Shawn was tired, cold and hungry as he approached the first house he had seen for days. He had been looking for a place to work for over a month since he ran away from home. He was tired of being locked away in the house or a hidden back-yard no one can see into. He didn’t like the way he or his mother were being treated and figured as long as he was gone then she would receive better treatment. He waited for the right moment, when no one was watching him, father wasn’t around; mom was in the kitchen as his older brother went inside to the bathroom. He scaled a fence three times his height and crawled through three fields before sneaking onto the back of a truck that took him one town over before he realized he was there and chased him away. So, he set off walking, determined to get as far away as possible. And so, he ended up walking for days, slipping when his body couldn’t take anymore and stealing food where he could and offering his services every chance he could.<br/><br/>So, he was at a door of the first house he’d seen after days of travel, wanting to ask for food and water that wasn’t muddy, and to offer his services, that wasn’t what came out of his mouth. A girl around his age had opened the door, and even though she was slightly blurry to his eyes, he could tell that she was beautiful and all form of speech left him as he stood there, opening and closing his mouth like a fish. After a minute or two he was finally able to form words “I… I was wondering if you had any w-work for a p-poor man? I haven’t eaten in d-days and am w-willing to work for it. Please?” he asked, knowing that his nerves made him stutter on a few words.<br/><br/>Shawn’s eyes shifted towards the dog at her side and his mind flashed to when he was little and his father set a large dog on him, letting it tear into his leg only days before breaking it and then only a few days before he had been set on fire. He’d been so little then and was unable to get over it. He quickly staggered backwards, losing his balance as his right leg didn’t move fast enough and he fell flat on his back. He groaned before pushing up onto his elbows “D-Does it b-bite?” he asked, terror in his voice as he tried to regain his breathing. He wasn’t aware he was sliding back on his butt until he fell off the deck down the short stairs. He was knocked for a loop as his head hit the ground hard and left him feeling like everything was spinning.