“Waaah, run away!” A little girl ran away from Edna, who was currently chasing her. “Raar! I’m going to get you!” Edna proclaimed happily, giving chase. The cold weather had abated, meaning that it was slightly warmer than usual. Taking advantage of this, the kids of the slums had gathered together to play. Edna, who was faster than the little girl, managed to touch her back. “Tag! You’re it!” she said cheerfully. The little girl whirled around and promptly began to chase Edna...and then shifted her targets, moving towards a young boy, who yelped at the sudden move.

“Stay awaaaaay from meeeee!” he cried out, moving away. The little girl was June, and the young boy was Hart, both were children of beggars who knew Veronica. That was why the parents were content to let their kids play with each other. Once it was Edna’s turn, she tackled June, wrapping her in a hug. “Nooooooooo, its waaaaaaaarmmmmm,” June wailed, unable to push Edna off of her, who was currently fiercely hugging her. While Edna enjoyed the physical contact, June didn’t particularly like it, since staying near Edna for too long meant she’d get sweaty and hot, despite the cool air. However, the two were close enough that June was willing to tolerate Edna’ eccentricities...to an extent. Edna abated, letting go. “S-sorry,” she said, fidgeting nervously. Veronica had warned her that excessive physical contact was not polite, and that she should restrain herself. Despite knowing it was wrong...it was hard to fight her impulses, since she was still young. “I couldn’t help myself….” June patted Edna’s head, unable to bear the sight of seeing her friend sad. “S’all right,” she said, giving a reassuring grin.

“Heeeey, can we join?” Another boy asked, who had walked up to them, followed by a bunch of other kids. “Sure~!” Edna said happily, glad to have more friends to join. One of the boys had a small ball, so they split up into teams and made a sport out of trying to kick the ball into a designated area. Life was good, and despite having to deal with the natural troubles of being poor, like regularly eating, she did not want for much. However, that all changed when, after becoming seven, she wound up encountering the first kid she had ever talked to who was not poor or homeless.

“Hey, what are you doing?” a rather posh voice called out to her. Edna, who was busily playing with a small rubber ball, stopped and turned to face the source of the voice. It was a rather young kid, although a bit older than her. Perhaps he was eight? He had soft, curly brown hair and brilliant emerald eyes, a contrast to her eyes and hair. “Eh? Just playing,” she said. “...you’re quite dirty, aren’t you?” the kid asked, eyeing her ragged appearance. Edna looked down and looked at herself. Her simple shirt and pants weren’t particularly damaged or torn, but she couldn’t exactly deny that she wasn’t clean. She had never really noticed, however, or cared. She knew the importance of hygiene, but...well, it was hard when life seemed hell-bent on kicking you down. Serena did her best to help out, but she was limited in her capacity, because if she helped too much, she would earn the ire of her superiors, who did not like what they saw as ‘preferential treatment’. For whatever reason, she didn't sweat, and thus, did not smell, unlike Jackson or most of the other urchins.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“...so?” she asked. “Eh? You really don’t care?” the kid asked. “Well, I mean, it doesn’t affect me…” she said with a shrug. While lice and insects were usually a concern for most beggars, insects, including the ones that carried disease, stayed away from Edna, a trait she enjoyed quite immensely. George decided to change the subject then. “...weird. Well, my parents are currently making a business deal with the Merchant across the street! It’s going to increase our political influence!” he said proudly, puffing his chest. Edna tilted her head, not exactly understanding the significance of that. “Okay….?”

“Well, I have free time, so I figured I might check out the area. Although I didn’t think I’d meet a rat…”

“Eh? I’m not a rat!” Edna protested. George looked surprised at her tone, and quickly tried to smoothen things with his next words. “My bad, then…” His eyes noticed the ball she held. “Can I see that ball?” he asked her. “Do you not have one of your own?” Edna asked, surprised. “No. I left mine at home, so I’m a bit bored…”

“Okay! But don’t keep it for too long, alright?” she asked him. He smiled charmingly. “Of course! I’ll make sure to give it back!” she handed the ball to him, happily smiling. “I’m Edna! Pleasure to meet you!”

“The names George, George Cartwright II, as it just so happens,” the kid said, “so why are you here, pray tell?” he asked her instead. “Eh? This is my favorite spot,” she told him. “Oh, really?” he asked her, and then nodded once in response to her affirmation. “Shall we play, then?” Edna offered. George nodded, and the two began passing the ball to each other, catching it. This continued for several minutes, and Edna started to find herself having fun. “George!” A voice called. “Oh, I have to go back,” George said as he caught the ball. “See you around, alright?” he turned and began to jog towards the voice. “Hey, wait! What about the ball?” Edna called. “This? I’ll be keeping it. Thanks for giving it to me!” He called, grinning, though there was an insincere look in his eye. “But I didn’t…” Edna protested meekly, but he was already gone.

"But...."

What was she going to play with now?