It was an unusual sunny day. The cold breeze of the land was still present, fighting against the heat the sun emits. The citizens in the area couldn't help but bask in the sunlight while some even spent their whole day outside. No one can blame them. The climate was not something that usually worked in their favor. 

Just around the forest, there was a little child running energetically with a smile on his face. Sometimes he would giggle, other times he'd stuck his tongue out at the other boy behind him. There was an older boy chasing after him and shouting his name, obviously tired. The older boy was wearing a bamboo hat. When the little child disappeared in the forest, the older boy frustratedly threw his hat to the ground, stopped chasing, and walked back with a sour face. 

It wasn't something the older boy wanted to waste time on. The usual impatient kid, he was. 

It should be around noon, but the light inside the forest was already dim, the tall trees inside making it so. The little boy was still sprinting around the forest, and it was quite obvious he still thought his older brother was chasing him. His little legs ran through the woods. The bushes and fallen trees sometimes scratched his limbs but he didn't stop. He continued running with all his might--with all a six-year old's might, fortunately not stumbling upon any person or predator. 

He was just a little kid. A kid who was innocent and naive to the dangers of the wild. His parents also probably forgot to educate him on his safety, so how could he be aware how dangerous a forest was?  

As such, this naive little kid ventured in to the forest alone. He encountered animals but not many of them. There were birds, bunnies, snakes and the likes. The little kid didn't mind it. He would sometimes stop at different intervals to sightsee, the forest being one of the treasures he was a stranger to, and talk with the white hoppy creatures with weird front teeth. His face fell when no one answered. He was crouching on the forest floor, the white rabbits leaping away from him, and his little face carried a frown. The creatures didn't talk to him, then why was Winnie the Pooh able to talk with his friends? 

Such mystery. 

The kid stopped running when he finally realized no one was chasing him. He was walking, his eyes holding amusement at the wonderful scenery around him. The trees were all around him in various sizes and shapes. There were tall ones, the average ones and the small. He recognized some of them to be the Red Wood Cegar, the first ever type of tree his father made him cut. It was but a baby tree, and the heavens knew how repulsed he was at damaging it, even begging his father back then to not kill trees anymore, with teary eyes and all. 

The forest was silent like it always was. Only the chirping of the birds was heard. 

Just then, tiny cries disturbed the silence. 

The little boy paused. Was anyone there? The cries continued, and the boy trailed the path which he assumed it came from. With his now dirtied hands, he touched the trees as he passed by them, eyes cautious and curious. The sobs grew louder as he came closer. 

Finally, the silhouette of someone came into his view.

It was another boy, and he was hugging his legs on a large rock, clothes dirty and tattered. The little boy made the mistake of making a sound, the crying boy looked up and shock covered his features when he realized someone was there. Then just as instantly, tears fell out of his eyes. He started wailing again. 

Seeing it wasn't a shady man his mother had cautioned him from, the little boy felt panic and unthinkingly approached the crying boy.

"Hey! What's wrong?" The little boy sat beside the crying one with worry etched on his face. He held the other's little arms and forced him to look at him. "Are you hurt? Let me see!"  

"No.." 

"Then why are you crying?" 

"My brother.." The boy breathed, snot visible on his nose. "I lost my brother.. brother, waahhh!" He wailed louder. His face was a mess. The snots and tears had mixed horribly, and there was also dirt both on his face and clothes.

The other little boy didn't know what to do. He wasn't that experienced with comforting someone else since it was usually him who do the crying, but now there was another little one who needs him. Not knowing what else to do, he did what his mother would do when he cried: He hugged him. 

The crying boy stopped wailing. He was taken aback, but there were still tears flowing down his face. "Wu.. WAAAHHH!" And he cried again. 

"........" 

The little boy seemed to have made it.. worse?  

The little boy was confused. It was then that he noticed that the forest had gone darker, and his parents always told him to never go out in the dark. So he turned to the crying boy and with a soft voice, said, "Hey, it's getting dark. Mommy said it's bad to be outside when it's dark. How about we go home first?" 

