That One October {T.M.R}

𝐒𝐢𝐱

Vivian stared at Tom with widened eyes, furious that Ms. Cole would do something like that.

"She is evil!" The girl grumbled.

He nodded. "I know."

He informed her of the matron's hatred for him and how she tried to make him seem insane so he'd get put in an asylum. He told her that a doctor came to do an assessment, but Tom told the truth, which was that he was sane, and the woman just loathed him.

Though of course, he had to twist the story a little, as most of it was a lie.

He knew his behavior was bad, but he could not bring himself to care. He abhorred the orphanage, the children, and the matrons. How could he be good?

However, he denied any wrongs on his part, saying that Ms. Cole just wanted him gone because he was the only one that spoke against her mistreatment.

And, without much effort, the boy managed to convince the doctor. The man then spoke to the matron and threatened to conduct an investigation should any more allegations be heard of, or if she made another false report.

With that, he was gone, carrying his little briefcase down the way.

Ms. Cole was livid and immediately went to Tom's bedroom, struck him twice, and forbade him from going outside. It was one of two things she used as a punishment for the child, as he already didn't play with toys or involve himself in any group activities. The other, was not giving him food. Nothing prolonged, of course, but he'd go without dinner quite often.

"When is your birthday?" Vivian asked.

"It's on December thirty-first," He said quietly, "I can go back the day after, which is New Year's Day."

She pouted. "But that is forever away!"

He shrugged. "Only two weeks. I'll despise each hour here, definitely, but who's to say I haven't got a plan to sneak out?"

Her lips slowly turned into a grin. "Really? We meet at tree!" She clapped, "We celebrate!"

Tom raised his eyebrows as if actually perplexed. "Celebrate what?"

She stopped clapping. "Your birthday?"

He scoffed. "No."

"Why?"

"Because it's a stupid thing to do." He kicked at the giant pencil, "I'm just another year closer to death, nothing special."

She gasped and got up to sit beside him. "Do not say that!"

He was confused by her fearful reaction. "Why not? We all die, eventually. You will too."

"No!" She nearly shouted, "Stop!"

He stared at her in silence, to which she spoke again.

"We will be like Draugr, then."

"Huh?"

Vivian glanced around the room, searching for any prying eyes. "Draugr."

She was so close that her hair touched his arm.

"What's that?"

"I thought you know." She paused, "It is a man that rot, he dead."

"I don't understand what you mean."

She told him of the corpse and her dreams, except that they weren't dreams. She would wake up first to see the Draugr and then wake up again, as if she had been asleep.

She experienced things that wouldn't happen in dreams, such as physical evidence: the leaf, waking up anywhere but her own bed, and having bruises.

"He real!" She insisted, "He real like you and me."