Living with Madame Christmas and her foster son Roy have been good the last few months. Admittedly, upon first meeting the woman, you were scared of her. Hiding behind the legs of the officer who brought you to her home. Madame Christmas had softened her gaze and tone, assuring you no harm would come to you in her home. That you would always be safe and welcome here, no matter what. She also explained that you were one of very few young fosters sheâd had over the years. The older boy next to her had been much younger than you when she had taken him in, given that you were 10, you assumed he mustâve been just barely older than a toddler when he was taken in.
The older boy next to her, you would learn was named Roy smiled warmly at you, arms behind his back. He walked over to you slowly, crouching down and pulling a stuffed bunny from behind his back. Roy explained as you took the bunny that he had heard you didnât have any toys before getting to Madame Christmasâ, so he got this bunny so you had something in the meantime. You had nodded and said thank you, smiling at the soft bunny.
In the months that would follow, youâd take the bunny everywhere, well, everywhere but. school. Madame Christmas told you no because she was afraid youâd lose it. You were upset, but understood why. Roy asked if he could see it for a moment, and you let him. You watched as he sat your bunny in the window, âThere, now you can see it everyday when you come back from school!â Roy had that same warm smile he had that first day you arrived at Madame Christmasâ, now which you call home.
That brings you to now, itâs storming quite bad outside. Itâs loud, scary and bright. Itâs just you and Roy tonight, Madame Christmas is at work, so you canât go to her for comfort at the moment. Pushing the blankets off, you grab the top one and grab bunny. Sliding off the bed, bare feet landing on the cold wood floor.
Leaving your bedroom, you padded softly down the hall to Royâs room. Gently pushing the door to his dark open, you can hear him snoring faintly. A crack of lightning lights up the room, you gasp and almost drop bunny and the blanket you brought. Roy merely sniffs, you hear him turn over and something soft fall on the rug.
Setting down bunny and the blanket, you get on your hands and knees and crawl around the floor a moment to find that a pillow is what fell. You grab it, bunny and the blanket and make yourself a little bed on the rug. You finally begin to feel sleep creeping in, yawning you snuggle into bunny and close your eyes. Feeling much safer in your big brotherâs room, you finally fall asleep.
Itâs hours later when you hear the front door close downstairs. You wake up and see it finally stopped storming. Taking your things, you stand up and head back to your room to sleep until you have to get up for school.
Sleeping in Royâs room when itâs storming or youâve had a nightmare becomes routine, it goes on for months until you forget one night Roy has to wake up early for something with the military. Youâre woken up by someone kicking you, and startled by that same someone tripping over you.
Roy barely manages to catch himself on the wall, âKid? What the hell are you doing? Why are you in my room, sleeping on the floor?â Rubbing the sleep from your eyes, you tell him youâve been doing it for months. Going back to your room when Madame Christmas comes home. Roy pinches his nose and sighs, âItâs fine that youâre doing that, just not in the middle of the floor where you become a tripping hazard, kay kid?â You nod and hum, beginning your usual routine of grabbing your things and heading back to your room.
The next time you sneak into Royâs room, you notice a few cushions on the rug, still close to his bed- but not in the center of the room anymore. You flop down on it, stealing one of Royâs pillows that have fallen off the bed and go to sleep.
gummygunk
jimmyeatworldofficial
gracieabrams
ellievsbear
blakekathryn