IDTMB — Prologue

It was ten years back then when Arthur was eight and Ellie was six as they ended up on the street with their own stories. The boy run away from who took care of him for mistreating him everyday. His parents already abandoned him when he was a baby and live with a miserable life wherein he couldn't take it anymore. While Ellie ended up in the street when her parents died in an accident and no one of her relatives accept her and she doesn't even wants to live with them either. They meet by chance in the back of the fastfood restaurant, where the wasted food is being thrown away, and they are both looking for food to eat that time...

"What is your name?" asked of the little boy, who was covered in dirt as the girl he was speaking to.

"My name is Ellie, and who are you?" she asked and her stomach is growling in so much hunger.

"I'm Arthur, and I'm looking for food right now; are you also hungry?" he asked, opening the fastfood restaurant's garbage can.

"Yeah-"

"Great, here!" He hands her the burger buns he saw with a bite already in it. "You can have it," he said with a smile.

"And you?"

"Don't worry about me; there's a lot of food in here, and that one was just thrown out today."

"How did you know this was thrown away today?" she asked while her gaze fixed on the buns in her hands.

"I'm already used to things on the street, which is why-" Arthur was about to finish his sentence when the backdoor of the fastfood restaurant was suddenly opened by a fat man whose wearing a chef uniform. "Oh, oh."

"Why?" she asked, innocently.

"You again!" exclaimed the fat chef, referring to him.

"Run, Ellie!" Arthur grabbed her hand and ran away from the fastfood restaurants.

Arthur stole food from the fastfood restaurant's kitchen when he saw the backdoor open a week ago, and the fat chef caught him. That's why, whenever they see each other in the back, he runs away from the chef, fearing he'll end up somewhere where children are taken after they do bad things. The two are both panting when they stop running and they didn't even notice that they are already reach far from the restaurant.

"When you see that fat man again, Ellie, you should run, okay?" Arthur said, holding her both shoulders.

"Is he bad?" she asked innocently.

"Hmmm, no but you must run when you see him again. Hahaha!" He laugh out and only received a nod from her. "So, where are you going now?" He asked and she only shrugged her shoulder. "Are you alone?" She nod again as an answer to his question. "Damn it. Why don't you answer me with your words!" He yelled frustratedly with her answers.

"I'm sorry." She pouted.

"So, you don't know where you going and you are alone too?" he asked, clarifying if he was right in his interpretation with her gestures.

"Yes."

A smile formed on him when a thought came in his mind. "If you like, you can stick with me so we can survive together here in the street, Ellie."

The two decided to stick together and help each other out on the street. They've been together for almost a year, and even at such a young age, Arthur has begun to develop feelings for her, which he keeps hidden to protect their bonds. On the other hand, Ellie, at such a young age, wants nothing more than to live a happy life far away from her life on the street, and it appears that her dream will come true when she heard about the new orphanage.

"Have you heard about the new orphanage?" Ellie asked and they are watching the sunset in the bay together.

"Yeah, I heard of it, and it's not far from here, I guess. Why do you ask?" he asked, looking at the girl beside her, trying to read her but failing, "What is it, Ellie? What is in your mind? Please tell me."

"I want to go there-"

"What?" Arthur exclaimed in surprise. "Why do you want to go there? Do you know how scary it is to be in an orphanage? There is no freedom there, Ellie! It's more like a prison for the children."

"I already heard about orphanage before I ended up in the street and I know it's not scary, Arthur. I want to go there because I don't want to live like this forever," the girl bowed her head, biting the lower of her lips. "Perhaps if I can go there, a family will adopt me and treat me like their own."

"Even if you got there, no one will adopt you there!" he countered, attempting to persuade her to reconsider.

She raised her head in response to what he said, asking, "And why wouldn't they adopt me?"

The boy didn't answered right away finding words to answer the question that will make her believe. He gulped twice before he said, "Because your ugly and you have a bad smell!" He shouted that made her in shock. "Don't you think they will adopt you? Look at your messy hair that is already knotted to each other, your skin that is already color of ashes, your nails that full of dirt inside, your mouth that has a bad odor where you talk and that body of yours that is super thin. No one will adopt you there so you will not going there!" He yelled again after insulting her. That's the only way he sees her changing her mind, but it doesn't appear to have gone well.

"I hate you," Ellie said quietly, standing in front of him, "and I'm going," she added, turning her back on him and walk away.

"Ellie!" Arthur yelled, pulling his hair out in frustration over what he had just said that had hurt her. He called her twice, but she didn't respond, so he followed her right away to apologize.

"Leave me alone," she said, her heavy footsteps pounding on the beach sand, "Stop following me! I don't want you anymore!"

