UNWANTED

"There Are No Unwanted Children, Just Unfound Families"

A bunch of children swayed their arms in the air as they sang a melodic hymn. Their mouths inflated as they drew the encircling air to their tiny physiques.

The accepting children of a variety of genders beam with bliss as they glimpsed at the young boy ahead. His foot protruded out the doorway, whilst his small hands were gripped by a teenage couple.

An old woman clad with pretty lace drawstrings across the bust, with a white apron tied around her waist hurried towards the couple. Her black pumps twisted in an arc as she trod on a rock from the rush, causing the massive boxes in her arms to tumble to the ground.

'thud'

"THIS BITCHY MAID?!"

Seeing her state, veins bulged out of the couple's heads. Sharp words inadvertently escaped their mouths, washing off the soft and delicate aura they had plastered earlier.

The young kid's hands plunged to his waist with the couple shrugging his hands off. Enraged, they strode towards the old maid, raising their heels right after.

'kick'

"THIS BITCH?! DO YOU KNOW HOW EXPENSIVE IS THAT?!"

"Please stop that"

Women in long white dresses and black veils dashed from inside the house. The melodic hymns receded as innocent children flustered at the scene before them.

Blood drenched the torn white apron whilst a barrage of kicks by the couple remained restless. It splattered on the white dress of the women that came rushing to help, their arms tugging the couples that prevailed unfazed.

Witnessing everything transpired in a short distance, blood squirted to the young boy's face. Still, his expression remained blank as he pondered.

'I guess it's no different from last time, huh, I'm getting sick of this', the boy thought

Turning around, the three-story compartment filled his sight. Crevices on the bricked walls pricked his sight from time to time. From the opened door, aghast children were peeking through. A balcony lay on the second to third floors. Further above, dazzling signage attached itself above the roof.

( Hope Foster Home )

( There Are No Unwanted Children, Just Unfound Families )

"unfound families..."

Glancing at their foster home's slogan, the young boy couldn't help but get dubious. The moment he first opened his eyes, the wide door of the orphanage greeted him.

From the time he learned to walk to the time he began running, he had breathed the exact air as the caretakers. Like the other kids, he had longed for a parent.

Unfound families. His heart rested on their slogan. Not until an old couple introduced themselves as his foster parents.

He could never forget his dazzling eyes glued at the tip of the pen as it gradually tickled the document on a table. The hymns of fellow orphans playfully chiming behind the wall of the headmaster's room still resonating in his ears. With a stroke, the contract had been ratified.

The couple was too old to give birth to a child and opted for adoption.

"Call us Mom and Dad from now on, okay? Alab", the old couple beam with gladness.

From that moment on, Alab had finally found his family... Or so he thought.

Just a month after he was adopted, the old woman noticed a bump on her stomach. She was dubious at first since she was past her fertility years. She just couldn't bear a child at the age of 61. They didn't believe at first but the doctor's affirmation made their hopeless state crumble.

A new ray of hope shone upon them. Alab witnessed them beaming with a different smile - a smile he was unable to provide them.

That very night, Alab was brought back to the orphanage. The old couple no longer needed a provisional son.

The week after that, a couple came to the foster home. A week passed and Alab resided in a new home. The amended law made adoption a week-long process.

Alab was yet to adjust himself to the new environment when the couple grew tired of raising a child. He was brought back to the orphanage.

A week passed and a new couple came. Their child just ran away and they needed an acting child for the government assistance they were applying into. Alab got adopted.

A month had passed and they got the assistance, Alab had lost his purpose. He was driven back to the orphanage.

On the 68th time, a man opened the door of the orphanage. He took Alab in. Alab's eyes no longer dazzled at the thought of finding a family.

The man effortlessly dragged Alab's body out of the orphanage along with the half-baked contract.

As they reached the home, he threw the 8-year-old Alab to the bed. Alab could only resist for a while before the massive fist of the man knocked his stomach. He was defied.

Drenched by the rain, Alab knocked on the door of the orphanage. A nun opened the door, ripped off clothes and wounded Alab greeted her. His expression had turned blank.

