Don't run,please stay with me

"Hey, freak!" A gang of seven-year-olds cornered the kid in a dusty corner of the yard. "You killed your own folks! Monster!" A heavy boot slammed into Neo’s ribs before he could even shrink back. The story bouncing around the shelter was total trash, but the real truth was way worse. Neo had only picked up that butcher knife to save his mom while his stepfather was beating her half to death. But she didn't thank him. Instead, she stared at her bloody five-year-old in pure terror, branded him a murderer, and dumped him at the gates. Neo stopped talking after that. Completely shut down. And of course, the other kids took his silence as an open invitation to push him around. He balled up on the dirt, arms locked over his head. Pain shot through him with every kick, but he bit his lip so hard it bled, refusing to give them a sound. "Drop it! Right now!" A sharp voice cut through the noise. "I'm snitching to the headmistress!" Neo peeked through his fingers. A girl with soft, chubby cheeks was stepping right into the middle of them. "Oh, look who's playing hero!" the main bully snickered. "Go tell on us. See if anyone cares!" They shoved toward her, but she didn't take a single step back. She just launched herself right at them, throwing wild punches and swinging like a mad cat. Neo just watched, stunned. In under two minutes, the boys were backing off, clutching their fresh bruises and spitting empty threats over their shoulders. "You good?" she asked, turning to him. Neo’s face burned. He dropped his eyes to his dirty shoes, kept his mouth shut. She grabbed his arm and hauled him right up. "Why do you just lay there and take a beating? Stand up for yourself!" Nothing from him. "Why are they picking on you anyway?" Neo swallowed hard, his throat dry. "...I killed my dad." "Wait, what?!" He flinched, waiting for the screaming, waiting for her to run. But then, a small hand patted his messy hair. Warm. Gentle. "Man... you've had a rough time, haven't you?" Neo blinked up at her, lost. "You're... not scared of me? I killed a guy." "Why would I be?" She put her hands on her hips, huffing out a breath. "We're little kids. We don't even know what's right or wrong yet. Whatever happened back then doesn't matter." "So... you really don't hate me?" "I said no! Anyway, you're Neo, right? I'm Clare." "Clare...?" "Yep! How old are you?" "Five..." "Ha! Knew it! You're younger than me! I'm seven, so from now on, you've gotta call me Big Sister, got it?" After that day, Clare was his whole world. She shared her food, taught him words, and played with him until the sun dropped below the tree line. For the first time in his life, something twisted and warm bloomed inside Neo's chest—a dark, desperate clinging to the only light he had ever seen. Then the bird happened. "Neo! Neo!" Clare sprinted up to him one afternoon, eyes wide. "I found a hurt bird by the barn! We can hide it in the cattle shed and fix it up!" Neo just nodded along, but as the days dragged on, his light started dimming. Clare spent every waking minute around that makeshift nest. She stopped looking at him. Stopped playing with him. She doesn't care about me anymore, Neo thought, staring at her from the shade. That night, Clare broke her piece of bread in half and gave it all to the bird. "Eat up, little guy." She glanced at Neo with a weak, guilty smile. "Sorry Neo, I'm giving my snack to the bird today. It's really starving." "It's... fine," Neo muttered. Why won't it just die? It'd be so much better if it just died. "Big Sister, come play," Neo begged the next afternoon, pulling on her sleeve. "Not right now," Clare said, not even looking up. "I gotta feed it. Look, it laid eggs!" "But we haven't played together in days..." "Tomorrow, okay?" Twice now. She pushed him away twice. That night, staring at the pitch-black ceiling, hot tears tracked down Neo's face. Look at me. Only me. Don't look at anything else. He wiped his face dry. The crying stopped. Something icy settled deep in his heart. Quietly, he slid out from under his blanket and slipped into the dark. The next morning, Clare’s screams broke the silence of the farm. She was on her knees in the dirt, sobbing hysterically. Right beside her lay the bird—its neck snapped like a twig, surrounded by smashed yellow eggs. Neo walked in slowly. "Did you... did you do this?!" Clare whipped around, grabbing his shirt with shaking hands. "You killed it, didn't you?!" If he said yes, she’d leave him. And losing her wasn't an option. "What are you talking about?" Big, innocent tears instantly filled Neo's eyes. "Why would I do that?" "Because I didn't play with you!" "No!" Neo lost it, sobbing loudly and smacking his own head with his hands. "Why are you saying that?! Just