trees are the proof

Chapter Two: The Shadow Behind the Trees

The sun was dipping low, bathing the park in an orange glow. The swings squeaked in the breeze, and the smell of dust and grass clung to the air.

“Okay, I’ll count this time!” the cheerful boy announced, grinning wide. He slapped his hands against the old oak trunk and shut his eyes tight. “One… two… three…”

The quiet boy hesitated for just a second before running off. His footsteps were soft, almost soundless, as he darted across the playground. He wasn’t the kind of child who liked being chased, but he loved the way his best friend’s laughter always came when the game began.

He found himself wandering to the far end of the park, where the slide’s shadow stretched long and the bushes grew thicker. Perfect, he thought. His friend would never find him here.

But as he crouched low behind the hedges, he felt it—a prickling sensation along the back of his neck.

He turned.

A man was standing a few steps away. Not smiling. Not moving. Just staring.

The boy’s chest tightened. He wanted to get up, to run back, but his small legs froze. The man took a slow step forward, and the park seemed to fall silent, all the shouts of other children fading away.

“...Twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty! Ready or not, here I come!”

The loud voice rang out, full of laughter and life. The joyful boy sprinted from the tree, spinning around as he searched. His eyes caught the familiar mop of hair half-hidden in the bushes—and then, someone else.

His grin vanished.

“HEY!” he shouted, louder than ever before, his voice breaking the air like glass shattering. He ran straight toward his friend without a second thought. “I found you!”

The man startled, muttered something under his breath, and stepped back into the shadows. By the time the joyful boy reached the bushes, the stranger was already gone.

He grabbed his best friend’s wrist tightly. “What happened? Who was that? Did he—”

The quiet boy shook his head quickly, eyes wide, lips trembling. He couldn’t form the words.

The cheerful boy’s chest heaved. He puffed himself up the way only children could, throwing his small arm protectively around his friend’s shoulders. “It’s okay. Don’t be scared. I’m here now.”

They stood there for a moment, breathing hard, holding onto each other. Finally, the cheerful one grinned again, though his voice was softer this time. “Next time, you hide closer, okay? I don’t want to lose you.”

The quiet boy nodded, clutching his sleeve with small fingers. For the rest of the evening, they stayed side by side, never straying far, as the orange sky deepened into night.

---

That night, the quiet boy lay stiff under the blanket during their sleepover. The house was safe, the lights warm, but every time he shut his eyes, he saw that man’s stare.

Beside him, the joyful boy whispered in the dark, “You’re not sleeping, are you?”

The quiet one didn’t answer. His fingers only gripped the edge of the blanket tighter.

Without another word, the cheerful boy scooted closer until their shoulders touched. He tugged the blanket so it covered them both. “It’s fine now. You’ve got me.”

For the first time since the park, the quiet boy’s body loosened. His hand crept out from under the blanket, finding his friend’s. Small fingers tangled, holding on.

The joyful boy squeezed back, firm and sure. “I’ll always find you.”

---

author's note:

I'll continue this story and everyday I'll post a chapter, i hope y'all will like this story, it's all my own work and my imagination

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***