"I'm sorry, Ellie!" He grabbed her hand and turned her to face him. "I didn't mean it, okay? I just told you because..."

"Because what?" she yelled, stepping away from him as he removed his hands from her.

"Because I don't want you to leave me, and even if I go to the orphanage with you, they'll take you away from me," he bravely explained, "If there is only way to keep us together, I'll do it for you just to be with you," he added, and because Ellie is younger than him, she can't see the true meaning of his words.

"Go with me in the orphanage and we can pretend we're siblings?" she suggested, making his brow furrow, "and if there is going to adopt there, we can tell them to adopt us both because we're siblings! In that case, we won't be far away from each other!" her eyes suddenly filled with sparkled lights with the thought that is a good idea. She had almost forgotten she had been insulted a minute before.

"But I don't want to be your brother," he whispered that she couldn't even hear.

"What?"

Arthur immediately put on a happy face. "If you promise me two things, Ellie, I'll do it."

"What is it? Tell me."

"First and foremost, I want you to promise me that you will never change, even if someone adopts us from the orphanage."

"Yes, I promise!" she replied immediately, raising one hand.

"The second thing I want you to promise is..." he paused and smiled at her again, "I will just tell you once someone has already adopted us; for the time being, let's go to the orphanage..."

The sisters welcome all street children who volunteered to enter the orphanage without discrimination. Arthur and Ellie are two of these children who can't wait to be adopted and have a happy life. When the time comes, the sisters welcome all couples looking to adopt children and there this wealthy couples looking for two children.

"I know exactly who you're looking for, Mr. and Mrs. Eurwen! Let me get them for you to see who they are!" The sister left the couples in the office and went to where the children were. "Arthur and Ellie, please come with me!" she said with a smile, and the two immediately followed.

"Where are we going, Sister?" Ellie wondered.

"You'll see," the sister said, opening the office door for them. "I'm sorry for keeping you waiting, Mr. and Mrs. Eurwen."

"It's okay, Sister," the woman replied, her gaze falling on the two, "Are they the one you're talking about?"

"Yes, Mrs. Eurwen, and they were siblings, so you will not have a problem taking care of them because they are really close," the sister proudly stated, "Please, introduce yourselves children of God."

"Hello, my name is Ellie, and I'm six years old!"

"My name is Arthur, and I'm eight years old," Arthus said nervously, knowing if they would only take one of them and choose another one to adopt. "Please, if you're going to adopt one of us, take us both; I don't want to be separated from my sister!" He suddenly kneeled on the floor, stunning everyone in the room.

When the Eurwen couples decide to adopt Arthur and Ellie, they take them out of the orphanage. The papers were settled in court immediately, and they are now the legal children of the couple who is bringing their family name. The two are now in the mini-office with their adoptive parents to finalize some details before they play their roles as children.

"From now on, you will call us your mom and dad," their adoptive father commanded them, "and in exchange, you will show us some gratitude by obeying us whatever we tell you to do. Do you understand, Arthur and Ellie?"

"Yes, Dad," the two replied in chorus.

"What if we disappoint you and disobey?" Arthur asked, and Ellie look at him who is in his side.

"Why are you asking, Arthur? Do you intend to disobey us?" asked their adoptive mother.

"I-I just want to know what's going to happen," he said quietly.

"Disappoinment was not in our family, and we expect more from the both of you, so don't ever dare bring some shame on this family; we have a bigger plan for you two in the future, and if you disobey us, you will face your punishment; we can send you back to the orphanage if you ever dare or throw you out in the street."

"No! We don't want to go back there, Dad. My brother and I will obey," Ellie immediately responded after hearing what she had heard.

"Y-yes, Dad, she's right." Arthur doesn't really want the deal, but in order to make Ellie happy, he will put his pride aside.

After the two has a conversation with their adoptive parents, they left in the office and Arthur was looking at her who's wearing a luxurious dress. Ellie was busy playing her teddy bear that's why she didn't notice him not until he cleared his throat that caught her attention.

"What is it, Arthur?"

"Do you remember the promise you made before we enter in the orphanage?" he asked and she answered him a nod, "I told you that I will tell the second promise if someone adopted us and here we are."

"What is that second promise?"

Arthur heaved a sigh and tried to smile. "I know you will forget this anyway when you grow up so it doesn't matter."

"I will not going to forget it, Arthur, so tell me now what is it?"

It took him a minute before courage help him to say, "Promise me that you will never see me as your brother, Ellie. Remember that we are only pretending here because I see you more than this and it's breaking my heart that you are calling me your brother." He said in his lower voice as she come closer to her, holding her hands. " Promise me, Ellie, when we grew up you will never forget that we are only pretending here."

Ellie smiled on him and raised her right hand. "I promise, Arthur, that I will never forget."