"Leo! Have you finished your chores yet? I've brought lunch for us! Fresh bread and raspberry jam; your favourite." 

Damn it, was it that time already? Having no clock in here was a real pain as the days grew longer. He threw the mop back into the bucket and took it to the corner of the large room, reaching up and retrieving two pewter plates from the shelf above his head. "Good afternoon," he called over his shoulder before turning and moving over to the small, round table set up near the window. 

An old man came up the stairs with his cape draped over one arm and a weaved basket in his hand. Leo smiled at the sight of him and rushed over to take the garment from him, hanging it on the rusty hook on the wall. "Your trip took less time than I thought it would," he said as the man began to unpack the food from the basket and put it out on the table. "I've cleaned the floors and dusted the furniture; all that's left to do is to clean the bells and gargoyles and I'll be done." 

"You're such a good boy," the old man smiled gently "Come, let us eat." Leo didn't need to be told twice as he reached over and grabbed a slice of the bread, slathering it in jam and shovelling it into his mouth. He almost moaned at the sweet taste- it had been ages since he had received a treat like this. He usually just received meat and a few vegetables in the evenings and some crackers and cheese in the morning's for breakfast. Although, he couldn't complain, the man who provided all this for him was bordering on poverty. He was blessed to have him take such good care of him. All he had to do was make sure to keep the attic he lived in clean. 

He never went outside much. There never seemed to be anything out there for him in the town. He had never gotten to know anybody here since he hadn't grown up here, he had no friends from any other places to visit since the first thing he remembered was waking up in this place. The man who took care of him, the Father in the large cathedral in the centre of the settlement, had given him his name, eluding to his feline-like eyes and quiet nature. He liked his name, it was unique to him and it suited him, he thought. He didn't have a second name but the Father said that was not needed.

On his first day here, he had been taken into the cathedral, a little overwhelmed by the grand decor and the gorgeous stained glass windows, and the Father had drawn a cross on his head with the water sitting in a stone bowl. He had told him he now had solace and could live in the sanctity of the building (Leo hadn't known what that meant at first). He was given the attic space just above the bells and had lived there for about five years now. The Father had provided everything for him from bedding, to new clothes and food, even books starting from the Bible and then venturing on to things such as adventure stories. Although, he didn't remember learning, he could read extremely well.

Every day the old man would come up and eat with him (except on Sundays) and they would discuss local news and other things before he would leave Leo alone again. "Father," he mumbled through a mouthful of his meal "Is there any reason you have brought this today? It seems strange."

"Do you not like it?" The old man asked, raising his eyebrows.
"No, no, I am grateful. It's just, you only do this on special occasions so I was wondering if I had missed something." He was really struggling now, searching through every corner of his mind  for the answer to his question- it was so hard to keep track of the days when he had no clock or calendar. in the room.

"Today is your birthday!" 

By birthday, the Father meant it was the anniversary of the day he had been found. Nobody had known who he was, where he had come from, so things like that had just been made up. It had been estimated he was about twenty six but nobody knew for sure... nobody cared. As long as he didn't cause trouble or distrupt the locals; after all, they had wanted to just throw him back in the river until the local priest stepped in and taken him away from them. So, he stayed hidden away in the attic.

"Oh, nonsense! You are the closest I have to a son, I am allowed to spoil you on such a special day."

"If you say so."

Nontheless, Leo grinned and bowed his head "Thank you, Father. Although you really didn't have to do this." 

When their meal was finished, Leo clasped his hands together in his lap. "Father," he began,his voice slow and careful "I was thinking..."

"Yes, my son?" The old man looked up from putting his cloak back on briefly "What is it?"

"Since I've been here for a few years now..." Leo bit his lip, unsure whether he should continue for fear of angering the man. "I was wondering if I could visit the town with you." He gazed up at the old man with wide, hopeful eyes. They were almost enough to stop the man denying the request but, still, he shook his head. "You know I can never allow that, Leo. Do you have any idea what they would do to you down there? They may all attend church but they are all very cruel. They see you as an outcast-"

"Somebody who will never be one of them," Leo finished disapointedly, looking at the floor. He hadn't expected anything else but he had still hoped. The Father sighed sadly and came forward, ruffling his hair and grabbing the basket from the table "I will be back tomorrow."

.................. Leo be living the Quasimodo life XD

Hey there! So, first real chapter, huh? My last update as a 16 year old author- tomorrow I'll be a 17 year old author ^^