Girl Keeps Asking For Money Before School So Dad Follows Her

Danger

Daniel Murphy’s heart raced as he trailed behind his young daughter. Something suspicious was going on, and he had grown concerned for the little girl’s safety.

The girl confidently strutted through the busy streets. She was on a mission, and she wasn’t going to let anyone get in her way.

It was clear that the little girl had no idea how much danger she was in. He had to stop her before it was all too late.

Settling Into Her Age

When Daniel first noticed the change in his six-year-old daughter’s behavior, he assumed it was normal. She was growing up fast, and as far as he was concerned, she was just settling into her age.

Since attending her new school, she’d grown more reserved, and she was always tired.

Gone were the days of giggles erupting from her bedroom. He didn’t think much of it, but the situation was far more sinister than he ever could’ve anticipated.

A Bad Habit

When she first asked for lunch money, he thought nothing of it. He knew that the lunch they served at school was far better than his peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

The first few times she asked, he handed over a $5 bill without a second thought. But when this continued for the second week in a row, he realized that she had fallen into a bad habit.

He didn’t know it at the time, but this was far worse than just a “bad habit”.

No Questions

He never questioned where all of that money was going. It wasn’t until he received a call from her school that he finally realized the severity of the situation.

His daughter had been acting strange for weeks, and the school noticed something very concerning.

Daniel dropped his phone on his desk as he rushed out of his office. There was no time to waste. His daughter was in trouble, and he had to help her.

Her Goal

He couldn’t help the scary thoughts that raced through his mind when he spotted his daughter on the busy sidewalk.

Her small hands clutched the straps of her backpack as she ventured down the street.

She was walking with a goal in mind, she knew just where she was going, and no one was going to stand in her way. What was she thinking walking through the busy streets all by herself? She had no idea how much danger she was in.

An Alleyway

Daniel decided that it was best to keep his distance. He feared that if she noticed him, he’d never know the truth.

This had been going on for far too long. The sooner he knew the truth, the sooner he could help the little girl.

His heart dropped as he watched her turn down an old alleyway. She peaked over her shoulder before strutting in.

A Stranger

His heart was beating in his chest. He knew that something strange was going on, but he never expected it to be quite this bad.

He always vowed to protect his daughter from the harsh realities of the world, but how was he supposed to protect her from this?

Daniel turned down the same alleyway and watched with bated breath as she came to a standstill. His eyes widened when she stopped in front of a strange man who he did not recognize.

His Pride And Joy

When Daniel Murphy held his daughter, Elena, for the first time, his life was complete.

He always dreamed of having his own family, and as soon as he married the love of his life, they began trying for a baby.

Elena was his pride and joy, and he promised to protect her no matter what. But one day, when she was just six years old, she found herself in a particularly hazardous situation.

The Move

When the family of three first moved to a small neighborhood in Johnson County, Kansas, they were over the moon.

Daniel had received a job offer nearby, and they decided the move would benefit their family.

When Elena first started attending her new school, everything seemed to be going well. It wasn’t until a month later that they began noticing a change in her behavior.

She Was Tired

Since the day she was born, she had always been loud and bubbly. She loved playing with her favorite toys and Daniel could always hear laughter erupting from her bedroom.

But one day, after she came home from school, she wasn’t her usual playful self anymore. All she wanted to do was sleep.

Her parents didn’t think much about it. They assumed that school was tiring her out. But something horrifying was happening behind the scenes.

Subtle Changes

This was the first sign that something strange was going on. Every day, Elena would get home from school, have a bigger-than-usual lunch, and then trail to her bedroom for a long nap.

She was never the type to take naps, in fact, Daniel had always struggled to get her to go to bed. But there was another subtle change in her behavior: food.

Increased Appetite

For all her life, Elena ate like a bird. She never finished a meal unless her parents bribed her with candy. When Daniel first noticed that she’d come home with an empty lunchbox, he was astonished.

What was even stranger was the fact that she would have an entire plate of food as soon as she returned from school.

He thought this was normal. She was growing up, and her appetite was increasing. But it got even stranger.

The Question

It was a casual Monday morning. Daniel was dropping Elena off at school when she turned to him and asked the strange question.

“Daddy,” She started, “Could I please have some lunch money for school today?”

Daniel laughed and pinched at her rosy cheeks, “But I’ve already packed your lunch, silly!” He grinned down at the adorable girl. “But I can eat both,” She insisted. Daniel doubted her ability to do so, but he agreed anyway. This was just the start of a new routine.

A Pattern

When Daniel unpacked her backpack after school, he was surprised to find her lunchbox completely empty. When he asked if she’d bought herself lunch, she responded with a, “Yup!”

He was at a loss for words. Just a few weeks ago, she could hardly get through half the food in her lunchbox. That afternoon followed the same pattern as many before.

After lunch, she got up from the table and headed straight for her bed. How was Daniel supposed to know that there was nothing normal about the girl’s sudden change in behavior?

The Same

The rest of that week was no different. Every morning, Elena asked for lunch money, and Daniel handed her a $5 bill. She finished all of her meals and spent hours a day in bed, napping.

Daniel had gotten used to the routine. He remembered how much he used to eat during growth spurts, he assumed the same was happening to Elena.

It would explain why she was so tired all the time. But he had no idea how wrong he was. Elena was hiding a dark secret.

