"What's wrong, Keith?"

I knew something was wrong. But I never expected how wrong it could be. But I never regretted what I did next. Rather... I enjoyed what happened next. The moment I knew what happened to Keith. I made up my mind. Despite it being winter, I changed into my shorts to show the scars on my calves. I threw myself onto the asphalt over and over again. I was bleeding all over and dirty. Good.

Then I pretended to collapse in front of the police station. How exciting, I thought. Ah... if you guys don't hurry, I might actually get frostbite or freeze to death. But even if I did, I had a note and pamphlet in my pocket which led back to the orphanage.

I didn't freeze to death. A policeman returning to the precinct saw me.

"Hey! Are you okay, kid?"

Yeah, I am. Please warm me up, pretty please. I'm freezing. I think my toes are gonna fall off.

He brought me in, and all the police people saw me. I could barely keep my eyes open because of the cold and the pain. I think it sold a pretty picture of what happened in their minds.

So, when they asked me what happened next... I knew I shouldn't put on a show. I shouldn't exaggerate. Just say things bluntly and their minds will piece it together themselves.

I ran away.

They hit me.

The pastor touched me here.

Keith told me the pastor touched him too.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

It was just simple sentences like that. Like what a normal child would say.

I don't really know why touching that spot is bad, but it doesn't matter. All that matters is that Keith feels sad, and these adults are horrified.

If enough people think something is bad, it becomes bad. If enough people believe something is true, it becomes true.

Humans are annoying like that. They rationalize. But they rationalize best in a group.

Easy. Their faces told me everything so plainly, they believed me. Didn't even bother to hide their expressions because I was a kid. Hehehe. I really enjoy looking at their faces...

I stuttered a little while talking but not to an annoying degree. It's the small details that matter. If I was born into a rich family, I think I could have done well as an actor. I could keep up the act even though I thought their faces looked funny.

But things didn't work out like how I thought they would. They brought me to a new orphanage. They didn't arrest him. They couldn't arrest him.

They're supposed to arrest him because he did something bad, aren't they?

Why wasn't he?

Because he had status. And I didn't have evidence.

Lame. The worst of humanity is best shown in a group setting after all... Even bad things can become acceptable, if they rationalize hard enough.

Hmm... I acted my best. And no one would ever suspect a kid to lie about this. I was disappointed. In the end, useless adults are still useless.

So, I went to the place where they made newspapers instead.

The police didn't want to lose their jobs. But the journalists would love this.

Was it a bit weird? Yup! Was it suspicious? Yup!

But it worked.

I just told them I talked to a stranger on the street about what I should do to save my friend Keith, and he told me to come here.

It was on all the newspapers.

Brave Child Exposes Orphanage.

Brave. Pfft.

And in another article, the police were being scolded by everybody. Their faces were super funny. Too bad. But there were more humans on the good side than the bad after all...

The pastor was on the telly. He was going to jail for 6 years. People were mad that he was going away for such a short time. I've only been alive for 8 years. Wow. That is a short time.

So, I hope the prisoners beat you up there too. I hope you die there. Bye bye pastor...