Prologue
Alone
"Its not f-fair!" wailed the young boy, his voice all choked up from the crying.
The short pudgy youth was lying with his face buried in his pillow, the slate grey case stained with his tears. The room appeared as if a tornado had just passed, from his tantrum. Toys everywhere, clothes once in drawers now hung from the lights as well as littered the floor and the pictures of his parents that had hung from the white walls were smashed and lay in a heap in the corner.
"I can't believe they would do that to me", he continued to whimper.
"Shut up in there"! yelled a man from elsewhere in the house. His voice made the youth quiver.
Still crying but quieter now the boy whispered to himself, "I gotta get outa here".
He grabbed a burgundy knapsack that hung in his closet, and started filling it with clothes, candy, his grumpiggy bank, and various other things from around his room. He hesitated by a small table where he picked up a picture of his parents and himself. It was taken when the small family had gone on a camping trip the year before. A small smile crept onto the youngster's lips before quickly reverting to a pained scowl. He then threw the picture into the same corner as the other photos and turned away. Ever so quietly the boy opened his window, stifled a sob and climbed over the sill to the grass below.
Looking around to make sure he had not been heard the boy cautiously walked away to the only home he had ever known. Once he was sure he was far enough away that the man who called himself his father couldn't hear him, the boy let out a breath he didn't even notice he was holding.
"Now where do I go"? the boy asked himself out loud .
The boy took a glance of his surroundings and decided to get as far from his position as possible. So he started walking, being careful not to be spotted out this late at night. If anyone approached he would duck into alleys or doorways, so as to avoid observation. After about the third close call he decided that he was spent for the night. He turned into an alley and tried to find a suitable place where he could sleep. Fortunately for him there was a space between a dumpster and a wall, that had an overhead protrusion that would keep off any rain if the weather turned sour. He pulled out a blanket he had packed away in his bag, wrapped it around himself and curled up for the night. Ever so slowly drifting into slumber.