Dark Friends Read Online Free PDF

she knew that orphans who tried to spread their wings and fly would be grounded and have their wings clipped. Or worse.
                                                                                        Chapter 4
                  What good is it, Ellis thought, if people never change? He had seen therapists, psychiatrists and even attended support groups. None of them had ever been able to help him with his 'urges'. They were overpowering, thought-consuming and, when not remedied, physically crippling desires. He was a sex addict. Of course, he never told anyone the age of his...partners.
                  Jared James Ellis was forty-nine years old and had come from a mostly-happy family. His father was an investment banker who made an incredible salary and his mother was a part-time restaurant owner. They were a lively, happening couple who always instilled a sense of continuous competition in their children. Life was all about winning. Not just excelling in sports and school, either, the Ellis parents insisted their kids do everything better than their peers. They had to learn to tie their shoes first before other kids, do complex mathematical equations at young ages, and their father had once made the kids race to see who could floss the fastest.
                  As the youngest of four boys, Ellis had felt this pressure profoundly. He was supposed to be the quickest learner and most pliable because he was the youngest. His parents always told him that their first three sons had been practice for their precious fourth. While other kids might have used their parents constant badgering as motivation, it had the opposite effect on Ellis. He withdrew. His brothers said that since he was the last to be born, their parents had already used up all of their best genetic material.  Instead of a child prodigy, the Ellis parents were stuck with a withdrawn, strange boy. Young Ellis spent hours alone in his room, playing with G.I. Joe's and dolls. He created elaborate story lines and events in his make-believe world, but he was always the boss. He was the god of the little people and their fates were determined by his whims.
                  As Ellis sat in his office and pondered his childhood, he realized that he was the exception to the rule. He did change. Though his fleshly preferences were still unusual, he was no longer a scared, insecure boy. He was now the undisputed ruler of an entire orphanage! He hired and fired people. He signed paychecks. He dictated every aspect of his kingdom and he had done so for many years. For this reason, Ellis waited in his office.
                  After several minutes, Nancy entered. Ellis had requested this meeting with her to discuss the kitchen. Something had changed there. Ellis waited for Nancy to seat herself before he spoke,
                  “G'morning Nancy. How are you?”
                  “I'm well and good morning to you.” Nancy replied evenly.
                  “Look, I know you're busy and I am too, so let's get to the point. The kitchen is running incredibly well. Enough money has been saved to give all the counselors a bonus” it never occurred to Ellis to use the money for the kids, “and fewer children have been getting injured working down there. It even seems like the food is better. Even the trays are cleaner! So, my question is what's going on down there?”
                  Nancy shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She could summarize the difference in the kitchen service in one word: Amelia.
                  “We have an asset, Ellis.”
                  “What are you talking about?”
                  “We have an orphan who could change everything. You might remember her as the girl who...stood out during last cycle's standardized testing. Her name is