The sun rose in the sky, spreading its light across the land, announcing a new day. The villagers began to wake up one by one—the men heading out to their work, and the children running outside, filling the air with their laughter and shouts. Meanwhile, the women watched their children from afar, chatted among themselves, or prepared food for their families in their homes.
Amidst all this noise, Ethan woke up from his sleep, disturbed by the commotion. He slowly got up from his bed, still keeping his eyes closed. He stood still for a few moments, trying to fully awaken, then slowly opened his eyes, now completely awake.
He looked around and noticed that no one else was in the hut with him. He went to drink some water and then stepped outside, walking through the village in search of Jesse and the others. He walked for two hours, checking every place he knew (the kiosk, the village center, the markets, between the huts), but he didn't find them in any of those places. He eventually stopped in front of one of the benches, puzzled by their sudden disappearance. He sat down on the bench, wondering where they could have gone.
Where did they all go? They wouldn't leave without telling me... right?
He sat there lost in thought for several minutes, until something touched his foot. Ethan snapped back to reality and looked down in surprise. It was a red ball. He raised his head to see where it came from and noticed a group of young children staring at him, worry written all over their faces. Ethan picked up the ball and examined it curiously. The children huddled together, whispering to one another. After a few seconds, one of them stepped forward toward Ethan, his face filled with tension. Once he reached Ethan, he spoke in a nervous, shaky tone:
"Uh… hello… that ball is ours. Could you please give it back?"
Ethan looked at the boy with a curious expression, then pointed at the ball. The child responded, "Yes, that's the one." Ethan stared at the ball for a few seconds and then handed it to the boy. A look of joy spread across the boy's face. He thanked Ethan and returned to his friends to continue playing. Ethan remained seated, watching them play, his face full of curiosity and wonder.
One child passed the ball to his friend. The friend caught it and looked at him, ready to pass it back—until he noticed his friend staring past him, surprised and tense. He turned around to find Ethan looking at him.
Why is he looking at me like that? Does he want something?
Feeling a sense of fear and unease, the boy asked, "D-Do you… want the ball?" Ethan shook his head in response. The fear inside the child turned into confusion. He asked, "Do you want to play with us?" A faint smile appeared on Ethan's face and he nodded. The boy felt a little nervous but passed the ball to Ethan.
Ethan caught the ball with his foot and looked at the child, his expression filled with curiosity. The boy asked, "Do you know how to play the game?" Ethan looked at him and shook his head. The boy explained, "Okay, all you have to do is pass the ball to any of us using your foot. Don't use your hands. Got it?" Ethan nodded and passed the ball to another child. The child passed it to his friend, and so on...
Ethan continued playing with the children, a sense of joy and happiness filling his body. At first, the kids felt uneasy around him, but they soon warmed up and began to see him as a kind person. After hours of playing different games, the children heard their mothers calling them from afar. One child picked up the ball and they all waved goodbye to Ethan with big smiles. But before leaving, the child who owned the ball looked at Ethan and said happily:
"I had so much fun with you, my friend. I hope to see you again tomorrow."
Then they all ran off toward their mothers, leaving Ethan alone. He noticed that the sun had grown harsh, so he decided to return to his hut. He turned and walked back, shielding himself from the sun with his hand. As he reached the hut and was about to enter, he heard someone calling him from a distance. He turned toward the voice and saw Jenny approaching him.
Once she reached him, she spoke with a tired face and purple circles under her eyes:
"Finally, I found someone! I've been searching for you all for hours, but for some strange reason, Joseph and the others are gone. Did you see them around?"
Ethan shook his head in response.
Where could they have gone? Did they leave the village? Why would they do that without telling us?
Jenny's face filled with worry. She replied, "Joseph must be behind this. I saw him talking to one of the creatures last night. Did he do something to them or what?"
Ethan looked at her, confused, not understanding what she meant. Then suddenly, he felt something touch his shoulder. He quickly turned around to find Nicholas standing behind him. Ethan's face showed clear shock. Nicholas looked at him with a sarcastic smile and said:
"Hahahaha, you must've missed us."
Jenny replied, surprised and shocked, "Where were you? I looked everywhere! You scared me!"
Nicholas responded, "Oh, you really did miss us. Well, we were sent on a simple mission—me, Jesse, and Joseph. Mira told us there was no need to bring you along, and honestly, I agreed. It was just about bringing some small creatures here. She said they can help protect the crops from locusts."
Jenny asked, "Where are Jesse and Joseph now?"
Nicholas replied, "Oh right, don't worry. They went to deliver the creatures to Mira at the village center."
Jenny took a deep breath, thinking:
Okay, Joseph didn't do anything to them. But what happened last night? What was he doing with that creature?
The End