When this black girl opened her door to Deckard, a police officer, he cried so hard when he realized why she was staying there. Officer Deckard was heading home after a strenuous patrol shift. He had just taken a turn when he spotted a young black girl walking through a deserted path. She looked nervous and frightened. His instincts kicked into high gear.
He immediately stepped on the brake pedal, keeping his eyes on her. He knew that particular street very well. Like many cops, it was well known for housing hoodlums and criminals. Deckard wondered what a girl her age could be doing on such a street. There were no residential houses in the area, only small hideouts built by a few hoodlums to stash their loot away from people like Deckard.
The little girl kept walking deeply into the street, and Deckard quickly got out of his car. He wanted to stop her, but on second thought, he paused and walked back to his car. His training as a detective kicked in, and he decided to secretly investigate.
He was aware that a lot of crimes in that area were committed by kids. They were mostly 11 to 15 years old. They would often rob shops, carting away foodstuffs and money. They were very organized, and most of them were long gone before the cops got there. Fortunately, with the help of CCTV cameras, some of them were apprehended. The rest would vanish into thin air, so it seemed. Perhaps the girl was one of them. Deckard was sure that she would lead him to the entire gang. Once caught, she would be taken to the rehabilitation center that had been set up to help the kids turn their lives around.
Officer Deckard was a senior officer in the State Police Department. He had worked in the capital city for years but had been recently transferred to the neighborhood known for his strategic intelligence. Deckard was one of the few officers who could tactically curb the crime rate in the area. He had handled numerous cases of juvenile delinquency, and he was prepared to tackle the same issues in his new assignment. Deckard was smart and imposing, with a deep love for his police job.
No matter how diligently he performed his duties, he also held a strong conviction that kids from the ghettos could become better people. Many of these children had been abandoned by their parents and guardians and resorted to crime just to survive. Deckard felt a sense of fulfillment each time he caught one of them and handed them over to the staff at the rehabilitation center, while the older offenders were sent to jail. Committed to their progress, Deckard made sure to monitor their development and ensure they were properly reformed.
Deckard could tell that this particular girl he was tracking was no more than 10, so he was glad that she wouldn’t end up in prison. As he trailed the girl, he noticed that she kept looking back as if she was suspicious that someone was trailing her. At one point, Deckard even thought she was purposely leading him somewhere dangerous, but upon closer look, he realized she was only being cautious. About 20 minutes later, the girl had reached an area with large refuse stumps and overgrown bushes.
The road had large potholes with stagnant water in them. Everywhere was silent. Not even the sound of birds could be heard. Just when Deckard began to think the girl probably had no destination in mind, she stopped in front of a dilapidated building. The large building looked like it could collapse at any moment. A part of the house was worn out with no roof on top. The door was almost touching the ground but hung suspended by a rope. Deckard became increasingly worried. Did the girl live here and with whom?
Deckard was stunned to see a little girl living in such harsh conditions. Deckard watched as the girl pushed the door open and snuck into the house. He considered knocking but decided against it. Now that he knew where she stayed, he would place her under surveillance. Turning back, he headed to his patrol car. A few minutes later, he arrived at the station and began working on some case files. The thought of the little girl never left his mind. He tried to imagine life in such an environment, and it seemed like a nightmare. He vowed to get her out of that place.
The next day, Deckard drove his private car into the neighborhood and parked. As he stepped out, chants of “Cop is here!” filled the air, and everyone deserted the area. Deckard knew some of them had recognized him even though he wasn’t in uniform, but he didn’t let that deter him. Taking a deep breath, he headed to the dilapidated building. The stench was overwhelming, so he covered his nose as he walked. When he arrived at the house, he stepped onto the threshold and knocked on the door. His knuckles echoed on the door. He kept knocking for some time, but there was no reply.
Finally, he pushed the unlocked door open and stepped inside. The stench intensified, hitting him like a wave and making him wince as he examined the room. The room was large, but it seemed the girl occupied only a small part of it. In one corner, there was a small bed and a bag of clothes. Large mosquitoes swarmed the area, and he had to swat them away with his hand. The other parts of the building had no roof, allowing sunlight to beam directly into the space.
The house offered no protection to the little girl, neither from the elements nor from ill-intentioned criminals. It was also probably a haven for snakes and wild animals, so the little girl’s safety wasn’t guaranteed, to say the least. He needed to act fast before something fatal happened to the girl. He wanted to wait for the girl, but he was getting sick because of the deplorable nature of the house. The mosquitoes were also having a field day on his body. He stepped out of the building and studied the entire environment, but there was no sign of the girl. So he walked back to his car and waited for her. Hopefully, she would return before sunset.
A few hours later, Deckard spotted the girl coming from the opposite direction, clutching a bag to her chest. He suspected it contained groceries. Waiting until she was ahead, he stepped out of the car and followed her from a safe distance. She reached the building, opened the door, stepped in, and barred it. Deckard quickly put on his police badge, then approached the door. He knocked twice and waited patiently. The little girl unlocked the door and froze when she saw him. Her eyes quickly caught sight of his badge just below his waistline. A wave of fear spread through her, and she trembled. She glanced around, contemplating escape, but Deckard’s body already blocked every exit.
