Once Upon A Time

Chapter 2

Having grown up in the big city, Nasha was not used to seeing small towns like Edolas. It had everything that pretty much all small towns had. It had shops, markets, houses, apartment buildings, a church, a school, a diner, and other buildings that you would typically find in a settlement like this. It was a very cute looking town but then again weren't all small towns cute in away?

When the bus stopped Nasha and Gregie went with the social worker who escorted them to their new home.

"Here we are." The social worker when they reached the house at the end of the square. There was a sign just outside of the house that read: Scarlet's Shelter, A Place For All Children Who Have No Home.

They stepped up on to the porch and the social worker knocked on the front door. In exactly five seconds the door was opened by a young woman with long scarlet red hair that almost covered her entire back. When she saw the two children she gave them her warmest and most loving smile.

"Are you Elkis Scarlet?" The social worker asked.

"Yes I am." She greeted kindly. "I'm so glad that you all are here. Please come inside, you must be freezing in this crazy wind."

They entered the house. Miss Scarlet led the children to their rooms and left them to unpack their things while she talked with the social worker.

Nasha looked around in her new room. She had to admit, it was a lot more comfortable looking than all the other rooms she had stayed in. And better yet it was her own room. In all her previous foster homes she had to share her room with other kids who would pull nasty pranks and tricks on her. She remembered how one time an older kid thought it would be funny to stick his chewed up gum in her hair while she was sleeping. When she found out what he did she punched him right in his jaw. He lost a tooth, a baby tooth mind you and was sent away to another foster home right away. Hopefully there was no fear of such a trick happening twice this time.

She open up her suitcase and began to put her things away. She mostly had just old clothes but among one of the few non clothing items she owned was a blue teddy cat that had been found along with her thirteen years ago. It was the only clue she had to her parents. She called it Happy because in truth it was the only thing in her life that made her happy. It was her best friend. Her only friend. Yes it was sad that a mere inanimate toy was her only friend in the world but growing up she always had the strangest feeling that Happy was somehow alive. That it was actually a real living thing that would watch over her, protect her, and love her when no one else would.

"I should stop carrying you around." She told the stuffed animal. "After all I'm not a little kid anymore and the fact that I'm still talking to you like you're really alive and can understand me is just stupid. But I can't get rid of you. You're pretty much the only thing in the world that's ever really made me happy."

She placed the toy inside the nightstand drawer that was next to the bed. Then continued with putting her clothes up. Once she had just finished, she heard a soft knock at the door of her new bedroom.

"Come in." Nasha said.

Elkis opened the door and walked inside.

"Hi." She said.

"Hi."

"You're Nasha right?"

"Yes."

"Well Nasha I'm Miss Scarlet but you can call me Elkis. I'm so very glad you've come and I really hope that you'll be happy here."

"Here we go." Nasha said. "Can we please just skip it."

"Excuse me?"

"You know the whole I hope you'll be happy here and maybe one day we'll be a real family speech. Yeah like I've never heard that one before. Don't waste your breath, I'll be gone before the week is over."