"No..." 

"What do you mean no?" 

The boy swept the tears off his eyes. His voice held fear and realization when he answered, "Mommy's with brother. Daddy too."  

"Wha.? You're alone?" The little boy felt pity. He couldn't even imagine himself without his mommy, and then someone had already lost theirs? Not only his mommy, he lost his whole family too. The little boy couldn't help but feel a little protective. "Then I'll be your brother, and we'll both have brothers! Well, I'll have two since I already have one but that's okay." 

The crying boy looked at him, "But I'm taller than you." 

"Eh? That's fine! How old are you? I'm six!" 

"I'm six too."  

Oh.  

When the little boy was about to remark that brothers can be of the same age, he remembered that he still doesn't know the boy's name. He scratched his head. His mother would definitely spank him if she knew he talked to a stranger without greeting them first. Eh. He'd just say the other didn't greet him too. "I'm called Aurelio, by the way." 

"Enzo." 

"That's a nice name!" 

"I know. My brother gave it to me."  

Aurelio looked at the dark sky and felt a bit scared, "Yeah, but we really need to go now. Don't worry, you can just go with me for now and we'll find your brother." 

Enzo stared at the other boy. He was no longer crying. With voice filled with slight embarrassment and gratefulness, he bowed his head and thanked, "T-Thank you." 

"You're welcome! Let's go!" Aurelio's smile reached his eyes as he held Enzo's hand, their little feet running out of the forest. He really was such a bright kid. 

It was fortunate that Aurelio always hid in this part of the forest for the past few weeks, if not they wouldn't have been able to find an exit so soon. There was a downpour along with the night, and the two boys ran faster, bodies now soaking wet. The greens of the trees and plants went dimmer, and there were new movements evident inside the forest. It was clear. The predators are out to hunt. Aurelio especially avoided the midnight for it was the time when most of the wolves would be out. 

"Where are we going?!" Enzo shouted behind Aurelio in the middle of running. 

"To mommy!"  

"Where are they?!" 

"Somewhere!" 

"......." 

Aurelio and Enzo continued running. They continued even after exiting the forest behind. Aurelio led Enzo to the side where a lone helicopter was and shouted, "MAAAA!!!!!!!!" 

Enzo subconciously let go of the other's hand and covered his ears. The shout was so loud he figured his eardrum should've been broken. "Can you not shout?!" He angrily retorted. 

The other ignored him. Going straight to the helicopter, Aurelio called some more. It was a moment later did an angry woman twice their height opened the door and answered, "Where have you been, you little devil?!" 

"Ma!" Inside the helicopter the woman was the one driving and there was another boy on the back. Aurelio pointed at Enzo, "I found a friend!"  

The woman raised her eyebrows and stared at Enzo. Enzo hung his head. "Who's that?" 

"His name's Enzo and he's lost. Can we keep him?"  

The woman's mouth twitched. She smacked her son's head, "Do you think he's a pup that we can just keep, huh?! Stop your nonsense! Get in the car! We have to leave." The woman returned to the driver's seat and fiddled with the buttons. 

"But ma! He's lost! Where is he gonna go then?" Aurelio refused to get in the helicopter. He stood there, on the vehicle's stairs, looking worriedly at Enzo. From the back of the vehicle the older boy Julius held a frown on his face as he glared at the friend Aurelio was calling, that would be replaced by a sweet smile once his mother looks at him through the mirror. There was a man beside him who was fast asleep. 

Outside of the helicopter, Enzo was fiddling with his trousers' buttons in nervousness. His head was hung, his figure shaking from the continuous rain pouring on him. He never complained, though. His black hair was sticking to the sides of his face, eyes trained on the ground, and he felt absolutely awkward. 

The woman sighed, "Fine, fine! Let him come! We'll report this at the police so hop on!"