“I didn’t do anything wrong. I begged for the food I’m preparing now,” she gasped, tears in her eyes. As soon as she said those words, Deckard believed her. He had dealt with so many criminals, enough to know when someone was telling the truth. He was certain this girl was innocent. He knew the girl was afraid, so he assured her that he wasn’t there to hurt her. He was just shocked to see a little girl in such an area. He asked the little girl why she lived alone in such a dangerous place.
“Where are your parents? Why are you living here alone?” he asked. Through tears, the little girl introduced herself as Chloe and said she was 10 years old. She explained that she had lost her dad when she was eight in a car accident, which left her mom severely depressed. Her dad had been their sole provider, and his death created a vacuum that couldn’t be filled. Her mom tried to make ends meet but became sick in the process. Without money for treatment, she struggled with the sickness.
She eventually succumbed to the illness, leaving Chloe alone. Chloe recounted that her mom’s lifeless body had remained in the house for over three days until kind neighbors helped bury her. A few days after the burial, the landlord evicted Chloe and seized their belongings because her mom had owed two years’ rent. Chloe couldn’t find a safe place for the rest of her parents’ possessions, which were looted by hoodlums in the neighborhood. She had to live on the streets for months, leaving in the morning to hunt for food and returning late at night.
Deckard was moved to tears as he listened to her story. He was broken as he wondered how she’d been able to survive such misfortune. Losing her parents at such a young age subjected her to a life of poverty and suffering. Living in this building itself was a death sentence, and he wondered how she’d been able to cope for the past months. How quickly she must have had to grow up when a child her age should be out playing with friends and toys.
“You can’t live here again,” Deckard said softly. He would contact child support and make sure they placed her in a foster home where she would be well taken care of. She would also resume schooling and catch up with her age mates. At the mention of a foster home, Chloe immediately objected to the idea. She wanted freedom and not some place where she would be restrained.
Deckard sensed that Chloe didn’t understand what a foster home was, so he tried to explain it to her. However, she insisted she didn’t want to go. Before he could react, Chloe slipped into the left wing of the threshold, jumped over the railings, and ran into the woods. Frustrated, Deckard ran after her. Chloe, familiar with the environment, was swift and managed to hide somewhere in the woods. Deckard kept calling her name, but there was no response. He followed her tracks, but it seemed she had disappeared into thin air. After an hour of fruitless searching, he returned to his car and drove home, blaming himself for letting her escape.
Late at night, Deckard drove back to the building and searched for Chloe, but she wasn’t there. He returned to his car and waited patiently, hoping she would show up, but she never did. At dawn, he went back inside the building and noticed her bed was well-made, indicating she hadn’t spent the night there. Frustrated, Deckard wondered where she had gone.
He left in low spirits, hoping he would find her. After some hours, he returned to the neighborhood, parking his car far from the slum and wearing a cap to conceal his face. He went back to the building, but there was still no sign of Chloe. It dawned on him that he’d probably lost her for good. She had likely left the slum or hidden deeper within it. Feeling guilty and disappointed for failing to protect her, Deckard walked back to his vehicle with tears in his eyes. Still, he resolved to keep monitoring the slum and keep his eyes open for any sign of her. That’s the least he could do for a little girl society had failed to protect. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>
A week had passed, and Deckard was gradually losing hope of seeing Chloe again. Then something unexpected happened. While driving to another town for another assignment, he spotted a familiar figure by the side of the road. It was Chloe. She was begging for food from a mobile vendor. Deckard swiftly pulled over and approached her.
Chloe saw him and wanted to run, but this time he was ready and faster. He gently held her and calmed her down, noticing she had grown thinner since the last time he saw her. He convinced her to get into the car so they could grab lunch at a restaurant. Chloe was reluctant to follow the officer, but she hadn’t eaten for days and needed the food badly. She stepped into the car, which Deckard made sure to lock before driving to a nearby restaurant. Chloe ate her food quickly, scooping large quantities at a time. Clearly very hungry, she devoured over three plates of food before finally breathing in satisfaction.
Afterward, Deckard explained the stress he had been through, worried that something bad had happened to her. Chloe realized how much the cop cared for her and apologized. When Deckard brought up the idea of a foster home again, Chloe still objected. She then revealed that she had been placed in three different foster homes over the past few months, each time enduring suffering and starvation.
They subjected her to servitude, forcing her to run away and live on the streets, which she found preferable to staying with people who didn’t want her. Deckard now understood why Chloe hated the idea of a foster home. Sadly, he had no choice but to take her to an orphanage. He knew of one where he was certain she would be treated kindly. After much effort, she finally agreed to go there. Once they arrived, Deckard handed her over to one of the nurses and asked her to take proper care of her.
