The Misfit Boy

Chapter Two

So, I listened to Milk and Cookies by Melanie Martinez while writing this. Feel free to listen to it while reading! :)
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One full week in the house and things were beginning to settle down. Or so the mother would think. She was cooking dinner for the two on a Sunday night. The radio playing a smooth jazz was enough to hide her nerves at the moment. She furrowed her eyebrows when she realized the sound of her daughter's giggles were no longer in audible.

She wiped her hands on her apron and walked out of the kitchen after checking the food. Adeline wasn't playing with her toys in the living room or coloring in the dining room.

"Adeline!" She called through the house, receiving no answer. She started to panic as she searched every room for the blonde little girl. Then she heard the distant giggle after searching her own room. She walked over to the window and looked out, eyes widening once she spotted her daughter sitting in the grass far away from the house and close to the forest. She hurried downstairs and reached the front door. Opening it, she frantically called out to her daughter.

"Adeline. . . Who are you talking to, sweetheart?" The mother nervously gripped her apron as she watched her daughter speak to no one in particular.

"Mommy, I made a new friend! He says people call him misfit, but only I can call him Harry."

Misfit. She remembered her daughter had said that exact word last week. Her heart raced as she watched her daughter speak to her imaginary friend again.

"Hun, it's time to come inside. Dinner is almost ready."

"Can I say goodbye?"

"Quickly, please Addie," She sighed in frustration.

"Goodbye, Harry. We can have a playdate next week!"

With that, her daughter raced inside and ran over to her coloring book. With one last glance out the door, the mother quickly shut and locked it.

"Adeline, I don't want you going outside without my permission, do you hear me?"

"Yes, mommy."

"Good. Dinner is ready, help mommy set the table."

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After dinner, Adeline took a bath and after her bath, it was bedtime. Her mother tucked her in, giving a sweet kiss on her daughter's forehead.

"Goodnight, my dear Adeline."

"Goodnight, mommy," Adeline spoke, clutching onto her stuffed teddy. One last smile and her mother was off, flicking the light switch before closing the door. Adeline stared at her ceiling as she pet her teddy. She didn't want to sleep a wink. She wanted to play with Harry.

Harry was a nice man. To Adeline. He would play whatever she wanted to play. He told lovely stories about princesses and castles and occasionally magical unicorns, only by request. Maybe he would sing her a little song, but that was only when nobody was around. She liked his voice. It was deep and slow and calming.

She was sort of developing a feeling. Almost like. . . She had a crush on him. That was a silly word, because girls in her class back home always talked about boys and how they have more cooties than girls! Surely, her crush doesn't have cooties. Whatever that is anyway.

Eventually, her eyes had fallen shut. Snuggled deep in her covers with her teddy in her arms, she felt sleepy. She hoped that tomorrow she would be allowed to see Harry. She missed him already; wishing he missed her too.

And little did she know, he stood beside her bed every night. Looming over and watching his precious little girl dream happy dreams. He tilted his head and frowned, pushing a strand of hair away from her beautiful face. He tensed as a light shone through her bedroom window. He stood up and stalked over to look through the glass. It was a car pulling into a driveway.

He glared at the human entering its home. He could be a threat. Maybe he's a threat. What if he's a threat? He's a threat. He clenched his fists and stood watch for the rest of the night.