The Secret of the Missing Socks

 Timmy was never the smartest, fastest or strongest child. It always seemed that everything in his life took a turn for the worst. This is his third foster home he's been in since his mother dies, and his father committed suicide shortly after. 

 Timmy sits on his cot in the basement. The rats scurry along the floor brushing against the skinny sticks he calls legs. " Timmy it's laundry day!" The wicked old lady masquerading as his mother pushes a basket full of dirty laundry down the stairs. Timmy is able to move out the way this time unlike last week. 

 The scrawny 10 year old puts the clothes back in the basket and struggles hauling it back up the steps. He feels his knees about to give out as he goes to the laundry room. As he sorts the clothes in his lap he feels his stomach growl. He hadn't eaten in 3 days and felt as if he would fade away at any time. 

 He puts the first load of clothes in the wash. A few hours pass and the clothes have finally been washed and dried. He sits and starts to fold the clothes when he realizes something that almost makes his heart stop beating. A sock is missing! Timmy starts to panic frantically looking through the piles of clothes desperately trying to find it. He is sure he is going to get beaten to a bloody pulp. He breaks down in tears in the corner.

"What wrong with you boy!" He hears the wicked woman's voice yell. He hears the loud stamping of her heels on the ground. Timmy huddles in a corner his eyes full of fear and terror as he puts his face in his legs trying to protect himself. " What happened here!" She says seeing the explosion of clothes through the room. " I-I lost one of your sock...I'm s-sorry" He says through tears. " Stupid child can't even wash clothes right! One sock of mine is worth more than your pathetic life!"

 "I-I'm sorry..." Timmy whole body starts to tremble. She grabs the boy by his collar. " Maybe this'll teach you to wash clothes without losing anything worthless boys." She shoves the boy in the washer and closes the lid. " Please let me out! I'm sorry!" Timmy begs banging at the lid. She turns the washing machine to hot water and turn, " Try to find my sock while you're in there!" She says turning it on. 

 Timmy screams in agony as the water burns his skin as he is thrown around hitting his head multiple times. He tries to keep his head above the water as he struggles to breath. Every inch of him burns. He bangs on the lid harder and harder desperate to escape, but to no avail. 

 All of a sudden the water starts to drain. He is finally able to open the lid, but he isn't in the laundry room anymore. He struggles to get out. His burns are gone! He looks around to see the missing sock in front of him. He looks back and the washing machine is gone!  

 He picks up the dainty silk sock and puts it in his pocket. " Why would anyone need such a fancy sock?" He thinks as he looks around. Everything here is so bright and beautiful. A rainbow decorates the clear blue sky. He had never seen trees this tall in his life. Is he...free? He skips around full of glee. He runs around he sees the streams and rivers full of bright shimmering fish. There are cats and dogs running around everywhere. He stops in front of a huge waterfall.

He takes off his shirt and goes inside the water. The coolness of the water is so refreshing. He walks over to the water fall and sticks his hand inside. Tears of joy flow down his cheeks as he plays in the water. The little fish tickle his toes as they swim by. He reaches down and lets one glide across his palm. He kicks up the water as the droplets become the colors of the rainbow in the light.

He goes back on the shore and birds fly over head. A butterfly lands on a blue orchid beside him. " Hello pretty butterfly." he says his face in the biggest smile it has ever been. He sees a huge hill in the distance and walks to the top. He rolls down it leaving dirt streaks on his face. His body becomes itchy and he quickly washes up under the water fall.

" Best day ever!" It starts to get dark. A cloud comes down from the sky. Timmy climbs onto the cloud as it flies him over the world. The stars glimmer like diamonds, the land below even more beautiful with a shadow of darkness over it. A single owl flies through the sky his wings reflecting the moonlight.

The cloud suddenly becomes so soft it feels almost non existent. It wrap around Timmy turning into a sleeping bag as it continues to fly around. Timmy feels his eyes start to close the last thing he sees the beautiful full moon.

The night passes still and silent until the sun rises one again. The sunlight beams on Timmy face as the cloud starts to descend onto the earth. Timmy wakes up feeling rejuvenated since he rarely ever gets a good night sleep. He steps down onto the ground starving. Just then as if buy magic he spots a bush full of strawberries. He picks as many as he can fit in his arms and washes them off in a nearby stream. He eats them life a ravenous beast finally having something in his stomach after so so long.

All of a sudden the grown starts to crumble beneath him as he falls into a washing machine below him. He opens the lid and he is back in the laundry room. His burns are back as he is in excruciating pain. His hunger punches him in the gut. He takes the sock out his pocket and refolds the clothes. He takes the clothes to the woman's room and goes back to the basement...