Chapter 1

He lay there alone,on the river bank. It was some of the few peaceful and relaxing moments he ever got. He was a 13 year old boy, but his appearance didn't do justice to his age. He was too skinny to be 13. The river bank he was laying on was near a hill through which a river flowed. On the foot of the hill a lopsided board was fixed which bore the words 'St. Augustine Orphanage', with an arrow indicating the direction.

The boy belonged to the Orphanage which was situated on top of the hill. A wierd place to build an Orphanage, one would think. Only God knew how the Orphanage had inmates. The scenery from the hill was magnificent. An outsider would find it to be radiating an aura of calmness,peace and joy. But to some of kids,the Orphanage was hell on earth. Many were the victims of bullying and abuse by both fellow orphans and the caretakers. Kids were forced to do every household works and were given cruel punishments even for the slightest of mistakes.

Coming to our boy, he lay there enjoying his free time. He heard a shout from nearby, another kid called out to him. He was being summoned by their mistress, Miss Fiona. He hated her and the kids who sucked up to her. He was their usual target, they made him do everything from cooking to cleaning the toilets. He was fed up, but there was nothing he could do about it. It was a matter of life and death.