03

"Never talk to strangers. You know how strangers are. They are dangerous and bad. You hear me, baby?"

Madeline was supposed to deliver a mail today. Sister Agatha, one of the sisters in the orphanage, wanted her to mail an important letter to someone. It was one of her chores.

She didn't read who it was for. It was boring.

'Why couldn't they just use a phone or an email? That's more convenient than writing mails. But meh. It's fine.'

Her thoughts ran wild in her head. She gets to explore around town to and from the post office. She was like an explorer!

Madie hopped on the steps of the road, passing the park on the way. She remembered what happened the other day ago. Like, four days ago. She remembers the four men, too. And their toys. She didn't know what it was, and she didn't ask anyone else. Not even Sister Mary Eunice. Ellie didn't know what is was.

What kind of toy makes a 'bang' sound?

Madie shrugged her shoulders. It's hurting her head just thinking about it.  

She was curious what happened to them, though. Did they finish playing? Did they have an umbrella that night? It was raining hard.

She didn't get to watch who tagged who. Was it tag they were playing? Nah. You don't use toys when playing tag. Maybe it was another game. She remembered them talking to each other. Like they were whispering but yelling at the same time. Like, they had secrets!

Maybe they were having a meeting.

Madie reached the post office and immediately did what she had to do, thanking the old mister in the counter. His name was Luke, he was a kind old man. He likes giving her candies or lollipops if he had extras. The Sisters didn't allow her to have too many, but it was their little secret.

"Bye, Luke!" Madie waved him goodbye, saying bye to the other people in the office too. All of them are nice. They're all old, but nice.

She stopped for a bit by the sidewalk, searching her pink bag for money. She still had some spare dollars in there somewhere. She wanted to buy a doughnut. The little one's always eats the desserts before she does. But they end up finishing it all. She only eats crumbs from bread and doughnuts. She wanted to say it was unfair, but she didn't want to be mean. 

Madie's a good girl.

"Ha!" she squealed when she saw paper bills at a small pocket in her bag, it was her lucky day! She can buy, like, 2 doughnuts and a drink with this!

She ran to the bakery at the other side of the road, it was near so she didn't  have to take a cab. She likes eating and buying stuff here. Everything was so sweet.

"Hello!" Madie greeted the lady in the counter, she was chewing on some gum and had plenty of piercings on her ears. Pretty. "Can I have uhm-Three Chocolate Glazed Doughnuts, and uhm-a Small Strawberry Shake?"

She stared at Madie for a while. 'Did I have something on my face?'

"Pretty please?" she whispered, she forgot to say please earlier. Maybe that's why she keeps on staring. She scoffed and took her order, noisily preparing it. The way she arranged the food reminded Madie of the kids at home throwing tantrums.

Was she mad?

"Here." she said, and Madie quickly gave her her dollar bills, waiting for the change. I didn't want her to get madder because she was keeping the lady waiting.

"T-Thank you."

Madeline then left. She didn't like her mean stares. It was a good and lucky day for me! She didn't want to spoil it by anything. She walked and walked, quickly because she wanted to eat her food already.

The blonde girl reached the park that she was in the other day. She was so excited to eat her snack! And her shake, too! She was getting so hungry. Madie didn't have much for lunch, the kids wanted to eat plenty, so she let them.

Sitting on the swing, Madeline swayed her feet gently, taking out her food. The chocolate on the doughnut stick a bit in the wrapper and she hurriedly licked it off. Yummy!

She continued eating and drinking the food, her feet swaying gently on the floor. It wasn't rainy today, but it wasn't sunny either. The weather was just right.

Drinking from her strawberry drink, she stopped because a heard a crack somewhere at her back. Like a stick.

Turning around, Madeline saw two men in black suits. It was like they were businessmen. From a big, expensive company. Like sales.

She knew what sales is. It's like selling things, sometimes yummy things. Or sometimes just things. Things you can't eat.

Madie stared at both of them, and looking around, she also noticed the three black cars surrounding the park. It was easy to spot them; they all looked the same. She looked back at the two men and turned her body to face them. 

Tilting my head, she stared at them waiting for them to say something. And then she noticed them looking down by her feet. By her doughnut.

My forehead creased. Were they hungry too? Frowning, Madeline hesitantly offered them the last doughnut in her hand. She was hoping to eat plenty today. Guess I'll have to share.

She didn't want to, though. But she had to be a good girl.

As she offered them the last doughnut, their eyebrows furrowed too. What were they waiting for? Madie was being nice.

"You don't want it?" she asked, maybe they were waiting for her to say that they could have it. "You can have it."

"Uhh..." the other guy just stared at her; his mouth parted. He didn't say anything.

The other one cleared his throat and spoke "Do you not remember us, miss?"

Madie tilted her head again, what? "No."

She just remembered that she wasn't supposed to talk to strangers. Were they strangers?

"Really? The other day? By the alleyway?" he asked again.

Alleyway? She didn't remember seeing them.

He slowly nodded, looking at her swaying feet again. She sipped from her shake for she was getting hungry again.

The guy, the one who spoke to her with brown hair, spoke to the blonde man. They whispered until they turned back to her again.

"Do you-Do you want to come with us?" the blonde asked and she just stared at him.

"I mean-We mean... we have cake and cookies at home." the brown hair guy said slowly "Do you want to... come with us to our house?"

Madie pondered for a second. But they were strangers, right? She shouldn't come with them.

"I'm Madie. Who are you guys?"

But they're not stranger anymore if she asks their names. She wanted what they were offering. Cake.

"Uhh-I'm Adon, and he's Hop." the brown hair said. Adon.

"Hop?" Madie giggled and stoop up, hopping, walking near to one of the cars. She was guessing it was theirs. "Hop! Hop!" 

Some guy, another one, opened the car door for her. She picked the car in the middle. "Thank you, Mister!"

Madie waited for Adon and Hop to get in, too. She was so excited for the food! She was so hungry and couldn't wait to eat.

Adon stepped on the driver's seat and Hop on the passengers. It was a fancy car. She likes it. Hop turned back to her and smiled. Madie smiled back at him.

'I had a feeling that we were going to be the best of friends!'