Great Lakes City
The small town of Great Lakes City had absolutely nothing special about it. It wasn't a futuristic metropolis, nor a picturesque village with rustic charm. There were no iconic monuments or historical events worth remembering. If someone visited, the most exciting thing they could say would be:
"Wow… what a… place that exists."
Maybe, just maybe, the only interesting thing about it was the curious story of its founding.
Dylan Sawyer was the one who took the first step in founding the town. On a sunny day, he swore to his mother that he would run far away from society, never to be found—he didn't want to get married—and live his days in freedom.
Poor fool. He was a complete idiot to believe that would happen. Imagine how stupid he must have felt when they found him just a few weeks later. And so, at gunpoint, he was forced to get married and start a BIG family.
Little by little, more people arrived, looking for new opportunities:
* Some, drawn by the abundance of wood and the beauty of the pink ducks—which had actually been painted by the townspeople.
* Others, simply because they didn't want to pay taxes.
Today, Dylan Sawyer's legacy remained alive… with entire families, elders, and teenagers enjoying the park that bordered the forest.
In a corner of the park, a family of eight members—soon to be nine—was enjoying their quality family time.
"Here you go, honey!" said Rita Loud, a blonde woman with blue eyes, wearing a pink collared shirt, purple pants, and black shoes.
"Thanks, dear," replied Lynn Loud, her husband. He had dark brown hair and a pointy nose. He wore a navy green sweater, brown pants, and shoes.
Both of them settled under a tree, holding glasses of lemonade, as they watched their daughters. Two of them, blonde like their mother, chatted between contagious laughter, living their childhood to the fullest.
"I'm the fastest! I'm the fastest!" shouted Lynn Jr., the youngest daughter in the family… for now. Her hair was brown like her father's. She ran in circles, wearing a red and white jersey with a big red '1' on her chest, shorts, and sneakers—a perfect mix of energy and chaos.
A short distance from his parents sat their only son: Lincoln Loud, a three-year-old boy who stood out due to his white hair. He wore blue overalls over an orange shirt. The little one was sitting on the green grass, devouring his chocolate like a beaver with its food, savoring every bite.
Then, his gaze shifted from his chocolate to the forest behind him. Strangely, he saw a bush—inside the forest—slowly moving toward him.
But he didn't think much of it.
She Had Found Him.
She had been watching Lincoln for months. It all started at the supermarket while she was doing her shopping. It was in the cookie aisle where she saw him for the first time. Their eyes met for only a few seconds, but it was enough. Something clicked inside her.
"It's fate," she convinced herself. In that instant, she knew she HAD to have him.
That woman was Mia—a redhead with pale skin who usually wore a red-and-black jacket, camouflage pants, and military boots. However, at this moment, she was dressed as a bush, blending into the forest trees.
After an extensive search and months of gathering information about him, today was the day. She had planned everything… and nothing would stop her from executing her plan.
Still disguised as a bush, Mia slowly crept toward Lincoln—who was sitting behind his parents—until she reached the edge of the forest. Just as she had planned, she pulled out a fishing rod. Hanging from the hook was a white plush rabbit wearing a purple t-shirt, carefully attached to the hook with melted glue.
Lincoln was sitting less than ten meters away, still enjoying his chocolate bar.
"Is he looking at me?" Mia wondered, noticing that the boy seemed to be staring directly in her direction. "Nah… he's probably just looking at the forest. There's no way he noticed me," she reassured herself.
Still, the little white-haired boy continued holding his chocolate with both hands.
"He looks like a beaver," Mia thought, finding him adorable. But she couldn't afford to get distracted. If she wanted to have him, she had to focus on her plan.
Moving slowly, she adjusted into the best position to cast the fishing rod, rustling the leaves of her disguise slightly. Lincoln seemed to notice something, but he quickly returned his gaze to his chocolate.
Wham!
The plush toy landed right in front of him. His eyes immediately locked onto the toy.
The reaction was instinctive. As if driven by an insatiable childhood desire—one that could not be denied—he needed to have it. His pupils dilated like a predator locking onto its prey.
"Come on, take the bait…" Mia murmured, feeling her heart pounding like the drums of war.
Whether It Was Strange or Not, His Mind Didn't Register It.
After taking a bite of his chocolate—his attention fully locked onto that cocoa delight—he noticed that a plush rabbit had landed right in front of him. Out of nowhere.
