"Ready or not," Vince called out, "Here I come!"
Vince raised his head out of the corner where Vince had hid Vince's head. A quick look around the room revealed Merton nowhere in sight.
Which didn't surprise Vince.
Vince closed Vince's eyes and used Vince's mind to search for Merton's mind. Vince located Merton, hiding somewhere below Vince's feet. Most likely in the basement.
Vince exited Merton's room and walked down the stairs, skipping the top step. It had been covered with a new slip-proof covering that squeaked when Vince walked on it. Since Vince didn't want to be found out by Merton's parents, Vince made sure not to step on it.
Skipping downstairs, Vince spotted Becky playing with her Barbie in the living room. He walked up to her and poked her in the side.
"Hey!" Becky yelled while looking around, "Who did that? Merton?"
Ever since Vince had disappeared from Becky's sight around four months ago, Becky had slowly been forgetting Vince. Now Becky didn't even remember that Vince was real. She thought that Vince was still just an imaginary friend. Snickering, Vince walked out of the living room and down the stairs to the basement.
As Vince walked into the cold basement, Vince could feel Merton close by. In the last few weeks, Vince had begun to discover that Vince had new powers, including the ability to find Merton using only Vince's mind.
Vince quickly tracked down Merton down. Merton was hiding between the washer and a big chest. Vince could hear Merton trying not to giggle. Quietly, Vince snuck up behind Merton. Just when Merton had peeked his head out to see where Vince was, Vince grabbed Merton from behind and lifted him, screaming, into the air.
"Vince!!!" Merton screamed, partly with surprise, partly with joy, "Let me down!"
"Not yet little buddy!" Vince grabbed Merton by his arms, "It's time for an airplane ride!"
~~
Vince paced across the kitchen for the hundredth time that afternoon. Glancing over at the clock, Vince saw that it was almost 6:15.
Merton should have been back two hours ago.
Today had been the field trip for Merton's class. Vince had wanted to come along but Merton made Vince stay at home, just in case. But time had gone by slowly and Vince had spent most of the day staring at the clock. But now Merton was late but no one had phoned the house.
Vince heard the sound of The Mom's car pulling into the driveway. Quickly, Vince ran to the door and looked outside.
The Mom must have just finished work. She was still wearing her Work Clothes and
she had a purse swung over her shoulder. But Vince could see panic in her eyes.
The Mom ran up the path to the house and unlocked the door.
"Merton!" She called out, "Merton? Please be here, Merton!"
Vince felt a hole empty out Vince's insides. Merton was missing.
As The Mom ran upstairs to look for Merton, Vince sent out Vince's mind to search for Merton. Vince felt Merton's presence, faintly, but Vince felt it.
"Don't worry," Vince murmured as Vince ran out of the house and towards the presence, "Vince will find you. Vince will take you home."
~~
"Mommy?" Merton called, trying not to cry, "Mommy? Vince? Somebody?"
It was getting dark and the forest was scaring Merton. Merton shivered and wished that he had brought a sweater. Remembering what Ranger John had said to the class before they went hiking, Merton sat down by an oak tree.
'If you are lost,' Ranger John had said, 'Stay where you are. If you keep on moving, it will be harder for us to find you.'
Merton had been waiting in the same space for over an hour now and he was worried. He pulled his knees up to his chest and rocked back and forth with his arms wrapped around his knees.
"Vince will find me," Merton whispered, "Vince will find me."
~~
Vince ran though the forest.
Though Vince didn't need to breath, Vince's breathing was faster than it had ever been. Vince leaped over rocks and logs lying on the forest ground and ducked underneath tree branches. Vince ran faster than any deer, moved quicker than any normal, living thing should be able to do.
And, the whole time, Vince's mind was focused on the presence of Merton's mind, slowly growing closer.
Vince would find Merton.
Vince always found Merton.
~~
Somewhere nearby a wolf howled.
