The setting Norwegian afternoon sun's golden yellow rays weakly filtered through the grey clouds slowly covering the autumn sky, promising rain later that evening. A slight wind picked up scattering the brown leaves on the path and an unsettling chill lingered in the air. The streets were quiet and empty except for two young boys hurrying along the path. The younger boy's hands clutched at the elder's school bag as he struggled to keep up with his brother's pace. The youngest, Emil, stopped walking as a yawn etched itself on his face. The older brother, Lukas, stopped and crouched down, his cerulean blue eyes meeting with his brother's.
"I'm tired," The six-year-old yawned.
"It's not that long until home, Emil," was the older brother's reply.
"How long?"
Lukas sighed, "About fifteen minutes Emil."
The reason why the two brothers were walking home from school at such a late hour was because their parents hadn't arrived at school to pick them up after Lukas and Emil had their music lessons. They were used to it, though, as it happened every once in a while.
The silence of the street was suddenly broken by the sound of the car that had been following the two brothers since they left school pulling up behind them. Lukas turned around cautiously the feeling in the pit of his stomach growing just in time to see a young man getting out of the car. It looked out of place in the quiet neighbourhood; what was once crimson paint was now flaking off around rusty patches and the windows were tinted so dark that Lukas couldn't tell if there were any other occupants. The man who emerged was skinny, a little too skinny, looking almost anorexic, and he looked like he might be blown away with the wind. Silver strands of his thinning hair hung limply to his shoulders. The man looked at the boys through big, square glasses that looked like they were from the 60's. To Lukas they looked like the glasses his uncle wears. He was very pale, but his face was tanned, and as he took off his denim jacket revealing the sinew on his bony arms it looked as if he went out into the sun with clothes covering every part of his body except his head.
Taking a step back Lukas grabbed Emil's hand and started to walk faster whispering to his brother in their native tongue, he was getting an unsettling vibe from the man.
"Emil," he hissed urgently, "it's time to go."
"Why?" Emil whined.
Lukas ignored the boy's protestations, gripped his hand and dragged him along behind him.
The thud of the car door closing and footsteps walking towards the two brothers made Lukas panic and pull Emil behind him his heart skipping a beat in his chest. He had not that long ago seen a news article on the TV or was it the newspaper? Talking about what do if a stranger approached you. From Lukas's memory, it was about what not to do; such as talking to and or trusting strangers and it scared him that Emil and himself were in this situation as he didn't know what to do to get away.
The footsteps came to a halt and Lukas looked up to see the man from before wearing a blue shirt and looking down at him with a smile and reaching out to touch his shoulder. Out of pure instinct, Lukas took a step backwards until there was a substantial gap between him, his brother and the stranger.
"There you are, boys!" he said revealing his stained teeth, "My name is Patrushev, I'm here to give you a ride home?"
Lukas frowned in suspicion; his eyes narrowed slightly. "Do I know you?" he snapped.
"No," was the smooth reply. "But your parents know me and they asked if I could come pick you up. They've been delayed."
Taking another step back, Lukas' eyes hardened and turned almost icy. "No, we're fine besides our parents would have told us if someone was coming to pick us up."
"Not really, Lukas," Emil declared moving out from behind his brother, "They don't tell us everything. They didn't even tell us they weren't coming today."
Lukas sighed, Emil was very hard to get through to at most times and unfortunately this was one of those times. "Lillebror we're going. Now!"
"Now Lukas," Patrushev stated the boy's name as if they were old friends, "there's no need for that. I'm just offering you a ride home as your parents requested it. You wouldn't want to make them mad, would you?"
Lukas flinched slightly at the thought of doing the wrong thing and a sly smile spread across Patrushev's lips. "No," was the firm reply, "we're fine walking home."
"Come on storebror," Emil begged tugging on Lukas's shirt. "Please, I don't wanna walk home."
"Emil, we're leaving right now."
"Why? I'm going with him." Emil declared taking a step towards Patrushev, who stepped forwards at the same time, the smile had etched itself onto his face. Emil hadn't noticed this as he was busy looking at Lukas to see if he was coming.
"Emil," Lukas hissed, his eyes not leaving Patrushev. "Come here right now we're leaving."
Noticing the urgency in his brother's voice, Emil hesitantly glanced at Lukas, noting the panicked look in his brother's eyes, he turned back to Patrushev, finally noticing the smile on his face as he reached out to grab him, panicked, and bolted back to Lukas. "Big Brother I'm scared."
Pushing Emil behind him, Lukas harshly addressed Patrushev. "Leave my brother alone."
Looking around him carefully Patrushev slowly approached the two brothers trying to not look suspicious. Lukas slowly backed away from Patrushev not wanting to turn his back on him just in case he tried anything. After a few furtive scans of the street Patrushev skilfully lunged, grabbing Emil from behind Lukas as if he had done it many a time before, flinging him over his shoulder and running back to his car, all the while ignoring muffled Emil's screams from behind his hand as he flung Emil on the backseat and slammed the door the sound echoing in the empty street.
Lukas stood petrified on the path. His blood pounding in his ears and his heart was racing. He could hear his breath coming out in short, gasping pants. It was hard to breath around the fear lodged in his throat. His hands were trembling, and in his terrified mind every gust of wind was as loud as a hurricane. Finally coming to his senses Lukas shakily looked for something to attack the kidnapper with. His eyes met with a paling lying on the ground when he remembered that movie he had watched yesterday, Jackie Chan when he had the broom stick. Slowly walking to where the paling was lying he picked it up, it felt rough and heavy in his hands when a surge of anger swept through him and no longer did the paling feel rough in his hands it felt just right.
"You." Lukas said glaring at the kidnapper as he walked up to him, his normally friendly blue eyes hardening. "Let my brother go NOW."
As he angrily swung the paling at Patrushev tears streaming down his face the kidnapper sidestepped his attack but fell down the gutter and the paling hit the car instead the sound of wood on metal echoed in the street as Lukas dropped the paling in frustration and collapsed on the path in a ball and began to sob silently. The sound of the car door and the shouted words "Big Brother!" and the screech of tires made Lukas look up tears streaming down his face to see Emil running towards him and the crimson car taking off at high speed leaving a trail of smoke as it went.
"Emil!" Lukas shouted as his brother ran up to him.
As soon as the two brothers were reunited Emil started bawling on Lukas's shoulder all the while Lukas patted his back trying to calm him. His bawling finally resigning to hiccups Emil Sniffled,
"I'm sorry storebror I really though he was sent by our parents."
"Do you now see why I didn't want to go with him?" Lukas stated as he shakily stood up holding out a hand for Emil to take. "This is why you should have listened to me."
"Yes big brother," was the reply as Emil accepted the hand and stood up, "I understand and I see why I should trust you as family is always right and you should always listen to them."
The street was silent for a few moments before a clap of thunder filled the air and the sound of rain on the concrete path filled the air. With the rain growing heavier and the wind picking up the brothers set for home at a run not stopping for anything until they arrived at their home and were in the house with the door locked.
A/N: If people are interested I can continue this story. I would most likely have one chapter when they get home and their parents ask why they are so late. I could also write what if the two brothers didn't get away from the kidnapper. Again, I will only write the chapters if people are interested.