The wind howled and Joe's head snapped up as a twig cracked behind him. He stopped and listened his breath being held in so much fear. His body jerked when the squirrel came into view and letting his breath out shakily, he turned to trudge on. He was lost, cold, and in fear of what he wasn't quite certain. He walked on in the darkness stumbling over stones, fallen branches, and tripping on hidden vines.
He grew excited when he saw an exit from the forest, and he walked more quickly to get out of the suffocating darkness. He withdrew from the forest and was amazed to find the territory around him feeling oddly familiar. He started walking not sure where he was going except that he felt drawn by a heart that hurt if he tried to go in another direction. So, he walked and walked and walked until he came outside of a beautiful Victorian style house with a big elm tree out in front.
He walked up the short driveway and felt as if he had come home. Not allowing his mind enough time to think he ran the rest of the way to the door and flung it open. He walked through the hallway and into a kitchen that felt so familiar, but he couldn't quite remember as if something was blocking him. He walked to the table and ran his fingers on the edge of one of the plates with food left on the table.
His body shivered as the feeling of a forgotten and lonely house invaded his mind. He turned to leave when something on one of the tiles caught his eye. Joe walked over to it and bent down to examine it. It was a dark red something that seemed to have hardened onto the tile… it was blood. He jumped back as the realization hit him. He whirled around and took one hurried step forward when a voice stopped him.
"Joe?"
He froze and slowly turned with eyes bright filled with dread. He saw a boy standing maybe 8 feet away from him with a look of astonishment, relief, and panic staring at him.
"Oh, Joe" Joe felt as if for a second he was able to think clearly and he remembered everything. His short legs not moving fast enough for him he stumbled back to Frank. Joe reached Frank and flung himself into arms and with it he felt the warmth of brotherly love he couldn't believe that he had ever forgotten.
Frank closed his arms around Joe's tiny body and buried his face in Joe's dirty and gritty blond hair. They stood there for neither knew how long but it was long enough for both to apologize, forgive and forget all wrongdoings without speaking a word or making a sound. Frank opened his eyes when he felt Joe's body get heavier and he realized that he had fallen asleep.
Frank picked him up with lingering tears and carried his small and alarmingly light brother into the living room where he gently set him on the couch and covered him with the available blanket. Frank then ran to the phone and at once called his father's cellphone. He told them what had happened, and he could hear Laura's teary gasp of relief over the phone.
Fenton told him that they would leave immediately and would be home in 10 minutes and to keep an eye on Joe.
Frank promised him and hung up the phone. He went back to the living room and gasped when he saw that Joe was missing. He spun himself in a circle looking for Joe before running to the front door thinking he had left. Frank stopped when he heard shuffling from the floor above him. he raced up the stairs and followed the sounds to Fenton's office. He pushed open the big wooden door and his eyes fell upon Joe standing in the middle of the room holding a single pale folder in his hands.
Joe looked at Frank and with eyes shining with excitement he said
"I found what they are looking for Frank!"
TBC
A/N hop you all liked it! Please review and let me know what you thought! Soo close everyone! Thank you all for sticking with me. Just couple chapters left!
Goodnight and God bless! 😊