A little girl around the age of ten began pacing the extremely limited space of what made up her bedroom. Her long, frizzy auburn hair was occupied by a family of lice and dragged along the floor, with each pacing step she took. Truth be told, she had never gotten a haircut before. The girl was extremely short for her age, most likely 4’6. A wooden door frame absent a door led the way into the girl’s bedroom. The walls of the room were completely barren, and left unpainted. The white paint did not do the little girl’s character any justice. As one might suggest that a child’s bedroom color and walls could illustrate their unique difference from other children. The flooring was made up of several patches of carpet which were stained, and possibly infected with several types of bugs with each randomized piece. In the far right of the room, a twin sized mattress lay directly on the floor. Next to it, a large cardboard box took the place of a nightstand beside the mattress. Two mangled shirts and a pair of pants sat on top of the aging cardboard box. However, neither shoes nor socks were present to suggest that the little girl had protection for the skin beneath her feet. Sadly, a small circular window in the left side of the room was the girl’s only source of light. Nonetheless, the girl was unbothered by the absence of light in her bedroom. By the time the sun was down the girl would lay fast asleep in her bed. Then she would be up early the next day just as the sun begun to rise once more to shine light back into her bedroom.
A spider crawled on top of the little girl’s raw and dirty feet, startling the girl and stopping her in mid pace. Slowly, she bent down and looked at the spider with her tiny dark green eyes. She wanted to better her view of the eight-legged organism, without startling it. Despite her attempt, the spider quickly darted away and hid itself among the tangle of randomized flooring. Disappointed in her failure, the little girl got up, walked over to her mattress, and sat with bony legs crossed in an evident display of sulk. Why didn’t the spider want to spend quality time with her? She didn’t think she looked entirely menacing. The girl shrugged, causing the sleeves of her baggy shirt to slip off her tiny frame. With straight yet filthy yellowing teeth, the girl produced a smile. It’s as if she had completely forgotten the spider that refused to become her friend, and remained apathetic by the harsh life she lived.
Surprisingly enough, the little girl’s own emotions did not match that of the depressing environment that she inhabited. She herself was happy, humble, and thankful for what little she did have. Abandoned by her birth parents, and left to die in the littered streets, the girl was lucky she had gotten to live to her current age. If it hadn’t been for the Hall’s, a nice middle-aged couple that had taken her in as their own child, odds are she would have died. Both had worked almost endlessly just to sustain enough money to keep themselves alive. The little girl felt a pang of guilt, because if it hadn’t been for her existence, these people wouldn’t have to take extra hours. They were gone for almost the entire day, just to obtain a little extra money to feed and shelter her.
In a shaky attempt of effort, the girl picked herself up from the mattress and skipped over to the tiny circular window. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity, like the opulent feature of tiny emerald gemstones. The window was covered in fog. With small hands the girl attempted to clear the window so that she could see outside. The pouring rain had begun to settle into mere mist. Fancy women in feathered hats sat in their carriages, as the horses trudged over puddles on the cobblestone road. Children about her age ran on the road's edge. Their schoolbags bouncing about as they ran. Their faces were bright with genuine smiles. The girl smiled as if she too were outside playing tag alongside the road with the other children. She immediately backed away from the window. The little girl was happy for her life. But if she could have one thing changed, she wished for some kind of company. A friend. Whether it be a person or animal. Suddenly, the girl laughed for having such a greedy thought. She could be alone and still be happy, couldn't she? Why would being lonely matter, when she was alive? The little girl struggled to battle such an idealistic thought. She couldn’t understand why she thought she needed a friend to improve her happiness.