It was the first moment that Alab lost his emotions. His eyes wandered at nowhere for the entire week.

The orphanage learned about what happened but it was too late, the man had disappeared like a bubble. The police couldn't locate him.

They provided Alab with therapists, doctors, and other professionals. It took them only a week before they gave up and introduced him to a more prominent one. But, they were just too expensive, and the orphanage couldn't afford their service.

A new foster parent came. They were a well-known politician. This time, the nuns were certain that they were kind-hearted. They carefully suggested Alab.

Alab got adopted.

He got returned a month after. The couple was killed by an opposing politician right at the mansion they dwelled in and Alab had witnessed it all.

Alab was brought back to the orphanage. Then got adopted a year later. He was brought back and got adopted then got returned. This repetitive process lasted for 7 more years until Alab got adopted for the 99th time.

It was the end of the year 2033. Fireworks blasted in the sky, coating the dull sky of the night with playful colors. People congested the roads as they witnessed the eruption of hues, their jaws mistified as they celebrated the year-end.

The children in the orphanage strode towards the balcony, gripping a cup of juice and a plate of spaghetti in their hands. They glanced below right at where the abbess was. On her hand was a lighter, small combustion for the unfired fireworks arranged before her. Assisted by the nun, the children began their midnight countdown.

"10"

"9"

The children sipped on their cups.

"8"

...

"5"

As a fresh year was about to emerge, a nun who had been taking care of Alab since he was an infant glanced somewhere. Her eyes prayed to the stars above as she reminisced about Alab's miserable state that relentlessly intensified each time he was brought back to the orphanage. His tears that eventually dried out as he began emitting that blank expression.

The nun felt a sting in her heart. She gazed at the stars above as her sincere wish softly escaped her mouth.

"Please, let him find his family", she muttered

--

Meanwhile, contrary to the nun's hope, Alab was in a miserable state again. A man with a deformed mouth, clenching a knife in his hand chased after Alab.

"Come back here! My food! KIKIKI"

The young boy was restless as he threw his foot to the cemented road. His breath turned heavy as he ran away from his 100th foster parent.

The man was living on a mountain, isolated from the civilization down the foot of this road. He called out Alab late in the evening to celebrate the year-end. But what welcomed the young boy was not a table filled with food nor a dazzling sky.

The man hastily pounced on him, drool dripping from his mouth as he uttered.

"Food, I heard that young's meat tastes better. I will eat you before this year ends! KIKIKI", the man shrieked which made Alab jolt out of the house and ran. This brought them to their current state.

Alab was eventually losing his strength. It was just too hard to maintain a consistent speed after running 100 meters down the hill. His bare foot met the cemented road as red footprints were left.

Then, they came to a bridge. The breeze of the lake caressed Alab as the wide lake expanse was unveiled. Alab was finally able to witness the dull sky brimming with life by the colorful hues. He nearly forget that it was the end of the year, the same day he was first brought to the orphanage.

It was his declared birthday.

"I WILL GET YOU NOW, MY FOOD! KIKIKI"

The man was closing in, the knife in his hand prepared to slash at Alab.

Alab could no longer falter as he reminisced about the tragic life he lived. It was a life that no one would prefer living. He still wanted to meet his biological parents. Like the dull sky, his hope to someday live a life of stunning hues was traceable in his heart.

He wanted to live a life. He wanted to find his unfound family. But, everything had an ending. It was unfortunate but Alab's hope had to end now. On the very day he was born.

"Thank you for everything, sister", Alab heaved his last breath as he jumped from the bridge. He no longer cared about his dream, his goals. They all had to end now.

He'd rather die than be eaten alive by this man.

And at that moment, mid-air, the life that was flashing before his eyes ceased as a translucent screen blocked his sight.

[Ding!]

[You have been chosen to join the third batch of the EXILEnt students of the Academia]

[You will be transported to the "God of Earth"s abode now]

A new ray of hope shone upon Alab.