HOLLA! So we are back with some good old beautiful boys in blazers today! This is the latest prompt and it was rather hard to figure out what to do!

Also, if you are in the Warbler mood, check out the latest episode of Buffering on YouTube, a web show created by Curt Mega aka Nick aka lead in Uptown Girl.

Prompt: the hilltop tree by the gated ways – MyMagentaPeach

Characters: Hunter Clarington and Thad Harwood

Words: 677

A beacon.

The gnarled bark and thick trunk that stood broader than an oak and as tall as a tower, held authority and power over the school that it oversaw. It had been there as long as anyone could remember, a good two hundred years, the circles as the tell-tale signs of age and grandeur, something that was so clearly mirrored in the simple yet effective architecture of the redbrick school that lay behind it. He was its guardian, standing proudly in a courtyard that was the focus feature behind a set of wrought iron gates that did not look as if they had rusted with the weary age its design betrayed so clearly. Its roots did not show, they did not spoil the flagstones which bore marks of scrapings from many refined pairs of shoes clattering over it, the branches spreading out like a fan to provide much desired shelter from the sweltering heat.

It was at the roots that he was found. He had taken in the sanctuary that blossomed home, welcome and protection that he desired so greatly and had come here for. His bag was the pillow for his head, an army rucksack that was fit to bursting as if he had tried to cram everything he owned into the khaki canvas that was starting to rip at the seams. His pale features were drawn and the tell-tale signs of abuse and bullying were etched into his face, worry still there even in the depths of sleep. His mousy blonde hair was plastered to his head with sweat, the lighter blue hue of his eyes masked by his golden eyelids that fluttered open and then closed again as the nights stars watched over him, acting as a guardian as the tree did too. His army uniform was filthy, mud and sweat embalmed the clothes that looked as if they had been worn and slept in for several days. He was a sorry sight but anyone could easily mistake him for a lost puppy with the helplessness and sense of giving up he slept with.

He was not alone however and it was the second figure wandering around the grounds at 2am who found this picture of innocence. His woollen blazer provided a shelter from the cold that breezed against his face and he stopped with a curious sadness in his eyes as he viewed the stranger. He knew everyone at Dalton, their quirks and habits, not because he was a creep but because it was his job to know so. The silhouetted figure was what caught his eye, years of insomniac walking around outside had given him a deep insight into the works of the school. But this was an anomaly; this was something that he hadn't seen before.

His approach was cautious, his keen dark eyes narrowed in confusion and curiosity. As he approached the strange figure, he suddenly felt very protective of the young man who had to be his age. There was something alluring about him that made him sure that he would do anything to ensure that revenge was taken for what happened to this innocent being.

Pulling out his mobile, Thad Harwood pulled up and dialled the number of the only other member of the school he knew would be up and willing enough to come outside in this changeable weather. "Seb?" He whispered, not wanting to wake the boy. "Can you come down to the Bellany Spread? You need to see this."

Snapping his phone shut quietly and tucking it back inside his blazer, he did what he could do to check for signs of life on the figure. It was hard to do so in only the reflection of the moonlight but he was sure the guy was breathing. But whereas he would normally be so wary of such a situation, he found himself strangely calm and comforted. Something about this was very right and something told him that this new arrival was going to have a big impact on their lives.

A beacon of hope.

What do you think? Did you like it? Did it work?