The Royal Contract

She felt her heart burning in fear as she searched the beach for Favio, the little boy who suddenly went missing from the group. She swore she was watching him when an argument between the kids distracted her.

It was just a split second, but it was enough for Favio to vanish from her sight. When she noticed that he was missing, it was too late. She could not find him anywhere, and nobody noticed where he went.

"Don't worry, Sister, I will find him." She told the other guardians who came with them to the beach. She did not want them to worry more than they already were.

She wanted to have faith that the boy was safe and that she would find him. Since she came to the orphanage, she learned more about herself and her inner strength.

And her ability to have faith in herself and the kindness of people. She was not letting her past dictate her future. She knew she should learn to fight for her what she wanted and stop letting her fear hold her back.

"I will help you." Sebastian moved closer to her, assuring her that they would find him. "The rest of you, stay here where the Sisters can watch you." He instructed the other kids who joined them on the short trip.

On the other hand, she instructed the older kids to help the sisters with the little ones while she and Sebastian looked for the missing kid. She did not want another one to go missing from the group while they were gone.

"First, we need to notify the management so they can help us," Sebastian suggested, staying calm, unlike her. "And it is possible they already found him."

She could not agree with him more. Therefore, she asked him if he could inform the management while she looked around for Favio in the nearby shops. It would give them more coverage if they separated ways.

"Call me if you find him." She told Sebastian as she walked toward the opposite pathway.

"Call me if you need help," Sebastian shouted at her before he continued in the opposite direction.

She knew Sebastian was not comfortable leaving her alone in a crowded street. Anybody could easily recognize who she was. Then, what? She had no idea. But she doubted it would be pleasant.

"Excuse me. Have you seen this boy?" Luckily, she had taken a photograph of the kids while they were having fun at the beach. And she had a clear picture of Favio.

But some of the people she asked did not even bother to look at the photo as they shook their heads. She wondered if they knew who she was, would they give her a second look?

"Excuse me, but I wonder if you have seen this boy." She continued as she went from one store to another but still failed to find him.

"Where are you, Favio?" She knew she had to find him before anybody recognized her.

And, of course, the last thing she wanted was to involve the authorities. It would possibly include the media when it came to a missing child. She was not sure if she was already ready to return to her world, despite the changes she felt inside her.

Was she strong enough to face the world where she belonged, or would she suddenly cave to the pressure and retreat to her cocoon? She guessed she was not ready to find out just yet.

She scanned the area for a possible place where the kid would go to. When she checked her watch, she realized that it was getting late. Soon, the kids would want to eat again, and Favio was no different. Or, he might be worse because he was hungry a lot.

"Hmmmppp!" She might have a silly idea of where she could find him, spotting a series of food booths in the area. It was worth the shot.

She quickly strode toward the first food stand but did not see him anywhere. She thought he might be standing by, waiting for someone to give him some food.

Then, as she moved along and was about to give up, she spotted him sitting on a bench alone, munching on a hotdog and drinking a soda. She wondered how he managed to get that, knowing he had no money.

Suddenly, terrible things entered her mind. She remembered those people who enticed children with food before abducting them. Quickly, she rushed to his side, running as fast as she could before someone took him away.

"Where have you been?" She shouted, relieved, happy, and slightly nervous, as she faced the boy. She took his hand while she stared into his face, checking if he was hurt or afraid.

But the boy smiled while still chewing the hotdog, not appearing hurt or anything at all. He looked like he had a good time, sitting comfortably on the bench with his food.

"You were lost, so I asked the nice man to help me find you. Then, he bought me a hotdog." Favio finally spoke when he had swallowed some of the food in his mouth. Then, he drank the soda.

"Really?" She could not help but smile at his claim, but more than anything else, she could finally breathe as she took a deep intake of air into her lungs. She was just glad that he was ok.

"Then, we should thank this man who was kind enough to help you." She said as she turned to look for the good samaritan.

"There he is," Favio excitedly said, pointing to the man walking toward them.

At first, she could not believe her eyes. Of course, she recognized the man right away. But what was he doing here when he should be a hundred miles away from her? That was her question.

Was he a figment of her imagination? She quickly blinked her eyes, hoping that when she opened them again, she would be staring into a different person. The man would revert to a stranger.