Who's to Say What's Strange?

"He's been known to be violent at times. Uncontrollable rage fallowed by confusion. When he has an outbreak, the nurses sedate him and leave him to a cell to calm down," the woman I was fallowing down the dimly lighted hall informed me. I stared at my feet as we walked, not able to look at the doors with small, bulletproof windows at the faces of mentally disturbed children screaming for unknown reasons.

"How often are the outbreaks?" I ask as we pass a group of nurses leading a screaming, flailing girl to a cell.

"It depends. On a good week, he might have one, or sometimes none at all. On a bad one, well, we try to leave him to his thoughts."

"Are you sure you want to do this?" I'd asked my wife as she meddled with her hair at the vanity.

"I'm perfectly sure," she said with a smile.

"Rosemary', it could be anywhere from a boy with autism to a kleptomaniac girl! There's no way to tell!" I sighed as I stood in the doorway. She paused and turned to stare at me, still smiling.

"Dear, it has nothing to do with what's wrong with the child or if they're a girl or boy. I want to help someone. I want to change someone's life when nobody else will. We'll never have a chance like this again."

"-and I'll give those to you before you leave. You can pick them up here or at the pharmacy for him. There he is, over in that corner." The woman pointed to a boy with honey-blond hair and strangely pale skin. I couldn't see his face. He was looking out the window at the slowly falling drizzle.

I began toward the boy, his head resting in his hands. With every stride I felt something strong building up in my gut. Guilt for not wanting this boy to ruin my perfect life? No, it was for that mind frame I was guilty, not for the boy. Fear? Of what, a ten year old boy? Maybe. He was known to be violent around the other children. That was something else to think about. My own children thought this would be a good idea, but they only thought of a new brother or sister, not a... mentally deficient one.

"Dad, it has to be little though, okay? I can't have someone older than me. David already thinks he's the king of everything," Luke, my oldest son of twelve said with a huge grin. David was on the couch, giving him a death glare.

"Yea, make sure it's younger than me. I don't care if it's a girl or boy, but I want a little sibling," David nodded.

"Sibling? You think just 'cuz you can use big words right means you're better than me?"

"You said it."

All too soon I was standing next to the boy and I knew what came next. This was probably the hardest part.

"Hello," I said awkwardly. His head revolved in its nest of arms and I was met with two dark eyes that seemed to glisten red. I forced myself not to take a step back, as not to offend him. I needed to calm down. I wasn't the one getting dragged out of a mental institution to go live with strangers, after all.

"Hi." His voice had the pitch of a child, but was cold as ice and fluctuated. "Are you the man taking me out?"

"Um, yes, I am Kevin." I almost put a hand out, but that would be a bit weird; might even scare the boy.

"Okay," he nodded without lifting his head. I gave an awkward smile and turned slowly. After I took a few steps, I realized he wasn't fallowing me. The woman I spoke to earlier was eyeing me curiously. I turned back and sat down next to the boy, staring at him until he met my gaze.

"Are you going to come with me?"

"I thought they say never to go with strangers." His voice changed now. It was almost like a whisper, but still bone chilling.

"I'm not supposed to be a stranger though."

"Who's to decide who's strange and who's not?" he asked sitting up straight and looking me in the eyes, his lips a hard line and his cold eyes showing no emotion.

"There's a big difference between someone who is strange and a stranger. I might be strange, but I'm no stranger. Now, if you're going to come with me, you're going to have to trust me."

"How am I supposed to trust someone I've only just met?"

"I suppose you can't. Instead, why don't you come with me and try to find it somewhere along the way?" This seemed to appeal to him. His head cocked and a small smile replaced the hard line of lips, though, his eyes stayed the same.

Not as boring as it may seem in the beginning, promise. Try to bear with me. Do vote and fan if you like it (and comment even if you didn't). Thanks.