chapter 1

It all started with an innocent little newspaper ad:

Bored with your life?

Tired of monotonous monotony?

If so, come to 198 Brooklyn Avenue

(Be ready for the adventure of a lifetime!)

Just a harmless little ad, what could it do, really? I thought, as I sat in the leathery orphanage chair. It might seem strange to you that an orphanage would have a library, much less one with children in it, but this wasn't just any old orphanage, it was an orphanage for special kids. I mean the strange special. For those kids who were just flat out different.

As I read through the ad, a nagging anxiety throbbed in my stomach, along with an unsettling suspicion. I suddenly felt that this was my moment, a moment of fate. I looked around to make sure no one was looking, and then scurried out the door.

Wait! I forgot the introductions. The only character you've met so far is me, Jackson. As you might have guessed before, I have no remaining family. As far as I know, I don't even have a first name. I don't know if it's my first of last name, even! No one even really cares about names; it shouldn't really matter at all.

Anyway, I rushed down the street, taking cautious glances back every few seconds. When I reached Brooklyn Avenue, I did not see what was expected, not even close.

What I had expected was a fancy-dancy residential area. What I saw, however, was a different story. The avenue consisted of only one house at the end of the road. It was in shambles, not in living conditions whatsoever. The shutters were banging, the door was ajar, and the remnants of a recent paint job were nowhere to be found. I took a tentative step through the rusty gateway, and flung the door open.