because I did it once, am I supposed to kill everything now?! Am I really a monster to you?!" Seeing him lose his mind completely broke her. The guilt hit her like a truck. "Neo, stop! Don't!" She grabbed his wrists, pulling his hands away, and hugged him tight. "I'm sorry! I shouldn't have accused you! Please stop crying..." Buried against her chest, Neo stopped crying instantly. A cold, quiet smirk tugged at his lips. Hook, line, and sinker. "Big Sister... you yelled at me..." "I'm sorry, I promise I won't ever do it again," she whispered, rubbing his back while he rested his head on her lap. "Are we gonna stay together forever when we grow up?" "Yeah. Of course we are." Neo closed his eyes, soaking in her warmth. Guilt didn't exist in his head; the dead bird meant nothing as long as she was looking at him again. Years bled into each other. Neo turned eight, Clare ten. One afternoon, the head nun called Clare into the quiet office. "Clare, a wealthy couple wants to adopt Neo," the old woman said gently. "They can't have kids, and they've already made a massive donation to the shelter." Clare froze. "Wait... what?" "Think about his future," the nun pressed, leaning in. "If you really care about him, you'll let him go. Over there, he gets good food, real clothes, and a private education. You want him stuck here getting beaten up forever?" Clare went dead silent. The truth hurt, but she couldn't fight it. "What... do I have to do?" she whispered. "They arrive in two weeks. He won't go if he knows. Go to their mansion with him, and once he's settled, slip away quietly." "Okay... but let me sleep in his room until then." For the next two weeks, Clare stayed glued to his side, reading him stories until he fell asleep. Neo had no idea. He was just thrilled to have her all to himself again. One afternoon, Clare stared at him for a long time. "Neo... even if I'm not around one day, promise me you'll live well, okay?" Neo paused, confused. "What are you talking about? We're staying together forever." Tears started spilling over her eyelashes. "Hey, why are you crying?" "I'm just... so happy I get to be with you," she sobbed out, pulling a smile. Neo smiled back, totally convinced she just loved him that much. "Don't cry. We're gonna eat and play together forever." Then the car pulled up. A sleek, black luxury sedan. "Whoa, look at this thing!" Neo gasped, face pressed against the glass as the engine hummed. "It's huge, Big Sister! My old house was so trash compared to this..." Beside him, Clare just stared straight ahead, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Big Sister? Look at the mountains out there! They look awesome!" When she didn't answer, Neo pulled her shoulder to make her face him. She was crying hard. "Wait, why are you crying?" Panic spiked in Neo's chest. "Do you not wanna go? It's fine! We can just tell them to turn around!" The nun in the front seat turned with a soft smile. "Oh, sweetie, she's just overwhelmed. She's happy you're getting such a good life." Neo tilted his head. "Really? Man, you scared me. I thought we were getting split up." Clare gave his hand a crushing squeeze, pulled him in, and held on for dear life. Neo hugged her back, feeling safe, completely oblivious that this was the last time she'd ever hold him. The car rolled up to a massive estate gate. "We made it!" Neo cheered, dragging Clare out by the hand. A rich-looking blonde woman walked down the steps to meet them. "Welcome, little ones." While the adults talked, the nun shot Clare a look. Clare turned to Neo, keeping her voice as steady as she could. "Neo, wait here a sec. I gotta hit the bathroom... and make sure there aren't any bad guys hiding around." Neo laughed at her joke. "Okay! Don't be long!" Ten minutes passed. Then fifteen. The excitement evaporated, replaced by a cold, heavy pit in his stomach. Neo stood in the hallway, eyes darting everywhere. Suddenly, a loud engine roared outside. Neo froze. He threw the double doors open and sprinted out, just in time to see the black sedan tearing down the driveway toward the main gates. "CLARE!" His voice shattered the quiet courtyard. Tears blinded him as his small feet pounded against the gravel, chasing the red taillights. But the car didn't stop. The massive iron gates swung shut with a heavy iron clatter. Neo slammed into the metal bars, beating his fists against them until his skin split. "Big Sister! Where are you going?!" he shrieked, his chest heaving. "Don't leave me! Please! I'll be good! I promise I'll be good! Just stay with me! CLARE!!" He kept screaming until his voice tore to shreds, but no one came back. As the brutal reality finally caved in on him, his knees buckled. Neo dropped hard onto the cold gravel, and the world went pitch black.