Mysteries Of A Past Unknown

Chapter 1

X*X(Year 1994)X*X

X*X(Mark)X*X

Mark was only 5 when he and Thomas were out playing in the forest behind their house, having fun as summer typically was. Granted, it was late summer, going into autumn, the leaves already falling and a slight chill in the air, but it was still nice. The brothers played out there as often as possible when the weather was good, but even when it wasn't, they still had fun playing video games inside. Or rather, Mark watched while Tom played and tried to teach him sometimes.

Regardless, they were having a blast, trying to spot some of the animals that would hide upon detecting them due to the noise they made. Tom soon pointed out that the animals weren't hiding from them, but they seemed nervous, and Mark realized he was right. They watched in surprise as a fox and a squirrel, of all the strange combinations, trotted to them, seeming to ask them to follow.

"Should we...?" Mark asked, looking to his brother.

"...Yeah," Tom nodded after a moment, and they followed the two animals. What they saw next after a minute was shocking.

There were several other forest creatures crowded around something, birds twittering in the branches overhead in alarm, while squirrels, rabbits, and a couple of other foxes were watching whatever was in the middle. The fox and squirrel that led the boys over moved closer, and the other animals moved aside for them all, revealing a small boy lying on the ground, unconscious.

"Mark, stay here with him! I'm gonna go get Mom and Dad!" Tom told his younger brother firmly, and Mark nodded quickly, hurrying to the boy's side. The animals watched the humans for a moment more, before leaving the area without a fuss. Mark watched the kid for a few seconds, worried, and then reached out to touch his shoulder, trying to make sure he was okay.

As soon as he made contact, the little boy's eyes snapped open, glowing a bright green, and those eyes drew Mark in. He stared, frozen, as the glow dimmed after a few seconds, before turning into icy blue eyes. Not even a second later, the smaller boy panicked, scrambling into a sitting position and looking around wildly, looking super confused. After a moment, he practically jumped forward, hugging Mark tightly with a whimper. The raven-haired boy jumped slightly, a little startled, but hugged him back, knowing hugs help with being scared. At least they do for him, anyway.

"Mark!" Mark blinked, looking up when he heard his mom's voice calling out to him. The little boy hugging him tensed up, scared, as Tom ran over with their parents.

"What happened?" his dad asked, frowning worriedly when he saw the small boy clinging to Mark for comfort.

"Not now," his mom said firmly, seeing the other boy's fear. "Let's take him into the house."

"Right," his dad nodded, and Tom went over to try and help, but the boy squealed and trembled, burying his face in Mark's chest.

"It's okay," Mark smiled, hugging the other boy. "Tom and my mom and dad are super nice! You're okay." The little boy sniffled, lifting his head to look at the raven, and after a moment, nodded slightly. With a little help, Mark was able to get them both standing, even ruffling the boy's brown hair playfully and making him giggle. As they headed back to the house, Mark noticed his parents looking at each with a strange look, but he didn't know what it meant. He guessed that if he asked, he would be told it was a grown-up thing.

When they got inside, Mark kept the boy close to him, wanting to keep him happy. He enjoyed seeing people smile and laugh anyway, but something really made him want to keep this kid that way. Mark's mom went to the kitchen, fixing some hot chocolate for the kids, while his dad went and got a blanket from the hall closet. The boy let the older man wrap the blanket around him and Mark, cuddling into the raven's side. Once Mark's mom had returned with hot chocolate for the kids, the adults sat down with them all in the living room, the two boys on the loveseat, Mark's parents on the couch, and Tom sitting in the armchair.