“I’ll visit you every day, okay? Once you’re scared, tired, or angry, just close your eyes. When you open them, you’ll see me, okay? I’ll always be with you,” Deckard said. Chloe nodded, forcing back tears. Afterward, Deckard returned home with a heavy heart. That night was one of the most horrifying he had experienced in a long time. He couldn’t get Chloe out of his mind.
In his dreams, he saw her crying and whispering for help. As day broke, he had another dream in which Chloe went back to her dilapidated house. Just as she was about to go in, the house began crumbling. Deckard suddenly woke up from his sleep, and instead of screaming Chloe’s name, he screamed “Lily.” As he called out Lily, his late daughter’s name, all the buried pain he had suppressed rushed back, hurting harder than ever. Despite wanting to always help and be there for everyone, especially kids, Deckard had his own pains and griefs to process.
Seven years ago, he had lost his wife Laura and only daughter Lily. The two women had meant the whole world to him. Deckard and Laura had been childhood sweethearts. On Laura’s 12th birthday, Deckard, then 15, gave her a ring promising to marry her in the future and spend the rest of his life with her. Although young, he had vowed to stay with her through thick and thin, in sickness and in health. Deckard held on to that promise.
The duo went on to have a beautiful relationship until tragedy struck. When Laura turned 20, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Throughout that period, Deckard stood by Laura’s side. His loyalty didn’t waver even after she had to undergo surgery to have both of her breasts amputated, the only way to stop the cancer from spreading. After the surgery, Laura sank into depression, hating her new body. But Deckard was there to offer his love and support.
“You’re still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met. It doesn’t matter that you had to undergo that surgery. You look perfect, and I’ll always love you,” Deckard said, wiping the tears streaming down her cheeks.
With Deckard’s support, Laura became confident in her skin. Eventually, at 25 and 28 respectively, the couple went ahead to tie the knot. Afterward, they faced more struggles, especially infertility. It took five excruciating years before Laura finally conceived. The day they found out about the pregnancy was one of the best days of their lives.
Laura had used the pregnancy test strip in the bathroom, then rushed out and handed it to Deckard. She had then run to the room and thrown herself on the bed, crying, convinced it would be negative again. As she wept, Deckard burst into the room, shouting, “We’re pregnant! We’re pregnant!” He lifted Laura and swirled her around as they cried tears of joy. When they eventually welcomed Lily, their joy knew no bounds. Deckard was a great father and husband, doing everything within his power to protect and provide for his family. He loved his job but never placed it above his family.
Tragically, he was in the line of duty when he lost the two people who meant the world to him. That night, Deckard covered for a colleague whose wife suddenly went into labor. He was still patrolling when he received the devastating call that forever stole his happiness. It was from the hospital, urgently summoning him. Arriving at the hospital, Deckard encountered a sight that would haunt him forever. His daughter was already dead.
As for his wife, she was gasping for breath as the doctors charged her with a defibrillator. Despite their efforts, they soon announced her time of death. Their deaths were cruel. Two masked men had broken into the house with guns and shot them. Deckard suspected a connection to a criminal case he was handling at the time. Trusting his instincts, he began investigating, pouring all his energy into it. Eventually, he cracked the case, and the perpetrators faced justice.
Yet even with justice served, Deckard found no solace in it. The pain of losing his family lingered, a wound that would never fully heal. At this point, he had begun solving crimes involving kids, hoping to turn their lives for the better. Along the way, he encountered many children, but none struck him like Chloe. There was just something different about her.
With each passing day, Deckard felt a powerful desire to protect and provide for her. He never thought himself capable of feeling this way after losing his wife and daughter. In fact, he had sworn never to remarry or have another child, but as each week passed, it seemed Chloe might change that.
Six months passed, and Deckard continued visiting Chloe at the orphanage. One evening, as he was about to leave, Chloe suddenly grabbed his hand.
“Take me with you, please,” she said in the sweetest voice ever.
That did it for Deckard. All the fears he had about letting someone else into his life suddenly vanished. He was no longer scared of loving and getting hurt if things didn’t go as planned. He wasn’t afraid of the uncertainty of life, where someone could be there one day and gone the next. Right then, he just wanted to live in the moment and focus on doing the right thing. At that moment, he knew he couldn’t live another day without being Chloe’s guardian.
“You can call me Dad if you want, but you don’t have to. No matter what, I’ll make sure to always be the best dad for you,” Deckard said, tears streaming down his face, making no attempt to hold them back.
The next day, Deckard began the adoption process, and in due time, he officially became Chloe’s dad. As time passed, the two built a beautiful bond. Deckard always looked forward to returning home to a smiling and happy Chloe. Her presence in his life filled him with a sense of purpose and happiness he never thought he would have again.
That year, something incredible happened. Deckard finally found the courage to visit Laura and Lily’s graves. Hand in hand, he and Chloe went, and they dropped flowers at the graves. Deckard hadn’t found the courage to do so since he buried them. He owed it all to Chloe, who, through her love and resilience, slowly mended his broken heart.