The Next Week

It wasn’t until the following week that the situation became more clear to Daniel.

One afternoon, while he was sifting through his emails, he received a call from Elena’s school.

When he answered it, he didn’t expect much. He assumed that she’d left something important at home, but he was mistaken. What the caller revealed scared the life out of him. His daughter was in deep trouble

The Call

“Mr. Murphy?” The woman was clearly panicked. “Yes, this is he,” Daniel responded, slightly alarmed by the woman’s tone of voice.

“Sir, I am calling to let you know that one of our employees spotted your daughter outside the school property. We don’t know how she got out, but we’re having trouble tracking her down.”

Daniel didn’t need any more information. Throwing his phone down on the desk before him, he ran for the door.

The Pink Backpack

His heart was pounding in his chest as he drove toward the school. He had no idea where Elena could be, but he would stop at nothing to find her. What on earth was she thinking? And how could she have gotten out of the school gates?

He was just a few minutes from her school when he noticed the little girl with the pink backpack walking along the sidewalk.

He slammed on his brakes and almost forgot to put his car into park as he ran after her.

Confidence

He called her name, but she couldn’t hear him over the loud noises surrounding her. She was walking through a busy part of town, one he didn’t think she knew. Daniel ran as fast as his legs could bear, but then he noticed it.

Elena was just a few feet ahead of him now. She was walking confidently through the busy streets, almost like she knew just where she was going.

Daniel’s eyes locked on the $5 note in her hand. Where was she going with that?

Catching His Breath

He slowed down, catching his breath as he trailed close behind his daughter. It was past lunchtime at school, so why did she still have the money? It never occurred to Daniel that she was spending the money on something else.

Suddenly, he began doubting everything that he’d deemed normal. It was clear that Elena had walked this route before.

She knew exactly where she was going. She must’ve done this before without getting caught.

His Fears

The concerned father was desperate for answers. He stayed behind Elena, but he allowed some distance. He wanted to see where she was going.

He feared that if he got too close, she would notice him, and he’d never know the truth.

She turned a corner, and Daniel’s heart sank. They were nearly in a bad part of town, one she wasn’t supposed to be in by herself.

Every Day?

He resisted the urge to run up to her and take her home. Something had been going on for weeks and he had to know what it was.

Was she walking this route every single day? Was that why she was so tired all the time?

Her small hands wrapped around the straps of her backpack as she started skipping along the concrete. She had no idea how much danger she was in.

Close By

Daniel decided that it was best to get a little closer to the girl. In case anything happened, he wanted to be close by. He promised to protect her, and he was sticking to that promise.

But his heart dropped as he watched her turn down an old alleyway.

She peaked over her shoulder for a second, making sure no one was watching before she stepped inside. What on earth was she doing in there?

A Standstill

Daniel’s heart was beating hard in his chest. He knew that something strange was going on, but he never expected it to be quite this bad.

He always vowed to protect his daughter from the harsh realities of the world, but how was he supposed to protect her from this?

Daniel turned down the same alleyway and watched with bated breath as she walked further in. Eventually, she came to a standstill. His eyes grew wide when she stopped in front of a strange man who he did not recognize.

He Knew Her Name

Daniel’s jaw dropped when the old man greeted her by name. It was obvious that he was homeless and that the alleyway was where he lived.

He sat on a stack of newspapers, smoking from an old pipe as the girl greeted him back.

How did his little girl know the old man? Slowly, she dropped her backpack beside him on the ground before zipping it open.

Handed Him A 5$ Bill

“My daddy made us peanut butter and jelly sandwiches again,” she huffed and removed her lunchbox. She handed the man half of her sandwich and kept the other half for herself.

They sat together, eating their sandwich as Daniel watched with wide eyes.

He was beyond baffled by the scene before him, but his heart broke when the little girl handed the $5 bill to the old man.

He Spoke Up

From where Daniel was standing, he could see the tears welling up in the old man’s eyes.

It was clear that Elena’s kind gesture meant a lot to him. Daniel felt for him, but that didn’t mean that he was okay with the situation.

“Elena, honey,” He spoke up from behind her. She jumped when she heard her father’s voice and quickly turned to face him. She knew that if her dad ever found out, he’d be furious, but his reaction surprised her.

Her Generosity

He bent down on one knee and motioned for her to come closer, and when she did, he wrapped her in a big hug. “I am so proud of you for being so generous,” He assured her before taking on a more serious tone.

“But we need to have a serious conversation about this when we get home,” he frowned slightly.

His daughter was unknowingly putting herself in harm’s way, and it was his job to fix it.

Having A Talk

When they got home from their adventures in the afternoon, Daniel and his wife sat their young daughter down and explained the dangers of the situation.

Suddenly it all made sense. She had been eating all of her lunch because she was sharing with the old man, and she was tired because of all the walking she was doing.

Daniel didn’t want her to see the old man again, but he promised that he would help him in some way.

Helping Him

In the weeks that followed, Daniel gave the man some of his old clothes and blankets. Winter was approaching, and his stack of newspapers wouldn’t protect him from the cold.

Elena promised to never leave by herself again, and she stuck to her promise.

But as time passed, Daniel still found himself wondering how Elena even knew about the old man in the first place.

 

Disclaimer: To protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events, places, or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.