It was so sudden that it felt like fate. As if God Himself had decided to gift him this treasure, placing it right at his feet.
Did he wonder where it came from? Of course not, he was a child. The only thought that crossed his mind was:
"That rabbit is mine."
His eyes sparkled with excitement. Without questioning anything, he stood up and slowly approached the adorable plush toy, which, from the ground, seemed to gaze at him with tenderness.
But just as he was about to reach for it… the rabbit was pulled back!
Lincoln frowned, confused. That didn't make any sense… but it also ignited a spark of stubbornness within him. Did this rabbit really have the audacity to appear before him, tempt him… and then run away?
No. That wasn't going to happen.
That plush would be his.
With the same unwavering determination that only appears when a child desperately wants chocolate chip cookies, Lincoln stepped forward with purpose.
When he finally crouched down to grab the rabbit—his fingers just barely brushing against its soft fur—the plush pulled back again.
"Oh, you're not getting away!" Lincoln growled, eyes locked onto his prey.
Without realizing it, he started following it. He saw nothing else but the rabbit, which seemed to mock him with every movement.
And that's why he didn't notice he was drifting away from the park.
And that's why he didn't see that his steps were leading him straight into the forest…
"Yes, yes, yes, yes!" Mia screamed in her mind, excitement surging through her entire being as she watched Lincoln 'take the bait' and walk straight toward her. And just as planned, she slowly backed away, leading him deeper into the forest.
By some stroke of luck, the boy followed the bait with the same obsession as a mosquito drawn to a light.
Moving while dressed as a bush was awkward and clumsy, but nothing was going to stop her.
Once they were far enough into the forest, Mia gave a sharp tug on the fishing rod, pulling the plush rabbit right onto a large 'X' formed by small twigs on the ground. Then, she pulled out a knife and cut the fishing line, letting the rod drop silently to the ground.
The innocent and clueless boy walked up to the plush toy, completely unaware of her presence—completely unaware that he was walking straight into a trap.
"Gotcha!" Lincoln exclaimed excitedly, grabbing the stuffed rabbit and holding it tightly in both hands. "You're mine forever!"
"You too, sweetheart," Mia replied, satisfied. She was no longer wearing the bush disguise. Instead, she now held a large brown cloth sack—one spacious enough for Lincoln to fit inside comfortably.
And bam!
With a swift, practiced motion, Mia tossed the sack over the boy and hoisted him up like a sack of potatoes.
Inside, Lincoln blinked in the darkness.
"Huh? Who turned off the lights? Was it you, plushie…?" The little boy asked calmly, completely unaware that he was being kidnapped. Hugging his new stuffed friend, he declared, "I'll call you Bun-Bun. And you'll be my best friend."
Carrying him effortlessly, Mia decided it was time to set things straight from the very beginning.
"Listen, sweetheart," she said sweetly. "From now on, I'm your mom."
From inside the sack, Lincoln's muffled voice responded:
"Are you my other mom?"
Mia blinked.
"No, I'm your real mom."
"So is Mom Rita my other mom? And Mom Kate? And Mom Mimi? And—"
"No, no, no. I'm the only one!"
"Why?"
Mia smiled confidently.
"Because fate brought us together. Because I chose you. And because from now on, I'll take care of you."
Lincoln was silent for a few seconds.
"Will you give me chocolate?"
Mia rolled her eyes but smiled.
"All the chocolate you want, sweetheart. All the chocolate you want."
And with those words, she adjusted her grip and took off running at full speed, disappearing into the forest toward her truck.
Time had passed since that day, like a river flowing without hurry, yet never stopping.
Currently, Lincoln and his new mother were very, very, VERY far away from Great Lakes City, inside a cabin deep within an unexplored forest…
"I'm bored…" Lincoln declared, nibbling on a chocolate bar. "We've been here for days, and there's nothing interesting."
"We're in a safe place, sweetheart," Mia replied sweetly, moving closer to Lincoln to gently ruffle his white hair. "The world out there is dangerous for you… and as your mother, it's my duty to protect you."
"But Mom Mimi said the world is meant to be explored… AND I'M BOOOORED!"
"I already told you, I'm the ONLY mother you have!" For a brief moment, Mia lost control and shouted, making Lincoln flinch. "No… I didn't mean to… I…" Trying to fix her mistake, she quickly turned her head, searching for something. When she found it, she spun back around and held it up enthusiastically.
