To Regain What Was Lost

Chapter 2: William

After the 36th poke, William placed a bookmark in his book and slammed it shut. "Mom! Jake's bothering me again!" he complained, yelling so his mom could hear him from upstairs as he grabbed his squealing, and fleeing brother by the shirt. 

"That's nice," replied his mom's muffled, distant voice floating down from her locked room. 

Blowing his bangs out of his eyes, William sulkily grabbed his book and punched his little brother. "I have to do everything by myself." he muttered under his breath. 

Raising his voice again, he screamed, "I'm going to the park now!" 

"Okay!" his mom yelled back as the door slammed close behind William. 

A couple steps out of the front door later, he paused and turned around. "I'm going to the park now," he repeated. "Meaning me, and only me." 

He was met my silence, so he turned around, and took several more steps. He stopped. Clearing his throat, he added in a louder voice, "Meaning don't follow me, unless you want a short, but I assure you, very painful death." 

Another silence. 

A little bit more annoyed, William decided to stop beating around the bush. "Meaning Jake, stop following me!" he yelled, crossing his arms, and glaring at the little boy trailing him. 

"I'm not following you," Jake muttered in reply as he trudge back into the house, guided by his ear, which his brother was pulling. "I can't believe stupid William managed to see me when I was in ninja mode..." 

"I heard that," William replied as he slammed the door close behind Jake. "And that was not ninja mode, no matter which way you look at it." 

"You heard nothing!" shouted Jake, muffled by the door. "I was a totally cool ninja and stupid William is stupid William and- stop making scary faces at me!" 

"Then stop peeking through the eye hole." 

"No I'm not." 

Rolling his eyes in exasperation, William added. "I'm not leaving until I know you're not going to follow me. You're the reason I'm leaving the house in the first place." 

"You're leaving?" Jake asked in amazement. 

"Yup." 

"Forever?" 

"Uh..." 

"Mommy! William is leaving! Can I make his room my playroom?" Jake yelled, running upstairs, and pounding on the door of the locked room. 

"That...it weird. I feel a little guilty for misleading him, but I didn't lie, so I'm good," William thought, turning around, and walking out of his front yard. "He'll be there for several hours until he give up." 

As he walked to his destination, the park, he decided to read his book. Taking out his book, he began reading it, absorbed. He was so absorbed in his book that he did not notice he walked right into a ball of glowing light. "Oomph!" he grunted. "Sorry, I was reading the part they were meeting the super cool trans-time-space-dimension cat for the sixth time, and this is my favorite meeting, so I didn't..." 

His eyes widened as he noticed he didn't bump into a person, but a large, glowing orb that was melting into his body, merging with him. "Wha-" 

Suddenly, a wave of warmth spread through his body, followed with overwhelming drowsiness. Blinking slowly, William attempted to keep his eyes open, reminding himself about the scene he hadn't finished rereading, but his heavy eyes and the comforting heat was too seducing, and after compromising, and telling himself he'll just close his eyes for a little bit, and then finish reading, he fell dead asleep.