The night rain pounded relentlessly on the old, dilapidated house, each droplet feeling like a hammer blow, threatening to bring the fragile structure down. The mud walls, already sodden from the outdoor deluge, could not withstand the onslaught, and the interior soon matched the outdoors in its saturation. Fearing the worst, concerned neighbors rushed to the aid of three half-orphaned children, cowering together in a corner, their young eyes wide with terror.