Taken

Chapter 41

I looked at Adam first in surprise and then worry for the child. What was a child doing out in the woods? Was he lost? Adam looked at me also and without another thought, we both started running down the stairs and out the door. It took longer for them because I was human but I wasn't going to allow Adam to carry me.

"Where is he?" Adam asked as soon as we reached outside. I was going to ask him the same thing but he beat me to it.

"This way," answered the guard, one who's name I did not know yet. I eagerly followed. I was still worried about the boy. Was he okay? How old was he? Why was he here? No kid should be alone in the forest, that was for sure. In fact, no one really should, especially a kid. The forest is not a place to be alone, especially with supernatural creatures because you don't know what is lurking around, if they are good or evil.

"He's scared," the guard explained out loud for my benefit. "He won't come down. I'm hoping you Luna will help him come to us and not be scared."

"By down," I asked, "what do you mean down?"

"That's the thing, there's something else I need to tell you. He climbed up a tree and won't come down. But when we saw him he was just laying on the ground crying. When he spotted us, he ran faster than any little boy should and climbed up the tree. We may be fast as humans, but he was fast too. We couldn't catch him."

"That's peculiar," Adam responded, "I haven't heard something like that. It was probably because he was scared so the adrenaline kicked in. Not to mention whatever he was crying about before had him worked up. That would be most likely added to the reason."

I agreed with Adam and felt sorry about the boy. In the distance, I could see a group of people gathering around a tree. As we got closer, they looked back at us and parted so we could pass through.

I looked up into the tree and saw a boy of about five or six. He was really high up in the tree. I looked back at Adam and he smiled in encouragement. "You'll be great. I know you can do it."

I glanced at the boy again and noticed him staring at everyone and everyone else doing the same to him. I turned back to everyone and asked, "can you all move back? Give him some space. You're all scaring him." They bowed their heads toward me and moved back like I asked. Satisfied, I turned my attention once more to the boy.

"Do you want to come down?" I asked him slowly and softly. I tried reassuring him and scaring him by doing this. The boy shook his head and hugged the tree more like it would protect him, which right now it was. I switched tactics seeing this. "Okay, can I come up?" This time he nodded. I smiled to the boy which relaxed him slightly, causing him not to hold the tree as tight.

I then glanced back at Adam and asked, "can you help me up onto the first branch?" It was just high enough I needed help to get up to also not look like an idiot scrambling to get their legs up on the branch. I really needed to grow a few inches but that was sadly no longer possible.

He agreed and crouched down beside me. He cupped his hands, enabling me to put one foot in and have him help boost me up.

With his help, I was able to swing myself onto the branch. If I needed help to get onto the branch, how did the boy get up here. He was much smaller than I after all.

I gave Adam thanks and he stepped back again, giving the boy some space. I then kept my attention up, focusing on only boy and still trying not to scare him.

"I'm coming up now," I told him softly. The boy just stared at me. After a moment, I took that as my cue to continue my ascent.

I made my way up the tree as I spoke soft and reassuring words to him. I kept telling him that it was okay and I wasn't going to hurt him.

When I was on the branch below him, after weaving my way in and out of the branches, I stopped and just sat there. We were really high up off the ground.

"Are you okay?" I asked him soothingly. "Do you want to come down?"

When he shook his head I replied, "okay. Can you tell me your name? I'm Mia."

"Liam," I heard him utter.

"Hi Liam. I just want to help you, I am not going to hurt you. No one here is going to." I added the last part when he looked down at the ground to the others. "They want to help you too. Can you tell me how you got here?"

"I-I got lost. I don't know where I am. I a-also jumped up into this tree."

I smiled at him. I found it cute on how he explained how he got into the tree but I also felt sorry for him because he was lost but I wanted him to stay calm so I kept the smile on my face.

"How old are you, Liam?"

"Six."

"Can you tell me where your parents are Liam?" They must be worried sick about him, especially since he was so far in the forest.

Liam started crying again and I reached out to him concerned. "Th-they're dead!"

I couldn't describe what I felt for the boy when I heard him say that. I reached up and grabbed him. I pulled him onto my lap and hugged him. "Shh..." I tried soothing him. "It's okay. It's all going to be okay. I promise."

He clung onto me as he cried and I didn't push him further. It was awful for a child to lose a parent, and he lost both of them. He was only six. He was too young to loose both of them. It was horrible.

I rocked, held, and stroked his hair until he stopped crying. I did not mind, I wanted to be there for him anyway possible and as long as he needed me to be.

When he came to a stop, I leaned away and asked him, "do you want to come home with me? I'll take care of you and you won't have to worry about it again. You can have all the time you need and everything will be okay. I'll make sure of it."

It took a little bit for him to reply but when he did, he nodded. He then clung onto me again.

"Do you think you can climb down by yourself?"

Liam leaned away and nodded again. He rubbed his eyes, drying them from his tears. "I can climb down."

"Okay. Can you let me go first?"

When he nodded, he climbed off of me enough so I could climb down before him. I descended the tree, going limb to limb. I watched Liam as he did the same to make sure he wouldn't fall but he was doing it with ease. He definitely did not need any help at all. It was like he lived in the trees.

When I made it to the bottom, I jumped down and then turned toward him. I reached up and grabbed him when he reached out and I helped him to the ground. But he didn't want down. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he wrapped his arms around my neck and didn't let go. I gave him a smile, "okay, I'll carry you."

I picked him up and turned toward the others. "Okay, let's go." I then spoke to Liam, "I'm going to take good care of you, okay?"

He nodded and leaned against me, resting his head on my shoulder trustingly. I felt responsible for this little boy and I knew I would never let any harm come to him. I then started walking back with the others as he closed his eyes and fell asleep. Adam walked beside me the entire time, making sure everything was alright.

"I'm proud of you," he said. All I did was smile.

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Yay! Next chapter! What do you think? What's going to happen?

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