Chapter 1 - Big Bad World

"Mummy, it's you turn, I had the last apple, you can have this one, I really don't mind" My mother sighed at me, "Sweetie, it's not that, it's that you need more food than me right now, I'm already big and strong, but you still have a bit of growing to do, so, you need it more than me" I looked up at her longingly, "but if you don't have it mummy, you'll be hungry" I knew mummy wasn't strong, I had heard her crying a couple of nights ago, and how she is so much smaller than the rest of the adults we see walking around the park each day.

She gave me her stern look, "Okay Mummy, but you promise that tomorrow next time you get it" She smiled at me and nodded, "I promise" I was happy that she would finally eat and not only give the food to me. I tucked my blonde hair behind my ears and grabbed the apple that was in Mummy's hand. This park, this bench, had been Mummy and I's world for as long as I can remember, we laughed here, we cried here, we've done everything here. Mummy had wavy dark brown hair that near her bum.

I always wanted to look like Mummy, to have long wavy hair that looked so shiny whenever she looked at the sun. Instead, I was stuck with wavy blonde hair that ended just past my shoulders and freckles. My favourite thing about me was my eyes, they were just like Mummy's! A dark blue that I always seemee proud of whenever I looked into the pond by the edge of the park. When I stopped dreaming of the shining waters that shimmied down in the Pond of Sparkling Waters, I looked back to see Mummy asleep on our bench.

I skipped over to her and used her yellow woollen scarf for warmth, as this park got very very cold at night.

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Halfway through the night, I jolted awake when what I was leaning on, had been removed completley. I sat up bolt upright when I realised Mummy was gone, no no no! She never leaves withoight telling me, never mind that, she would bring me with her. She said the world is cruel, and taht she would forever protect me from anything, meaning she would never leave me like this. I burst into fits of sobs, burying my head in my knees.

I continued like that for a while, before realising there was no point sulking around, that was never going to help at all. Going agaisnt what Mummy had once told me, "Never leave the bench, and most certainly never leave the park if I'm not around" But this time, I'm going to have to not listen to you Mummy, I'm going to have to find you. Hopping off the bench, I landed onto the gravel of the park's main pathway, and I continued along the path until I saw the park gate.

I had never been this close to it before, only glimpses from afar. It was black, tall, and had spikey things at the top. The gaps inbetweenvthe bars were very small, but just big enough for me to squeeze through.

"Big bad world, here I come"