Merton whimpered and curled up even tighter.
He was shivering from the cold and his voice was growing hoarse. But Merton kept saying, "Vince will find me." It had become like a mantra to him, even though Merton didn't understand what a mantra was.
The silence of the forest was oppressing and it weighed heavily on Merton. Merton, who was seven years, eight months and ten days old, began to cry.
Began to doubt that Vince would find him.
~~
Vince ran.
Branches reached out to clutch at Vince but Vince eluded them, leaving them to tear at Vince's face and clothing. Blood ran down Vince's face like tears but Vince didn't seem to notice.
Vince was fixed on one thing and one thing only.
Finding Merton.
Off in the distance, wolves watched Vince move though the forest. They howled uneasily at Vince. Vince had no scent, no pulse, nothing natural about Vince. All the creatures in the forest could sense this and they gave Vince a very wide berth.
Vince felt Merton's mind closer than before yet still just out of reach, causing Vince to speed up even more. Now, there was no way of mistaking Vince for anything normal.
Vince was a blur as he speed though the forest, moving faster than the human eye could see. A green flash of light was what Vince had become but Vince didn't seem to notice this. The expression on Vince's face didn't change, not even as Vince came within a few feet of a pack of wolves.
Vince was only thinking of Merton.
~~
A low snarl woke Merton up.
Sleepily, Merton rubbed his eyes and looked around. The only light was from the crescent moon above the forest.
And from the two yellow eyes staring at Merton from across the clearing.
Merton froze, his breath coming in and out in sharp gasps. His heart sped up and
his mouth ran dry as the wolf walked closer. It didn't seem threatening…
just curious. It was a large wolf with shaggy light-grey fur. Merton started
into its yellow eyes and began to calm down. Then Merton giggled.
The wolf looked just like a big dog. Merton knew that it wasn't, knew that the wolf could kill Merton if it wanted to. But the wolf showed no signs of anger or hunger. It sniffed Merton and licked Merton's hand. Then, before Merton could do anything else, it trotted away and out of Merton's sight. Merton watched it go and was tempted to follow it.
But then he heard another sound.
Something was moving towards him, something fast. Branches cracked and broke. Merton's fear, which had disappeared, now came swelling up to the front again. Knowing that there was nothing that he could do, Merton closed his eyes and prayed for it to be over soon.
Tears ran down Merton's face. "Vince," He whispered, "Vince. Save me…"
Suddenly, two large arms wrapped around Merton. Merton opened his eyes and saw Vince staring down at
Merton burst into tears and buried his head in Vince's chest. "I was lost," He wailed, "It was dark and I was lost and I couldn't find you!"
"Don't worry," Vince said softly, "Vince will always find you. Vince will never lose Merton." He set Merton on his shoulders, "Hold on tight," Vince said, "Vince will take you back home."
~~
"I like that old time rock and roll!" Merton shouted as he jumped off of his bed, "The kind that just sooths your soul!"
Vince caught Merton and twirled him around in a circle. Vince sang along with Merton, though Vince's voice was way off key.
Somewhere nearby, a dog began to howl along with Merton and Vince. Merton giggled and switched songs.
"We're here for a good time!" Merton shrieked.
"Not a long time!" Vince joined it, "So have a good time!"
"The sun can't shine everyday!" They sang together as Vince tossed Merton in the air. Merton giggled in delight as Vince spun around and caught Merton just in time.
"Again!" Merton cried out, his black hair sticking out in every direction, "Let's do it again Vince!"
"Merton!" The Mom shouted from downstairs, "Keep it down! I'm on the phone with Ms. Lisa!"
"Yes mom!" Merton yelled back before his dissolved into giggles. Vince fell backwards onto the bed and lay down with Merton sitting on his chest. "We've got to quiet now Vince."
Vince nodded and pushed Merton's hair out of his face. "Vince wants to play Clue!"
"Clue!" Merton smiled, "I'm Professor Plum!"
