Another day that’s so cold my bones can feel it. The slums are dark and so scary, especially the people there. No, they aren’t people anymore they’re just there. This is my 4th winter living here. During my first 5 winters, I lived with my mom in the brothel. It was warm there and I ate twice a day. But when she died, I had to leave. I begged them to let me clean or work there. 

They didn’t care though and said that the scare on my face would scare customers. So here I am in my 8th year of living in this world. Starving again, cold again, lonely again, but mother told me to smile even if you're sad. Then one day your smile will be a real smile. It's not to bad. It could be worse. I could be a slave or a Beastkin. That would be far worse. At least I am a citizen and received my baptism at the light god church. 

If you don’t get the baptism you can’t read or speak the human tongue. If you can’t do those things, they consider you a witch or a demon. I realized that this Empire of Sunrose is a rotten one. Ah, the priests are coming. I better hide so I run down the alley towards the apple tree next to the well. I hide in the bush. I am much smaller than those my age, so I fit well. The priests are the worst. They claim they will heal those who go with them but they never come back. There are all kinds of horror stories. 

I hear the clock tower strike midday. The priests are gone by now since they have to go back to the church to pray. I go over to the well and drink as much water as possible. This well isn’t used often because it is really dirty. But it's better than feeling hunger pains or dying from not drinking water. 

I look at my reflection. The horrid scare is still there over my left eye. My hair is brown from dirt. But if it were clean it would be a yellow color. My eyes are blue. My mother always said that my hair was like the sun and my eyes were like the sky. If only she were here right now, I wouldn’t feel so lonely. But I know better than to cry because crying has never solved anything for me.