The little boy exclaimed. He reached to hang his coat on an empty coat rack, struggling, until Andrea took it and hung the coat herself. The little boy replied a short 'thank you', then slip his muddy boots off.
This little boy had saved the runaways from the freezing blizzard. Out of nowhere, amidst the harsh, windy snow fog, the barely lit lighter Andrea had turned on was seen by the boy when he went outside to fetch some fire woods, and took them in, at least until the storm died down.
Kerr caught Andrea's brows tied, she tries to cover it with a small smile. What's the matter with her? Kerr thought.
"Village people really has a unique smell in their home, huh..." He heard her mumbled.
Now that Andrea mentions it, Kerr did thought he smelled something odd, but he just brushed it aside thinking it mightve been the consequence of ignoring the basic hygiene getting to him.
Kerr analyzed the inside, it was a classic, clean, cozy house. Warm atmosphere and relatively small space. He glanced down, only to see one pair of boots belonging to the kid, and noone elses.
Does this kid leave alone? Kerr thought. He couldn't see any other shoes.
"I'm glad ya folks agreed to stay, I've been feeling a bit lonely lately!"
"Where are your parents little guy?" Andrea asked, leaning to the boy. The boy paused for a bit, before answering,
"They're out at the moment!"
"Outside? In this weather?" She tilted her head.
"And they left...you? In charge of the house?"
"That's right! there a problem?"
"No, but, how long have they been out for?"
"Oh! It's been..." He placed his hand under his chin.
"Been... hum..."
He looked at his fingers, then slowly began counting.
"Uhm... Eh?" he looked at his fingers puzzled.
"How long..." the little boys expression subtly got dark, a cold sweat rolled down his neck.
Andrea lets out a nervous chuckle,
"it's alright, never mind the question." She patted the kid in the back.
"How old are you kid?" Now Kerr's asking the question, squatting to get on the boys level.
The little boy wandered in his mind a bit, "...I was eight the last time I asked. But it's been awhile, I haven't got a chance to ask Ma." his voice suddenly got quiet.
"Her minds been a bit wacky lately..."
Kerr raised a brow at his sentence.
His demeanor quickly changed, face lit and a smile etched on his mouth, "
Nevermind that, how bout I make us all tea?" He scampered towards a door--which Kerr assumed was the kitchen--to make some tea for the three.
"You can sit near the fire!" He pointed at the fire pit in the corner, then entered through the door, leaving Kerr and Andrea alone. They both gladly sat next to the fire, brushing off dirt on their clothes.
It was silent. Only cracklings of the fire filled the room. You could hear some faint utensils in the other side of the door, and thats all. Andrea glanced at Kerr,
"I guess we survived this time" She grinned at the other. "Good thing his parents didn't teached him stranger danger."
Kerr blankly stared at her, before looking back at the fire.
"...His parents, when he talked about them. Did it not felt odd to you?"
Her eyes slightly widened, thinking back of what the kid had said.
"It was weird for sure. But for a kid, I'd understand if he'd get confused at counting days or remembering his age."
Kerr looked around the house once again. to his left, there was a half-wall seperating the room they're in with another. Out of curiousity, he leaned forward to see the other side.
But then, his eyes widened-
There was trash, garbage and rotten food scattered everywhere. On the table, under the table, across the floor--you could even see roaches scittering around. That whole area just reek of disgust. It was like a whole new room from the others. But all the trash and dirt was limited to just exactly behind that wall.
Kerr was agaped at the scene.
"What... in the world-"The door swung open,
Kerr's head shotted at the noise. The little boy held a tray, pushing the door with his back.
"I hope I didn't took too long!"
The boy placed the tray on the floor beside them and sat with them. It held four cups of warm tea. Kerr raised his brow.
The boy glanced around looking puzzled.
"Hm?" Andrea started. "Who's the fourth cup-"
"Where'd your other friend go?" He asked, smiling cluelessly.
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