We first played doctor with stuffed animals, and then it slowly morphed into an epic battle involving villains and superheroes. I honestly don't even know how that happened, but I suppose it doesn't really matter.

  "Mwahaha! You'll never stop us!"

  Zen stood on the couch with a small teddy bear in his hand, laughing like a mad scientist. Meanwhile, six year old Kevin stood with him with a plastic gun in his hand and stared at us as menacingly as a six year old can. Gia, the nine year representative for the heroes, wasn't deterred however, and she gave a confident smirk.

  "I wouldn't be so sure. Ellie, show them the secret weapon!"

  Three year old Ellie held up the Gene doll and puffed out her cheeks in pride.

  "Gene! We. Have. Gene!"

  At this revelation, Zen gasped in exaggerated shock.

  "It can't be - you have my most trusted ally with you?!"

  Meanwhile, I played dead on the floor, and when Ellie lifted up the doll again, I made a childish voice.

  "Help me~"

  "Gene! I'm coming!"

  "Zen, don't-"

  Kevin tried to stop Zen, but to no avail. Zen ran over to the doll, and as he did so, James and Gia ambushed him.

  "Curses!"

  "W-W-We did it, right...?"

  "Don't let your guard down! There's still more villains!"

  As Gia said that, Carly suddenly climbed onto the couch and stood next to Kevin. She was holding a small plastic drum and gave a devilish grin.

  "You may have gotten Zen, but you won't get me! I have the power of sound on my side!"

  Carly laughed and banged on the drum she was holding. Fortunately, the sound wasn't actually that loud and harsh, but everyone covered their ears in a panic.

  "N-N-No! It's too loud!"

  "Ellie's been cursed!"

  As the drum was banging, Ellie, who was still holding the doll, began giggling and dancing. When two year old Nico who was drawing with Remy and Tristan saw this, he began dancing as well.

  "Psst, Tristan, you should use your awesome magic powers to help them."

  "Okay!"

  As Remy gave him an idea, Tristan suddenly stood up and held up a yellow crayon up high.

  "I, the Great Wizard Tristanian the Third, shall grant safe hearing for everyone!"

  He waved the crayon around, and as he did so, everyone uncovered their ears.

  "Perfect! We can defeat them now, James!"

  "Y-Y-Yeah!"

  "No!"

  Despite her protests, Gia and James went onto the couch and captured Carly. Seeing this, Kevin dropped the gun and surrendered to the heroes.

  "We won!"

  "We'll win next time though!"

  "Dinner's done!"

  'What perfect timing.'

  At Grandma Marcia's call, we did some cursory clean up before all of us went to the dinner table. Today's dinner was spaghetti and meatballs, and there was different portion sizes suited for everyone. I sat in my seat and dug in.

  'Evergreen Academy's food is good, but there's nothing like the taste of home.'

  As we all ate, Carly was the one who excitedly retold the game that we all played once Grandma Marcia had left us and began cooking dinner.

  "I went 'crash! crash! crash!' and everyone was scared, but then Tristan went 'swoosh!' with a wand and everyone could hear again!"

  'Red's storytelling is really reminiscent of Carly's, huh...'

  Remy poked me in the side as Carly was busy talking about our adventure.

  "What's that?"

  She pointed her fork at the spaghetti on her plate, and I answered her simply.

  "That's spaghetti."

  "What's that?"

  "Flour, eggs, and water."

  "What's... that?"

  Remy changed her target from the spaghetti to a meatball, and I answered just as straightforwardly.

  "That's a meatball."

  "What's that?"

  "A food made out of all sorts of different meats."

  "What meats?"

  "Any you can think of."

  "Even the gross ones?"

  "Yes, but they create a new taste."

  "Okay..."

  She stabbed the meatball and hesitantly put it inside of her mouth before chewing it contently.

  "I like it!"

  Remy continued to eat the spaghetti while another kid grabbed my attention. Surprisingly enough, it was Kevin, a usually stoic and quieter kid who wasn't as close to me as some of the other ones.

  "You go to... Evergreen... right?"

  "Yeah. Do you have any questions for me?"

  "Did you see... Mr. Barrett?"

  "Ah- yes, he's my homeroom teacher. How do you know him?"

  I was genuinely surprised and curious as to why Kevin would know of someone from Evergreen Academy.

  "Before I came here... he was the only nice adult to me. He came to our school... and told us about hunters during career day."

  'There's some upsetting implications there, but let's not pry...'

  "That's awesome! What did he tell you?"

  "He told me about monsters and how people fight them to save others. He also showed his cool stone wall ability, and... I got to climb it and be super tall!"

