Woman Approaches Little Boy on Street and Learns He Needs Help — Story of the Day

Lili, an elderly woman, finds a young boy named Harry alone on the street. Harry asks Lili to help him and his friends because they live in a bad foster home. The police send Harry back, but Lili decides to rescue the kids on her own.

Lili was walking home one cold evening when she saw a young boy sitting alone on a bench. He looked cold and lost. Worried, Lili approached him.

"Hello there, young man. It's quite cold to be out here by yourself," she said. "What's your name?"

The boy looked up, his eyes brimming with tears. "I'm-I'm Harry," he said, sniffling. "I don't have anywhere to go."

Lili's heart ached for the young boy. "Listen, you can't stay out here," she said gently. "Would you like to come to my home? I can give you warm food and a place to rest."

Harry's eyes shone with hope. "Really? You would do that for me?" he asked. He was aware strangers couldn't be trusted, but Lili seemed kind. So he followed her.

At home, Lily served him hot chocolate and cookies. As he ate, she called the police to help find Harry's family or a safe place for him.

"Don't worry, Harry. The police will help us find the best solution for you. You're safe now," Lili reassured him.

While waiting for the police to arrive, Harry shared his sad story of living in a crowded foster home where he and the other children were mistreated. Lili saw bruises on Harry's arms and felt awful for him.

"I promise you, Harry, the police will help. You did the right thing by telling me," Lili said.

"But what if they don't believe us?" Harry's voice was tinged with fear. "What if they send me back?"

"I won't let that happen. I'm here for you," she said, consoling him.

As the night grew darker, the police came to Lili's house to take Harry to a safe place. Harry was scared, but Lili comforted him, promising to visit him the next day with cookies.

"Will you really come?" Harry asked quietly.

"Absolutely," Lili promised, "And I'll bring chocolate chip cookies."

A small smile tugged at the corners of Harry's mouth. "I like those," he said quietly.

The police officers were kind and told Harry they'd look after him. Lili hugged Harry goodbye and watched the police car drive away.

The next morning, Lili baked cookies and went to the child protective services office. The office building was big and felt cold to her. Lili told a worker, Susan, that she was there to see Harry and had brought cookies.

"Harry? Oh, you must be the lady who found him. What do you want with him now?" Susan asked, sounding uninterested.

Lili explained she wanted to check on Harry and give him and his friends cookies. But Susan told her Harry had been sent back to his family. She said Harry made up the story about being mistreated for attention.

"But he had bruises and was so scared," Lili argued. "And the poor child was so hungry."

Susan dismissed her concerns, saying kids often get bruises and might miss meals, but it wasn't serious. She claimed the police checked, and everything was fine.

Lili felt something was wrong. Harry's fear seemed too real to be just a story.

"But shouldn't there be a thorough investigation? Just to be sure?" Lili pressed.

"We did what was necessary. The boy is back with his family. Let it go," Susan said, not wanting to talk more.

"But I saw Harry's bruises, ma'am. He was really scared. He wouldn't lie about being hurt," Lili argued, trying to make Susan understand.

"Mrs. Anderson, kids make up stories for attention. It's common," Susan replied, not believing Lili.

Lili didn't give up. "We should check again for Harry's safety. It's important to make sure he's okay."

"Our investigation says he's fine. We can't act on every story a child tells," Susan insisted, ending the conversation.

Lili left, upset but determined to help Harry. She called the cops to talk about her visit and her worries for Harry. The officer on the other end of the line connected her to the officer in charge of Harry's case.

"Mrs. Anderson, we follow Child Services' lead. They say the foster home is fine. We can't do more without their say," Officer Martinez explained on the phone.

Lili felt frustrated and alone in her fight to help Harry. She knew she had to do something more to make sure he was safe.

Early the next morning, Lili dressed up like a cleaner to sneak into the child services office. She wanted to find out where Harry was. Inside, she acted like she was cleaning while listening for any useful information. Thankfully, the workers were too busy to pay attention to her, and nobody noticed her coming inside through the back door.

In a room with lots of files — Susan's room — Lili found Harry's file and quickly memorized his address. She was almost caught by Susan but managed to hide and then leave without being noticed.

Lili then went to the foster home where Harry was staying, pretending to be a photographer sent by child services. "I'm here to take happy pictures of the kids for a report," she told the suspicious woman, the kids' foster mother, who opened the door.

While in the home, Lili noticed many checks from the government, meant for the kids' care, on a table. But she noticed the house was in poor shape, making her realize the foster parents were using the money for themselves, not for taking care of the children.

Lili wondered if Susan from Child Services was involved in this. Suddenly, the sound of one of the foster guardians returning snapped Lili out of her thoughts. She quickly stepped away from the table.

