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Note: Any characters that have the same name as anyone else or settings and plot that are the same are TOTALLY coincidental, and not purposefully written.
Alex Rekwall was an unfortunate boy. Maybe it was because he was born on the 31st of October. His parents had died in a fire. He got lost in the woods after fleeing from his home. He lived and grew up in the woods until he was 14 years old. After that, his life took a turn.
He was trekking through the twisting forest, knowing his way well. His great sense of sight and hearing had gotten even better. Further more, he had better reflexes than when he was 13.
He was wearing civilian's clothes. He found them after discovering a small log shelter in a small clearing deep in the woods. It was abandoned and was rotting. He quickly took the supplies he needed and left.
He stopped suddenly. He could hear the crunch of footsteps and snapping of twigs behind him. He turned around, immediately dropping down to a crouch; into the fighting stance he had learned when he was back in the city, taking self-defense lessons.
It was too heavy to be a fox's, and too slow for a deer's. Perhaps someone had finally come rescue him, after a year living in solitude?
He waited amongst the shadows, silent under the whispering trees and the moaning wind.
The footsteps became louder. The lost boy suddenly realized that there were not just one pair of footsteps, there were three.
The beings came closer, past a grove of trees. They slowly came into focus when they stopped in a clearing with sunlight pouring down.
Alex was shocked. People! He had not seen what they looked like for quite awhile. The last person he saw was a hunter, and he didn't want to go near his rifle.
He cocked his head, watching the family with interest. He guessed that they were on a picnic. They had a little blanket and a backpack full of food.
Food. He realized how hungry he was now. Its aroma was traveling through the forest. He smelled grapes, cheese, and bread. Ham, chicken, and…beef? His mouth was watering at the thought.
He watched them eating; laughing; having fun. He felt a pang of sadness and jealousy stab through his heart.
Eventually, curiosity got to the better of him. He peeked out from his cover under the tree.
The family was eating and talking – until the man looked in his direction. Alex ducked back behind the tree. Hopefully he hadn't seen him.
Too late. The man was frowning and saying something that Alex couldn't hear, and the family turned to face his direction. The girl who looked a little older than him was peering past the trees and nudging her father to go forward.
Alex tried to turn and sprint out of the woods, but thought better of it. Making sound would attract even more unwanted suspicion.
He shifted his foot and tried to suppress a howl of agony. He looked down. Without making too much noise, he lifted his foot and saw a big, ugly thorn buried in his heel. Crimson blood was trickling down onto the dirt, leaves and rocks on the forest floor.
He looked back up. The man was leading the woman and girl to his direction. He couldn't do anything. Running would drive the thorn deeper into his foot and possibly cause an infection. All he could do was stay as silent as the trees around him.
"It's probably nothing. I just thought that someone might have been watching us or something. No sweat," said the man, coming closer, smiling and rubbing the girl's hand.
"But Dad! What if an animal was hurt and hungry? Maybe they need help!" The girl was looking at her father with brown eyes. The man glanced at the woman.
"I don't know, Mona. I guess we could check, just to make sure, OK? And if no one's here, we'll go. Deal?" The woman held out her hand for a handshake.
"OK, Mom. Deal," she shook her mother's hand and skipped toward Alex's hiding spot.
Oh great. He had just fallen into freezing-cold knee-deep water, waiting for the sharks to bite.
Cliffhanger! Update later! Please R&R! I'll continue the story if I get at least 3 reviews!