Astrid stepped back from her easel, her paintbrush lying in her loose grip. She placed it down and stroked her chin with her now empty hand and pondered the subject of her painting: A fleshy mound sat heavily on a floor of various shades of greens and browns. Drops of gloomy rain cascaded down in their different trails along the pinkish surface and mixed into heavy lines of crimson. She also painted a dark shadow of an open hand across the mound- the contrast of the light and dark colours used, gave the scene an emotional depth that communicated the abuse that the pink mound had just experienced.

Astrid never understood the mixed emotions that she felt within this dream. It felt as if she hovered ten feet in the air above the scene, not able to look away, even though that's all she wanted to do. The dream always ended with a sudden jerk and her falling through the hollow darkness only to find herself lying in her bed, in the black of night.

Only this time did she feel the pull to go and paint.

Her thoughts as she analysed her latest piece of work were interrupted by a knock at her door. She checked her watch, both of the hands on the tiny clock face on her wrist pointed straight up. It was midnight, and the banging at the door did not cease. It went on until she answered the door.

"Do you know what time it is?" she asked the silhouetted figure standing there.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know where else to go," said a familiar voice.

"Amber?"

"Yes!" The delight in the girl's voice echoed down the corridor of the flat building floor.

"Shh!" Astrid hushed, worried that the girl's excitement may wake the neighbours. The last thing she wanted to do was to explain to them why a strange child was knocking on her door at this time of night. "Just come in!"

Amber's smile grew wider and she walked straight in without hesitation. "I can't believe you remembered my name just like that!"

Astrid closed the door behind her and looked down at the beaming red-head, let out a deep breath and indicated the couch, which Amber happily skipped towards and sat down.

"Okay," Astrid started with a sigh. "I have so many questions." Amber's smile dissolved and she slowly nodded her head as she took in Astrid's concerned expression. "What are you doing here, Amber?"

"I didn't know where else to go."

"Yes, you said that earlier." Astrid's eyes searched for the best words to say, but this was such a strange situation. "Look, you can't be here. You need to go back to the home. It's late and I'm sure the staff will be looking for you."

Amber shook her head. "They never realise when we're gone straight away. Also, I don't care!"

"Now, come on," Astrid began her gentle chastisement, but a concerning thought crept in. "How do you know where I live?"

Heat prickled at Amber's cheeks and she bowed her head in shame.

"I see, you've been following me home haven't you?" Astrid asked, exasperated. She stood up and turned away from the sheepish girl on her couch. "Why, Amber?" she questioned over her shoulder, rubbing her hands down the length of her face, in tiredness mostly, but also to keep the frustration that was fighting its way to the surface at bay.

"I'm sorry, Miss. I just. I can't help it."

Astrid finally turned back around. "What does that mean?"

Amber shrugged.

"No, don't give me that! Look you can't be here. What will people think? What if they accuse me of abducting you?" Worry caused Astrid's voice to sound angrier than she wanted it to. "Did you think about that at all?"

The girl's bottom lip quivered and tears began to spike at her eyes. She turned away, not wanting Astrid to see that she was starting to cry. This broke Astrid's heart. She slowly sat next to her and desperately looked for the right words, but came up short. She touched the girl's shivering shoulder in silence.

"I'm sorry," Amber said through her sobs.

"No, I'm sorry. I'm not really angry. I just don't understand," Astrid explained.

"I know, I don't understand it much either. I just feel safer around you," Amber said looking up into Astrid's eyes, the confused scowl that they displayed forced her to explain herself further. "I promise there's nothing more to it. I'm sorry."

"But don't you feel safe at home? With your things? Your bed? Around people you know."

Amber shook her head and looked at the floor. "I barely know any of those people and they don't want to know me."

"I'm sorry to hear that. But why run away? Surely somebody would be worried?"
Amber shook her head again with resentment plaguing her eyes.

"What happened?"

Amber raised her shoulders as she took in a deep breath to steady her nerves and got ready to share her troubles. "When they're not ignoring me, they're shouting at me. The others laugh at me, some hit me. Nobody is on my side. I'm alone. Always so alone."