"Is everything alright?" she asked nervously.

"Oh yes, just had to make sure the kids were presentable. You know how kids are," the foster father, Adam, replied, his tone overly cheerful. But there was a hint of nervousness in his eyes that Lili didn't miss.

As Lili was led to the living room, she took in every detail. The space was cramped and barely furnished. A few old toys lay scattered on the floor, and the children sat quietly on a worn-out sofa.

They looked clean and neat, but their eyes told a different story. There was no joy, no spark that you'd expect in the eyes of happy children.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the foster mother, Greta, approached her with a phone in hand. "I just called Susan to confirm your visit," she said, her voice cold. "She has no idea who you are. I think it's best if you leave now."

Lili realized her cover was blown. Without arguing, she turned to leave, but Greta's voice stopped her.

"Don't come back here, or I'll call the police!" she warned her.

Lili left but returned at night with a ladder to rescue the children. She quietly set up the ladder near the children's room and helped the children climb down from their window. She had asked them to be quiet so that their foster guardians didn't notice them leaving.

But when the last child, Harry, was about to climb down, the foster parents grabbed him. "Help!" the boy cried desperately.

Lili, who was at the bottom of the ladder, looked up in alarm. Without a second thought, she acted. "Hold on, Harry!" she shouted, reaching up to him. With all her might, she tugged at Harry, trying to release him from the grip of the foster parents.

In the struggle, the ladder, already unsteady, began to wobble dangerously. Lili pulled harder, her only thought to get Harry to safety. With one final, desperate tug, she freed him, but the ladder lost its balance.

As it began to fall, Lili's instincts kicked in. She wrapped her arms around Harry, shielding him with her body.

They hit the ground with a thud, the impact sending a shock through Lili's body. She asked the kids to run, but they disagreed.

"We can't leave without you, Lili!" Harry said. The children helped Lili up, and they all escaped to a nearby forest.

In the forest, they hid behind a bush, and Lili realized she had lost her phone when she fell down the ladder. "My phone... is gone," she said, worried, knowing she wouldn't be able to call for help.

Timmy, one of the children, then whispered, "Lili, I saw Adam. He's looking for us."

Lili faced them bravely. "Listen to me, all of you," she said, gathering the children closer. "Your foster parents, they don't understand how special each of you is. They see you only as a way to make money, but you are so much more than that. You're brave, smart, and full of potential. Let's use the forest to hide. You can do this."

The children knew the forest well. They decided to run in different directions to confuse Adam.

"Be quick and quiet," Lili instructed as they heard Adam's steps getting closer. "We'll meet back here in an hour."

The children ran off, leading Adam into the thick forest. They used hand signals to communicate and stayed just out of his reach.

Later, the children returned to the spot, having tricked Adam successfully, but Harry was missing. Lili was worried. "Has anyone seen Harry?" she asked.

The children hadn't seen him. Lili was scared Harry might be lost or hurt.

"I'll go look for him. He might be hiding," Gary offered.

"No, Gary, it's too risky," Lili said, worried about sending a child back into the dark forest.

"But Harry helped us. We must help him too," Gary insisted, wanting to find Harry.

"Let's wait for him," she suggested. "Maybe Harry is making his way back to us."

Suddenly, Timmy shouted, "It's Harry! I see him!"

Harry limped towards them, hurt but safe. "I was hiding and fell," he explained.

The children helped Harry walk, showing they cared for each other.

"We need to sneak past Greta," Harry told them. "She might be waiting for us at the house entrance."

The children nodded. They quietly moved through the forest and, after what felt like an eternity, reached Lili's car. The older woman immediately drove the kids to the police station. The officer on duty thought Lili had kidnapped them, but the children spoke up, explaining the pathetic living conditions they were exposed to at the foster home.

"She saved us," Gary said.

"The foster home was bad," added Emily and Timmy. "And they would hurt us if we didn't do what they said."

They all shared their stories, and the cops acted promptly. They checked the foster home and found it was indeed a terrible place for kids. Susan was arrested for hiding the truth, and Grace and Adam were also taken into custody.

"You did good, Lili," a police officer complimented her. "We'll find safe homes for the kids."

The children, too, thanked Lili.

Lili smiled, her heart full. "You brave little ones are the real heroes. Remember, always stand up for yourself and for each other."

A year later, Lili and Harry, whom she had adopted, visited the other kids in their new homes. The adoption process had been difficult for Lili, but thankfully, it had worked out.

All the kids were happy with their new families and doing well. As the day came to an end, Lili and Harry found themselves sitting in a small park, reflecting on their visits. "They all seem so happy, Lili," Harry said contentedly.

"They are, Harry. And so are we," Lili replied, squeezing his hand gently. "We've all come a long way."

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