1 Chapter 1

Edited

"Thief, thief" yelled the old woman running after me with a spatula as I ran out of her shop with a loaf of bread. I ran as fast as I could until I lost sight of the woman. When I got to the old abandoned house I live in, I collapsed on the old thin sheet of foam which is my bed and I let out a loud sigh. "Phew! That was close", I said to myself as I unwrapped the bread I stole from the old woman's shop. After eating the bread, I lay down on my bed and drifted off to sleep.

"Mummy, daddy, Samuel broke my tiara", I said with teary eyes. " Oh sweetie, come here, daddy will get you a new one, right honey?", Mum said embracing me. "Of course sweetie, I'll get you a more beautiful tiara, now stop crying angel", dad said smiling and warmly at me. I quickly wiped my face with the back of my hands and asked excitedly "really! daddy, you'll get me a new one!".  "Yes baby girl" dad said still smiling at me. Suddenly, everything changed. I saw mum and dad lifeless on the floor covered in blood, their blood. I hear a menacing laugh, and then see Bruce's face everywhere laughing at me while I cried and shouted.

I sat up panting and sweating. I cried and hugged myself. After almost an hour of crying, I develop a head. Looking out the window, I realize it's almost dawn and started getting ready for school, I took my bath in the lake nearby, I brushed my teeth and got ready for school. I go to a private school in the city because I was given a scholarship.

When I got to school, students stare at me like I'm a walking disease, like I don't deserve to be here, but I'm already used to it. On my way to my locker, I get pushed and several times. I face a bigger problem when I reach my locker, Declan the school bully and his boys were waiting for me in front of my locker. Declan pushed me down on the floor and started singing "you don't have a mummy, you don't have a daddy" he sang and all the students in the hallway laughed at me. I cried and sat on the floor till all the students dispersed, I picked up my stuffs from the floor and locker and went to class.

After school closed, I went to the old woman's grocery store to apologise for stealing. 

"You again! Have you come here to steal again? Huh?" She glared at me.

" No, no! I'm not here to steal, I came to apologise, I'm sorry for stealing from you, please forgive me, I won't ever do it again", I said with teary remorseful eyes.

Her features softened a bit before she let out a tired sigh. "Why did you steal from me?" She asked.

"I-I was hungry" I stuttered nervously fiddling with my fingers.

" You could have asked and not steal. Okay I forgive you, but you'll have to work for me, got it? She asked with raised brows.

"Got it" I replied smiling enthusiastically.

" What's your name and how old are you" she asked.

" I'm Lilian and I'm 9 years old" I replied.

" Okay, where are your parents?" She asked.

I started crying again, " they're dead", I subbed.

"Oh dear come here, it's okay, please don't cry", she hugged me caressing my back. " Why don't you come live with me?" She hopefully asked.

" Really!" I beamed. "Yes of course, and you can call me granny or gran Anna" she said.

" Thanks so much granny", I hugged her.

It's been two years since granny Anna took me in, and it's been wonderful, she's so loving and supportive. She takes good care of me, she got me new clothes, shoes, stationareies, toys, toiletries and other stuffs, she let me decorate my room which I tried to make my like my old one. It's feels good to have a room again.

After granny took me in, I help her out at the store after school. She gives me allowance which I saved up to register at a martial arts camp last summer. I learned simple self defense techniques, Kung Fu and taekwondo. Now I can defend myself from bullies. Granny owns a mini grocery store which sells well, so we leave a comfortable life. The house is big and cozy with a mix of modern and old furnitures.

Today is my birthday and I'm home alone waiting for granny to return. I cleaned up the house, took my shower and dressed up. I was watching a cooking show on YouTube when the door bell rang.

"Who is it?" I asked getting up from the couch.

" It's me sweetie" granny replied from outside. I quickly opened the door. "Welcome granny", I greeted excitedly.

"Guess what I got you" she said.

"I can't guess, I'm too excited, please tell me granny", I said with puppy eyes.

"Okay, okay I got you this", she said handing me a big wrapped box.

I quickly unwrapped the box and my jaws dropped, in the box, there was a Mac book pro, a blue teddy bear that has an eye patch, a cook sunglass, a pair of black leather boots. I jumped on granny and we crashed on the couch.

"Thanks granny, I love them, I love you so much", I hugged her tightly.

"Oh baby girl, I'm glad you like it", granny hugged me rubbing circles around my back.

Granny and I celebrated my birthday with a mini cake and few drinks we danced and played around till we got exhausted and went to bed, I slept with a big smile on my face. I miss my parents a lot, but I'm grateful I have granny in my life.

It's been a month since my birthday and things have been going fine it's almost closing time in school and I can't wait to get home.

The  closing bell rang, I left class and walked over to my locker  to pick up some books, but I didn't make it because I got tripped. I groaned as my body hit the floor. I looked up to see Declan (the most popular boy in our grade) smirking at me, he pushed me! I clenched my fist and stood up, picked up my books and put them in my locker and locked it. He pushed me again. "Leave me alone" I gritted out. I was about to leave when he tugged my sleeve with force that it ripped. This is my favourite shirt that granny got me on my eleventh birthday, I got furious and punched him on the face when I heard a crack and saw blood on my fist, I knew I broke his nose which made me smirk,  Fuck! You broke my nose you bitch! He cursed and rushed off to the nurses office. Everyone had was shocked, while I was feeling proud of myself. I picked up my backpack and continued on my way out of school.

"What happened to you?, Why is your sleeve torn?, Granny asked worriedly.

"It's nothing granny, Declan tried to bully me again and I punched him" I said nonchalantly.

" Serves him right" she said patting my head like a little kid."Go freshen up and come down for dinner".

" Kay", I yelled and ran up to my room to take a shower.

After dinner I finished my homework and went to bed.

Three years later

Granny Anna was diagnosed with cancer and she's been going through chemotherapy for the past six months, her condition has been deteriorating and I'm scared she might also leave me behind like my parents.

My phone beeped with a message from the hospital, I quickly rushed down to the hospital.

"Doctor!, what happened?" I asked scared of the reply.

" I'm sorry, but we lost her" the doctor said.

" No! No! She can't die, she....she can't die, she can't leave me, she....she promised to stay with me " I cried and rushed to Granny's room and shook her to wake up but she didn't, then reality started to sink in my only ray of hope is gone.

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First chapter completed with 1381 words.

Please share your thoughts on this chapter and feel free to give ideas and make corrections.

Lots of love ❤️

Eddy.