Who’s Going to Stay?

Anna had found a quiet corner behind the orphanage, far from the laughter and teasing of the girls she'd left behind.

Here, the atmosphere was calmer, though no less depressing.

The place was surrounded by withered trees, and the orphanage walls, with stones worn down by time and moisture, only reinforced the sense of abandonment that clung to the area.

Yet, amidst the desolation, a couple of children ran carefree, playing with the dry dirt that covered the ground.

As she approached, Anna recognized the two boys.

They were the same ones she'd taken on her previous excursion into the city. Both seemed lost in their own world of games, tossing handfuls of dirt into the air while they laughed, and upon noticing her presence, they stopped to look at her.

There was no hostility in their eyes, only curiosity.

Anna, recalling the kindness she had shown them before, decided to take the initiative and greet them.