It was a beautiful day, only a few puffy white clouds drifted lazily across the vibrant blue sky. And so the twins convinced their father Arthur, who had grumbled weakly about paperwork to take them to the park. The park was peaceful, excepting the noises of construction as they built an elementary school nearby. Alfred, being the daredevil, immediately found the tallest tree and began to climb it. After he was up aways, he looked down.
"Look at me! Look at me!" he cried. Arthur decided that he was far too high to be safe and the fact that he wasn't holding on increased the danger and ordered Alfred to come down this instant. Alfred's only response was to stick out his tongue and climb higher. Matthew, the quieter twin, smiled slightly at his brother's antics. He wandered off a bit, clutching Kumajirou, his polar bear stuffed animal. It acted as a security blanket, even though he was eleven, one would normally find him clutched in his arms or sitting next to him on the chair or bed. Matthew admired the trees. Oak, he thought, having read a book about trees sometime before, definitely oak. He was pleased to see that he could apply the knowledge he had learned practically. When he heard steps on the leaves behind him, he jumped and turned around. There was a group of boys behind him, the ones that had been bulling him at school when Alfred wasn't there. He hadn't told Arthur and Alfred about it because he didn't want them to worry and Alfred would insist of fighting them. Matthew liked to avoid violence whenever possible; Alfred was not so.
Matthew instinctively stiffened and stepped back, he hit the tree and now found himself blocked in.
"You're scared aren't you?" they boasted. Matthew frantically glanced over at Alfred and Arthur. They hadn't noticed his plight. "Gonna call your daddy or your brother to save you? That's pathetic." Matthew looked back at them, careful not to meet their eyes. He wouldn't call for help. He could handle this; he would handle this. "Did you finally decide to grow a spine?" they jeered. One of them took a step towards him and he flinched visibly. They laughed. Matthew, who was looking at the ground and clutching Kumajirou even tighter, mumbled,
"I know the only reason you're bullying me is because you;re insecure." He instantly regretted it.
"Whadda say, freak?" One of the boys pushed him down and he lost his hold on Kumajirou. He instantly reached for it but one of the boys picked it up first. "Awww, you have a wittle teddy bear," he mocked. "Just like a baby." Matthew stood up and attempted to look threatening but his voice stammered.
"G-g-give him b-back."
"I don't think so, well, maybe if you beg for him."
"P-P-please, please g-give K-Kumasusu back." Matthew reached for him but one of the boys hit him down. "Now apologize."
"I-I-I'm s-sorry. P_please."
"No, this is fun. I think I'll keep him. How do you think your teddy would look without a head?"
"S-s'il vous plaît. Non, non! R-rendez-le!"
"What gibberish are you saying?"
"S-s-stop t-teasing me. J-just g-give Kumalira b-back."
"Fine, if you want him o bad, go get him."And with that, he threw Kumajirou over the fence and into the construction lot. Matthew instantly ran toward the fence, ignoring the cruel laughs of the boys behind him and the signs that read CAUTION CONSTRUCTION AREA DO NOT ENTER. He ran around looking for a gap in the chain- link fence, he found one where it looked like a dog had tunneled. He crawled through, ignoring where the edges cut into his back and arms. He had to find Kumajirou. Kumajirou protected him from the world. He had never left him and would never leave him. Kumajirou was his best friend. Inside, he ran for where he thought Kumajirou was. Matthew didn't notice the sound of chains breaking or the shouts of the crane operator. He was running as fast as he could. Then he dripped. Matthew's arms flew forward to protect himself. He hit the ground, sprawling out. Tears came to his eyes but he resisted the urge to cry. He had to find Kumajirou first. Then no matter how bad he was hurt, everything would be okay.
The last chain broke and the large stone slab hurtled towards the ground. It fell straight toward the little boy lying on the ground.
In the Park, Arthur, after many threats, had finally managed to get Alfred down and was now berating him. Then a horrifying painful scream filled the air. Arthur's parental instincts told him to look for his sons. He looked frantically around for Matthew then sprinted in the direction of the scream.