"You said you were bored? Here, take this!" She handed him the object she had found: a pair of small twigs. "You can play with these," she added, forcing a smile.
Lincoln took them in his hands. His big blue eyes examined them briefly before looking back at Mia with an incredulous expression.
"Twigs? Seriously?"
"Yes!" Her smile turned nervous. "You can build anything with them! Like boats, buildings, and… whatever you can imagine!"
Lincoln looked at the twigs, then at Mia, then let out a sigh.
"Alright, I'll try…" he said, taking the twigs with resignation.
His new mother—who had no experience whatsoever with children—sighed in relief, glad the situation was under control. The little boy moved his hands, forming something that even he wasn't sure what it was.
And while Lincoln 'played,' Mia went to sit at a table to watch him. It had been a few days since she had 'adopted' the rabbit-like child. Getting to this cabin had been no easy feat. A missing child immediately triggered a first-degree alarm for the authorities, so traveling the roads had been a challenge.
But she had managed.
And now, they were somewhere no one would ever find them.
Far from civilization.
No one would find them.
No one.
They would be a happy family.
Days Later…
Lincoln was bored—again. His stay in the cabin with his new mom wasn't exciting. He couldn't go outside, so he spent his time exploring the little there was inside. However, he managed to entertain himself with a few objects around the place, like the pictures in books, Mia's 'toys'—twigs, painted rocks with faces, and anything she found in the forest—Bun-Bun, and of course, his great imagination.
But despite all that… he was still tired of being locked up and having no one to talk to. And although the chocolate that woman gave him was delicious… he missed his sisters and his other family. With them, there were always adventures… That was it! He needed an adventure. He needed to go out and explore. To travel the world in search of his other family.
And since his new mom wasn't home…
"Mmmm…"
His small, fair-skinned hand rested on his chin. Why? Because he was copying what his sisters did when they were thinking…
Thinking…
Thinking…
Thinking…
Thinking…
What was he supposed to think about?
Ah, right! Finding his other family!
With a clear goal in mind, Lincoln searched the cabin for the essentials: a red jacket, Bun-Bun, a small backpack that Mia had given him, a branch his size, a flashlight, chocolate bars, and… himself!
And to avoid worrying his new red-haired mom, he left a note—a drawing of him and Mia, drawn as poorly made stick figures (as expected from a child), with hearts, chocolate, and figures representing his family, all connected by an arrow.
Clearly, he thought he was informing Mia that he was going home to his family and that she would later bring him more chocolate.
Or at least, that's what he figured…
Either way, he made his way to the door and opened it, revealing the forest stretching as far as his eyes could see. He had never been in a forest before and had no idea which direction to take, but… that didn't matter! As Mom Rita always said: "You'll always find your way home."
Excitement filled his body, and the feeling of being free from that boring cabin propelled him forward with his plan, which he had drawn the day before:
1- Escape the cabin.
2- Leave with Bun-Bun in search of his family.
3- Find his family and give his sisters chocolate.
4- Find Mom Mia so she could give him more chocolate.
"I'm not a prisoner anymore! I can go wherever I want!" His little legs carried him as he ran through the forest. But as he got farther from the cabin, he found only more forest, and more forest—no sign of his family or the city. Only strange, eerie sounds. He stopped abruptly.
"I'm cold… and scared."
Two red eyes gleamed in the darkness of a burrow. He swallowed hard, feeling something deep inside him scream at him to run back to the cabin. Suddenly, a rabbit emerged from the burrow—but not just any rabbit. It was white and had antlers, like an elk.
That scared him.
And he ran.
"AHHH!" he screamed, bolting back toward the cabin. His cries echoed through the forest, scaring off birds and filling the air with his panicked voice.
When he reached the cabin, he slammed the door shut behind him. His backpack, still slung over his shoulders, slid down as he collapsed onto the floor, panting.
That… had been intense for him.
He had never felt that sensation before… Fear? Terror? He wasn't sure, but his heart was pounding like it wanted to escape his chest.
He took off his backpack and pulled out Bun-Bun. Rushing to his room, he hid under his blankets, clutching his stuffed friend tightly.
"How will I ever get home if the outside is so dangerous?" he murmured, burying his face in the plush rabbit.
Mom Mia was right.
The world was dangerous.
And this time, he wouldn't doubt her.