Author's Note: Hey sorry for the delay. Finals aren't fun. If you read the original fic "Into the Shadows" before I took all the chapters down this happens to be different than the original chapter 3. Some names have been swtiched and importance on some characters (you'll know what I mean.) Enjoy!

updated a/n: Hi. I looked over this and the names are messed up sorry. And some stuff isn't suppose to be in here. It was from the old version of this. So yeah.

I was wondering aimlessly in a city where there were many people on the street and a mixture of disgusting smells like liquor and smoke filled the atmosphere. It was hard to find shelter from day to day. I lived in alleys, hid in abandon buildings and hung out on the streets. I stole food so I could live, from stores, but never got caught. Once in a while people would give me money so I can get a decent meal. They didn't do it out of kindness; they did it out of pity. I remember seeing it in their eyes and how I hated to see that look on people's faces when they looked at me. I never wanted pity and still don't.

One day after pilfering bread and an apple from a store when I was six, a person walked by me. It happened to be a nun. There was a church near by and they had orphanage. I saw the children play on the playground everyday, laughing. I was never jealous that they had a better life than me. I didn't like idea of being trapped in a certain spot.

I looked down so the nun didn't realize that I knew she was there. I took a bite out of my apple and then the lady asked me something.

"Where are your mother and father?" I had no clue so I looked down at the floor again. My backpack still on my back and my hair was tangled and my dress looked like a rag. It was raining and I was shivering.

"I don't know where they are," I admitted in a soft voice. It was about time I gave in. I really needed some help and I was too stubborn to ask. If I didn't admit I needed help then I would've probably died. Even now I'm too stubborn to ask for advice from anyone.

Before I knew it I was in room at the church with many beds and children playing inside. The children stared at me like I was an alien from another planet. I kind of was, thinking about it. I lived on the streets and they always had a place to go to when it rained. The nun gave me some new clothes to wear because mine were wet from the rain. I took a shower and combed my hair. I washed away all the dirt and sorrow from the streets.

"HI!" I girl about my age gave me a warm greeting. Her blonde curls bounced when she walked over to me. She was shorter than me and herhazel eyes shined on such a cloudy day.

"Hello," I said quietly.

"Who are you?" she asked me.

"Rachel," I replied. "Rachel Lupin." Those words fell out so gradually.

"I'm Jessica," the blonde girl said.

"How long have you been here?" I asked Jessica.

"Pretty much all my life," she replied. "I've seen you on the streets stealing food from the shops. How do you do that?" she sounded awed by my actions yet sounding like a mother scolding her child at the same time.

"I dunno," In beginning when I started to steal I was nervous and took precautions, then after the third time I didn't even realize what I was doing. It was part of my life. I wondered too.

"I'll introduce you to some people." Jessica walked over to the group of people who were staring at me when I walked in. I followed her still taking in the scenery around me.

"This is Rachel," Jessica told her group of friends.

"That's the girl who we see on the streets all the time?"

"YesTara that's her," Jessica sighed.

"I'm Tara," said a girl with wavy blonde hair who was playing cards with a boy.

"Hi," I said again. I noticed a lonely girl in a corner. She was sitting there; her knees up to chin and tears were in her gray eyes. She had light brown hair like me and was holding a rag doll in her arms. "Who's that girl over there?" I asked Jessica.

"Oh her..." complained Jessica.

"Her name is Suzanne." explained Tara. "She's a little..."

"Strange," Jessica finished Tara's sentence.

"What could be strange about her?" I asked them

They shrugged their shoulders.

The boy who was playing cards with Tara asked me to play with them after they were done. I said no and walked over to my bed.

I took that paper that the strange man gave me a long time ago and stared at it. I couldn't read yet and I didn't trust these people to tell me my past. I sighed and put it back into the backpack and walked over to Suzanne.

"Hi," I said calmly.

The girl sniffled and wiped her eyes. "What do you what?" she asked me annoyed by my kind attempt to be friendly. "Are you going to pick on me like the others?"

Suzanne was my age, clarified by Jessica but looked like she was four years old. She was still holding the rag doll close to her.

"No, not at all." I replied. "Why would I pick on you?"

"Everyone does," she said

"I'm Rachel," I introduced myself trying to change the subject.

"Hi. I'm Suzanne."

We were outside in the playground one day at noon. I was seven at the time and I walked by the fence and looked beyond the barrier keeping me in. I was glad I didn't have to worry about food or shelter. But this wasn't the life I wanted to live. I finally had friends though. Suzanne actually became a really good friend of mine but Jessica still didn't approve of her.

"Hey," Suzanne walked over to me.

"Hi," I said grimly.

"What wrong?" she asked me curious of my troubles.

"I wish I wasn't here." I replied. "I don't belong here."

"You right," Suzanne immediately said after my comment. "You're different from us and always will be. You have a family out there who still loves you. We don't." I figured out that she read the letter that I hid so carefully in my backpack that I still didn't want to read yet.

"You read the letter." I croaked.

"Yes," she replied. "Sorry," she added hastily.

There was a long pause and then I said rapidly "I'm leaving this place."

"When?"

"Tonight," I replied. This was a random thought that came into my mind. My instincts told me I should leave.

"I'm coming with you," Suzanne said suddenly.

"Maybe you shouldn't." I replied trying not to sound mean. "You have a chance of being adopted."

"No I don't," she replied stubbornly. I had a feeling we wouldn't get anywhere in this conversation. We were both very stubborn people.

That night I took some food from the kitchen, packed my clothes and made sure that piece of paper was still in my backpack. I looked over at the bedSuzanne was peacefully sleeping in clutching that rag doll close to her.

"Bye," It was barely a whisper. I felt sorry for leaving Suzanne, practically alone.

I was quiet through the hallways hoping none of the nuns would catch me. I tried my best to be to not make a sound. To pretend I was ghost was a very easy thing to do. I muttered a payer under my breath hoping I could see my family again.

When I reached outside I sighed in relief for not getting caught. I ran away like the wind from the city with the disgusting smells and sorrows and continued on. Wandering aimlessly again.

Author's Note: Review please! I got rid of some people and changed it around a bit.