Chapter Three
Silent tears rolled down Eugene's face. It had been a month since his mother's death, and he still could not sleep at night. The ten year old had not spoken once since that time. He put his face in his pillow so no one would see or hear him cry.
He had been taken to the orphanage a few days after the house had burned down. He wished deeply that he could have gotten his mother out, but that had been impossible. The only thing he had from his home was the clothes on his back and his satchel that he carried with him everywhere.
Eugene let out a deep sigh. There was no way that he was going to be able to sleep tonight not with the nightmares he had been having. He pulled the covers off of him, and crept down the stairs slowly. He did not want to wake anyone up.
Now what can I do, he thought once he reached the bottom of the stairs. He needed to do something that would keep him awake but it had to be something quiet. He took a step forward then stopped. He smiled as he saw the book shelve.
"What to read?" He murmured under his breath. He looked through the books. There were only a few choices to choose from: Princess and the Pea, Princess Sensibilities, How to Draw Pictures, The World of Pirates, The Gypsy's Mischief, and The Tales of Flynnigan Rider. Well, he definitely was not going to read a stupid princess book, nor was he going to draw because he was terrible at that. So that left three books to choose from. He took the books that he had thought of reading off the shelf, and read the backs of them. The one that looked the best to him was The Tales of Flynnigan Rider. He put the other books back in their proper place and began to read.
"The sound of cannons could be heard near the kingdom of Fantasia. Captain Flynnigan Rider drew his sword against Bluebeard. The man had committed mutiny on his crew, and he would pay for his crime. Bluebeard took his sword out of its sheath then they fought," Eugene read to the younger children three nights after he had discovered the book.
"Children, it is time for bed," Miss Ariel, the lady who watched the children, said.
The children protested.
"He is getting to the best part," one of the boys told her.
Ariel shook her head. "I know you enjoy the book, but I am sure Flynn would love to get some rest," she replied.
"But w-we-we're not tired," a four year old girl said. She yawned.
The lady in charge of the orphanage shook her head. "He will read more tomorrow. Now everyone go your beds. That includes you, Flynn. Do not stay up reading again. You need your sleep."
"Yes, mam," Flynn told her respectfully. He left the room and went to his bed. He did not go to sleep immediately though. He just lay on his bed thinking.
Ever since he had read that book, he felt that he could do something great with his life. All his life he had grown up with simple things. His parents had always longed to buy extravagant materials, but they never could because of the lack of money. They had often talked of living on an island surrounded by enormous piles of money.
He knew what he was going to do with his life now. He would make his parents proud. The dream they had would never be reached, but he would make it come true for himself. He did not know what he would have to do to make their dream a reality, but whatever it took he would do it.