"Vince is Mr. Green!"
"You're always Mr. Green."
~~
"Put those toys away or else I'll throw them out."
Merton stared at his mom in shock as she walked out of his room. "But!"
"No buts!" His mom called back, "Just do it." Her tone of voice made it clear to Merton that there was no room for discussion.
Merton turned around and looked at the chest that he had been given. He kicked it and, though it made his foot hurt, it made him feel better. "Stupid chest," He whispered, "Just cause mom thinks I'm too old for toys."
He sighed and walked over to the pile of toys that his mother had placed in the middle of the floor. Merton began to put them in the box. His fire-truck, Mr. Wigglemapuss the stuffed hippo, his plastic ball and the t-ball stand all went in first. These he had no trouble putting away. But when he came to the Skeletor Chrisman album, he had to force himself to put it in there.
But as hard as that was, it was no match for what was to come next.
Merton glanced at Clue. The box with it's slightly ripped lid lay on the floor, surrounded by toys that meant almost nothing to Merton. With a heavy heart, he picked it up and ran his fingers over it, remembering all the good times that he and Vince had had when they played. The cards they had created, the new pieces, the violent endings. His heart tightened and he gently placed it in the chest.
Then, with anger, he threw the rest of the toys on top of the Clue box, covering most of it. Merton stood up and wiped away his tears, then turned and walked out of his room.
~~
"Little buddy?" Vince peeked Vince's head into Merton's room. When The Mom had walked in the room to talk to Merton, Vince had quickly left. Now, Vince walked in the room and saw the chest, filled with toys. "What is this?" Vince asked, even though there was no one to hear Vince's question.
Then Vince saw the Clue box, mostly buried by the toys. "Merton!" Vince called out but when Vince got no answer, Vince got in the chest and began to dig the box out. Vince had got most of it uncovered and was too busy to notice Merton walk into the room.
Merton, eyes still blurry with tears, didn't see Vince. And, as Merton reached the chest, he put his hand on the lid and slammed it shut.
The lid hit Vince on the head and knocked Vince out. Not realizing what he had done, Merton pulled the truck out of his room and left it at the door leading to the attic. Merton walked away, leaving Vince, still unconscious, locked in the trunk.
~~
Vince woke up to darkness. Vince reached out Vince's hand and felt around Vince. There was walls on all sides of Vince and Vince was covered in toys.
"Merton?" Vince called out, "Merton? Where are you?"
Vince felt himself begin to panic and Vince began to bang on the chest. "Merton! Merton! Let me out! Merton! MERTON!! MERTON!!! HELP ME MERTON!! MERTON! MERTON! MERTON!"
Vince began to scream.
~~
"Vince?" Merton peeked his head under his bed. "Vince are you here?"
It was nearly bedtime now and Vince still hadn't shown up. Merton had looked everywhere for Vince but he still hadn't found him.
"Merton?" His mom stood in the door, "Merton what are you doing?"
"Mom," Merton was trying not to burst into tears, "I can't find Vince. I've looked everywhere but I can't find him."
"It's ok," Mom walked over and put a hand on his shoulder, "Maybe Vince knew that it was time to go."
"Go?" Merton wiped away some of the tears in his eyes, "Go where?"
"Merton," His mom sighed, "You're almost eight now. And it's time for you to start to grow up. Vince must have known that and decided to make it easier for you by leaving."
"But he promised!" Merton wailed, tears flowing freely down his face, "He promised that he would always find me and that he'd never leave me alone!"
"Sometimes people lie," Mom said, pulling Merton into a hug, "They don't do it to be cruel. Sometimes people say what they think you want to hear in order to make you feel better."
"Vince promised…" Merton whispered, even as the truth hit Merton, "I… I… I never thought…"
"It's ok," Mom whispered back, "I'm here."
And there they stayed while upstairs, unheard by those below, Vince screamed.
