Nightengale

Nightengale 2

※CHAPTER 1※

The Death of Innocence

The night was young and the mid-fall air was crisp and clean. The light breeze blew through the trees and it's colorful leaves, shades of crimson, orange, and golden yellow, would dance through the skies with grace and beauty.

Layle, no more than three stood on top of a small chair to get high enough to stare out the old nursery window with the several panels. The child stared wide eyed at a abnormally large red orb in the sky. The moon was crimson and shined its blood colored light down upon the world. The sight was rather eerie yet breath taking thought little Layle. His small arms stretching out to the window latch so that he can see the moon through his eyes rather than the glass barrier before him. An older boy, no older than ten, caught the small child in the act and with a stern warning he nearly shouted "No Layle. Mama says we need to keep the window closed."

The boy, like his younger brother had warm brown eyes and hair. He sat in bed with his face in a book. Oh how the boy loved to read books. He would read whole chapter books in no more than two days.

Layle made a childish whining noise as his unbalanced little self carefully got down from the small wooden chair "Jack, I wanna see it though. The moon is so cool tonight. Do you think it means something?"

Jack, the older boy, chuckled softly to himself. He wasn't paying to much attention and kept his eyes glued to the pages of his book. "Who knows... Maybe it means something."

Then, the two look over at the small knock at the half open door. A middle aged woman in a blue night gown that draped down to her ankles peeked in. Their mother. "Boys , it's getting late. We have to go to church in the morning. Put the book down Jack and Layle, you need to get in to bed too. I don't know how many times I have to keep telling you it's bed time. This is the third time tonight."

Jack made a pouting face as he flops back onto his soft cushiony bed and argued "but mom, I'm just getting to the good part."

she made that face mothers typically made. The type of face that could turn a man to stone like Medusa could. The look was all Jack needed. He set the book down on his nightstand and got under the covers. Pleased with her son obeying, she smiled with approval and whispered "goodnight, I love you both." Before shutting the door. Jack placed his hands together and glances over at his little brother who was already doing the same as he. They close their eyes and recite the prayer they would do every night before falling asleep.

"Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray to thee, Lord, my soul to keep, and if I shall die before I wake, I pray to thee, Lord, my soul to take."

With that over, the two turn their lamps off an cuddle up under their soft snug sheets. Jack shut his eyes and listened in on the purr of the air conditioner till a soft voice rings out in the silence "Jack... are you awake?"

Jack thought about ignoring so that he would just go to sleep but he reluctantly answers "yeah...?"

there was a short silence before the small voice answered "What if I do die before I wake..? W-Will that happen...?"

Jack couldn't help but to smile a little "Silly... You're going to be okay. Don't worry about such things..."

Layle smiled ever so slightly but it quickly faded, "When will I die...?"

Jack felt uneasy about the topic and about talking it out with his brother who was so little. Him knowing that his father had died would constantly make him worry about such things. Jack picked his head up slightly, and looks down at his small brother with a kind smile, "Not for a really long time. You might even live to be a hundred!"

Layle's eyes brighten, "I'm gonna be the first to live to a thousand, big brother! Maybe even forever!"

Jack was relieved by his brother cheering up about the painful topic and chuckles "Yeah, maybe. I wanna live that long to. Who knows."

Layle nuzzled his head into his white feather pillow and closes his eyes softly "Goodnight, big brother..." he whispered in the dark silence of the room. Jack simply smiled and nodded, laying his own head down for a long rest till church in the morning.