  Kevin gave a light smile as he told me this, and then he fell into thought.

  "Um... I'll be back."

  He quickly ran out of the dining room, and after a few moments, he came back with a carefully crafted card. It was made with sturdy construction paper, and there were simple flowers drawn in the corners. In the center of it, there was a neatly written "Thank You!" in black marker.

  "Can you give this to him? I never got to see him again after that day."

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  "Sure!"

  "Thank you."

  I took the card from Kevin and put it in a safe place in my room before returning and eating the rest of my spaghetti.

  "Brother Gene, I've almost finished the first chapter of my new story."

  Anna spoke out to me from across the table, and I eagerly listened.

  "Oh, is that so? What's it about?"

  She motioned for me to come closer to her, and as I did so, she whispered in my ear.

  "It's about this girl who turns to demonic rituals in order to revive her best friend."

  "Huh... that sounds pretty interesting. Will I be able to read it tomorrow?"

  "Yes! I'll come out to play with the little ones afterwards as well, so hopefully we can hang out a little more while you're here."

  "Yeah, I'll look forward to it."

  After our conversation, everyone else finished up their spaghetti before returning to their rooms for the night, leaving just Grandma Marcia and I.

  "Here, I'll help."

  "Thank you Gene."

  I picked up some of the dishes and began washing them with soap and water alongside Grandma Marcia. She used to protest whenever I did things like this, but after a while, she simply accepted my stubbornness to help. It's not like Grandma Marcia was running the orphanage alone, but she wanted to form a strong connection with the kids and make sure they had a firm support pillar in their life. As such, a lot of the burden was placed on her shoulders, and so I wanted to relieve it as much as possible.

  "...Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever properly thanked you for taking me in all those years ago. I mean, it's not like I'm saying I haven't shown my appreciation in other ways, but I've never told you directly. So, uh... thank you."

  "No need for thanks, it's what anyone should've done."

  "Maybe, but you cared for me like a second mother. I'll never forget it."

  "I'm honored you think so highly of me."

  Grandma Marcia showed a smile, and as I was in a good mood, I began humming while doing the dishes. My mind wandered a bit, and I thought back to some stories Grandma Marcia once told me about.

  In her twenties, Grandma Marcia was a saleswoman, and she was a savvy one at that. She made a lot of money, but she didn't quite feel fulfilled. It wasn't until she and her husband adopted a child that she understood why.

  After their son grew up and became a successful lawyer overseas, Grandma Marcia and her husband decided to use the money they themselves had to open up an orphanage and help other kids live their best lives given their circumstances. Unfortunately, her husband died in his mid fifties, but Grandma Marcia continued on the orphanage's legacy to this day.

  'Grandma Marcia really is a great person...'

  I looked towards Grandma Marcia and fell into a bit of contemplation.

  "Hm? What is it?"

  "I was just thinking, you've shared your stories to me before, but I don't think I've ever shared any of mine to you."

  "If you want to tell me, I'll happily listen. If not, I'll respect your boundaries all the same."

  Grandma Marcia's considerate remark made me smile, and I let my mind wander a little further. I thought back to some of my earliest memories, the ones from when my parents were still alive.

  "Back then... my parents used to travel a lot. They would take me to all sorts of places. I don't remember a lot of it, but I remember how excited I would feel whenever I went out with them. It was always like an adventure.

  I do remember this one specific time I went with them though. We were going hiking in the countryside for a week, and at some point dad took me to climb a tree with him. It probably wasn't very high, but to little me, it felt like I could see the whole world."

  I let out a small laugh at the positive memory, and I continued reminiscing about the past.

  "When we were at our house, we always played board games together. My mom was very competitive, and she never went easy even on little me. So sometimes, dad and I would team up on her. She always gave good advice though, and eventually, I became skilled enough at the games we played to where I could hold my own. The first time I won a game, where I truly won without anyone going easy on me, it was the best feeling in the world.

  Another time, she wanted to teach me how to cook. I was never good at it though, and I'd always somehow end up ruining everything. She never gave up though, and one day, I successfully flipped an egg before it was completely burnt on one side. It wasn't much, but even then, I felt a certain pride and self-confidence in myself..."

  Grandma Marcia listened intently as I spoke, and after I was finished, I heard some more of her stories, ones from her childhood and ones I hadn't heard before. As we chatted, we did various chores, and before either of us even realized it, the orphanage was completely organized for the next day.

  "My goodness, so much time has passed already..."

  "Yeah, but I think it was time well spent."

  "Me too."

  I followed Grandma Marcia's attention towards the clock, and I noticed several hours had passed quickly while we had talked. I didn't feel tired though; on the contrary, I felt more refreshed than before, and it felt like a slight invisible wall between Grandma Marcia and I was broken.