Astrid slipped her arm around both of the girl's shaking shoulders. She didn't know what to say. She felt as though she understood exactly how this girl did, but she had no idea how she could. She had never experienced such treatment herself (not as far as she could remember that is).

"But is running away to a stranger's flat really the answer?" Astrid whispered her question in Amber's ear as they embraced. An embrace that didn't feel strange at all in Astrid's heart, yet her mind fought against it.

"You don't feel like a stranger. I feel you are the only person I do know," Amber matched Astrid's tone.

"But you don't, not really..."

"I do in here," Amber said, holding her hand over her heart. "I can't explain it properly. I know how it sounds."

"Alright."

They sat in silence for a couple of peaceful minutes.

"Okay, Amber. I know this is not what you want to hear. But I must take you back."

Amber met the dark haired woman's gaze, panic taking over her blue eyes.

"Why? Please don't," she pleaded.

"You must know it's the right thing to do. No matter what, the staff will be looking for you." The terrified look that took over Amber's face sucker-punched Astrid in the heart. "Listen, the longer we leave it, the worse this will look. You don't want me to get into trouble do you?"

Amber let out a heavy sigh and eventually shook her head. "No, I suppose I don't..."

With that, Astrid found her mobile phone and searched for the home's number, showed it to Amber for confirmation that she had the right digits, then let it dial. She made her way to a quiet corner and spoke to the frantic staff member on the other end;
keeping Amber in sight to make sure that she didn't try to bolt.

Amber didn't move a muscle. She just sat and stared at the wall in front of her.

Astrid hung up the call and slipped the phone in the pocket of her pyjama bottoms.

"Okay, they know we're on our way. They were relieved to hear that you are alright." The look Amber gave Astrid after that last remark made her clear her throat awkwardly. "I'm just going to slip a jacket and shoes on and we'll go."

She did just that, then grabbed her car keys and called over her shoulder to the girl who hadn't moved from the couch. "Come on, shake a leg."

Amber got to her feet and ambled to Astrid's side. Astrid fumbled with her phone finding the directions to the local children's home on Google Maps. Made her way down the stairs and out of the flat building, taking glances over her shoulder now and again, to make sure that Amber followed close behind. She unlocked the car with a click.

"In you get."

Amber slipped into the passenger seat and Astrid took her place behind the wheel and drove out of the flat building's car park. Listening out for the woman on her phone to tell her when her next turn was.

It took five minutes to drive to the home and Amber's face went pale as the car slowed to a halt.

"You'll be alright, Amber." Astrid tried her hardest to comfort the poor girl but her reassuring words fell on deaf ears. "Come on," Astrid sighed and they both got out of the car and made their way to the front door of an old, Victorian estate. They could see a light on inside where a staff member waited eagerly to greet them. They didn't even need to knock because the door swung open as soon as they made their way up the front steps.

"Amber! Thank goodness! You had us all worried! How dare you run away like that! We had a search party looking for you!" The middle aged woman suddenly stopped to look at Astrid with a polite smile. Her sharp eyes scanned her before she spoke again, "Thank you so much for bringing her back."

"Not at all. I just hope she's not in too much trouble," Astrid replied.

A sudden gust of wind ruffled the woman's frizzy, brown hair, as she turned to look at the worried girl at her side. "No, not too much trouble, but running away is very serious, it can't be ignored."

"Of course," Astrid responded with a steady nod, however the professional stance she tried to keep was not able to hide her unease.

"You mustn't fret though. She'll be just fine. Right Amber?"

"Yes."

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, Trish."

"Right. In you go, off to bed." Amber dragged her feet as she made her way inside giving Astrid a small, sad wave.

"Sleep well, Amber!" Astrid called after her, returning her wave.

"Thank you again," Trish interrupted before heading in and closing the front door causing a shadow to sweep over Astrid's bewildered face.

"Bye then..." she said to herself and made her way back to her car.