  "Speaking of time, I think it's about time I go get groceries again."

  "This late at night?"

  "I want the kids to be able to eat a delicious breakfast tomorrow."

  I grinned at the thought of them hungrily chomping down some fruit and pancakes in the morning. Grandma Marcia simply let out a soft sigh.

  "Alright... I've sent you the money, be careful out there."

  "Of course. I'll be back soon."

  ? ? ?

  I entered the grocery store with the $300 Grandma Marcia gave me, and after I had some set goals in mind, I began walking around the various sections of the grocery store.

  I started off at the dairy section, where I got milk, eggs, cream cheese, and shredded cheese for scrambled eggs. I also got different types of cheese sticks as snacks for the kids to enjoy.

  I then moved over to the deli section, where I got bacon to go with the scrambled eggs, some steak and pork chops, and cold cuts for sandwiches. All the kids had different tastes, so I wanted to make sure there was a variety of things they could eat.

  Afterwards, I went over to the baked goods area and got some rolls, bagels, wheat bread, and blueberry muffins.

  In the pasta section, I got mac and cheese, rice, spaghetti, and some other pasta based sides.

  And lastly, I went to the fruit and veggie section. I got apples, oranges, bananas, and ingredients for a salad along with broccoli and cauliflower. Including water and juice, everything totalled a little under the $300 I was given.

  'Time to check out.'

  Walking over to the register area, I went to my usual cashier. After coming here for a few years, we got to know each other pretty well, and he gave me a friendly greeting when he saw me.

  "Hey Gene! How's it going?"

  "Good. How about you, Rodney?"

  "Eh, same as usual. These old bones still haven't failed me yet though!"

  Rodney gave a boisterous laugh as he began scanning my items.

  "Anyways, Evergreen Academy's started this week, huh? How're ya holding up?"

  "I'm doing great. Evergreen Academy is even more amazing than I first thought."

  "Yeah, the stuff they got going on there is incredible. I've visited the place once for the student festival they hold every year, and it was quite the remarkable experience."

  "Oh right, your daughter goes to Evergreen Academy too."

  "Yup! She's a second year there and is one of the three pride and joys of my life, along with my son and wife. Honestly, it beats me how a highschool dropout like me ended up in the same family as them, but, well, I ain't complaining."

  I shook my head slightly at Rodney's statement.

  "I don't think your level of education dictates your worth as a person. You've been working hard, so it's not surprising you've ended up with such a loving family."

  "Haha, thank you for the praise. Doesn't change the fact I should've put in more effort sooner though. Make sure you give it your all in life Gene, because you only live it once."

  "Of course."

  'My mother used to tell me the same thing.'

  As we talked, the groceries were quickly scanned, and I swiped my card to pay the $300. Having about $15 left in change, I said my goodbyes and left.

  ? ? ?

  I drove Grandma Marcia's car back to the orphanage and parked it in the small parking lot. I haven't felt the need to buy a car yet, so I just used Grandma Marcia's whenever I did grocery runs and filled up the gas afterwards.

  Once I was parked, I brought all of the groceries inside and began slowly putting them away.

  'I don't see Grandma Marcia... I guess she's asleep.'

  I was in a good mood, so I hummed as I put everything away. After I was finished, I stepped back and took a good look at my handiwork.

  'Perfect!'

  The refrigerator and cupboards were fully stocked to my satisfaction, and as it was getting late, I finally decided to go get some sleep. However, as I was walking to my room, I noticed something was terribly off.

  'These bedroom doors and lights, they shouldn't be open and on like this.'

  Cautiously investigating one of the rooms, I realized with horror that the bed was empty.

  'Don't tell me-'

  Quickly checking another room, I saw another empty bed.

  'Please don't tell me-'

  My heart pounding, I checked another.

  'This can't be happening-'

  And another.

  'No-'

  And another.

  'NO-'

  All empty.

  "Grandma Marcia! Zen! Anna! Remy! Tristan! James! Carly! Gia! Kevin! Nico... and Ellie... please... just somebody..."

  'They- they couldn't have just disappeared without a trace, right?!'

  I ran around everywhere but I didn't find anything. The orphanage was the same as how I had left it.

  'There's still one room left.'

  I looked inside of the last room. The bathroom.

  An empty wheelchair.

  'Anna... no... please... Anna's smart, she would've left a clue or something, she had to!'

  Suppressing my shaking, I moved the wheelchair aside and took a closer look.

  Blood.

  '"We need help."'

  With a sharp soul shattering pain and scream, I fell to the ground and blacked out.