A faint tapping on his window broke the silence, once every five seconds.

He groaned, pulling his covers tightly, but the giggling outside was unmistakable. A smile smoothly crept onto his face, and he hesitantly threw off his blanket.

He reached for his drawer and pulled out a plain T-shirt with a little animated ninja embroidered on the pocket, and a pair of tailored shorts to go with it. This will have to do, he thought, before hurriedly pulling his outfit onto his body.

The tapping persisted, urging Khalil to rush to the window, swinging it open. The cool morning breeze swirled into his room, carrying the scent of wet earth. He inhaled deeply, savoring the smell of rain from last night. He loved rainy days.

Just then, a small stone flew in, hitting his forehead, and distributing his moment.

"Ouchie!" he yelped, scrutinizing due to the pain whilst rubbing where it landed.

"Sorry!" he heard the distant whisper of his friends' voices swarming with concern.

Khalil smiled sheepishly, but he had no time to acknowledge their remorse. He needed to get out.

He told them to wait for him by the front door. He had to make sure no one knew he was gone. With a spy's stealth, getting distracted every now and then, forgetting the task at hand, he finally snuck out. His heart racing.

Finally, he emerged onto the morning light, meeting his three friends waiting for him anxiously. They almost squeal as they see him, each trying to get a hold of him. They soon find themselves encircled around Khalil, hugging him with all their might, almost squeezing the life out of him. They missed him.

He shrieked almost like a female, laughing at how he miserably couldn't get out of their holds. As they released him, he gazed at his surrounding, it felt like this was the first time he came out.

The sky was still weeping, letting out light drops of rain. The gray clouds veiled the raising sun, casting a mystical gloom. Cool breeze blew, carrying the sound of nature along with it. The trees swayed almost in unison, looking like they were professional dancers grooving to a rhythm.

The freshly looking green dew-kissed grass, brushed gently on his foot as he slowly placed his leg. He smiled, it all felt surreal. Whether it was the muddy ground filled with puddles, or the few people that roamed around the cold morning, or everything entirely that made the scene worth viewing, he loved it.

All those months, coped up like a prisoner who did nothing wrong, made him feel glad to be outdoors again. He wasn't going to get in trouble, he just wanted to have fun with his friends like he did before. He looked at the unpaved road ahead, straight was their destination. This was enough to make him feel flustered.

"Na ƙarshe zai chi kashin kare!" Khalil suddenly yelled out, running through the mudded path.

"Not fair! Ka fara gudu first! You started running already!" Hakeem called out by the time they'd hurried onto the path too.

Khalil laughed, running further ahead. "Hey!" Yahya called, "I'm supposed to be in the lead, not the crybaby!"

"Shut up and run!!!" Both Hakeem and Usama chorused, "Or you'll be the one eating dog poop." Usama added, making a puke face.

Khalil laughed; he also missed this side of his friends.

~~~

The distant yelling and chattering of children, cheerfully running about piqued the interest of the quad to run further, their joy infectious.

It loomed ahead, until they'd finally approached it.

It looked big, and extremely heavy, the mere sight of it sent shivers down their spines. And if you were acrophobic, then it'll be a terrifying sight.

The anchor colour makes it stands out, even though its height does the job. Rust stains lined down from where water had slowly been seeping out from, showering from below, as some children played under the dripping water. THE WATER TOWER.

The floor of this whole environment seemed to be covered in mud, soggy as you walk on it, almost not worthy to support the bended looking tank. It rose alarm to a lot of people who resided there, maybe that's why parents took caution about letting their children near there. But alas, the allure was too great, and the children where drawn in like magnets.

"You guys, look!" Yahya said, trying to catch his breath. He was the last to catch up, but the first to spot what they came for. His eyes shone with excitement as he pointed ahead.

"What? Dog poop?!" Khalil teased, and they erupted into laughter, except for Yahya obviously.

He grumbled good-naturedly, "No," before he exclaimed, "frogs!" his arm outstretched, a small army of frogs hopped into view. They gasped; they were so many.

Yahya beckoned them forward, already charging ahead. "Let's go wimps." he called, his friends hot on his heels.

They thundered into the big and vast field, running after any hopping critter that dared to come in sight. The air filled with their laughter and the croaks of their tiny prey.

"Everyone, stop! stop!" Usama seeks for their audience, his voice urgent. They skidded to a halt, curious of the abrupt call. "I found something," Usama approached them, a wide grin on his face, and a little creature in his hands.

"Meet Croaky! Our new best friend-frog!" he beamed, exuding an air of excitement. "He's big, and can't run that fast... say hi Croaky!" he added.

Hakeem raised an eyebrow, "That's actually a toad, Usama." Slowly, he came closer, scanning Croaky, taking keen interest in him, "But he is big." he added in astonishment.

"Stop being childish you two, and let him go. We don't need a toad in our team, right Khalil?" Yahya asked, turning to face Khalil who was absorbed in his own thoughts, with wide-eyes.

"Khalil?!" they called in worry, but he wasn't snaping out of it. Something they were sure of was, he was acting strange. He wasn't one to pull tricks like this.

"Khalil?!" they called again, but he was in a world of his own. Or rather, back to the world of his nightmare.

Terror danced in his eye, a familiar feeling weakens him in the knees, "Guys," he finally spoke, his voice shaky. "Let's go..." he stumbled back, his lips slightly quivering, "Before it's too late."

"Okay Mr. creepy, you've had your fill of commanding people. I'm the oldest, and I'm not having a nine-year-old tell me what to do." Yahya proclaimed, puffing his chest a bit in pride.

"What are you, twenty?" Hakeem rebuked, disliking Yahya's statement.

Khalil wasn't liking any of this, the more they talked, the more time they wasted.

It's just a dream, a voice said in his head.

But dreams come true, he thought back.

"Guys, we need to-" he got interrupted, they were already caught up in their arguments to even hear him.

"Twenty years, ten years, seems the same to me. So, I am the leader." Yahya claimed again. Hakeem rolled his eyes.

"Yahya's pompous, that's what mommy tells me." Usama said, speaking to Croaky.

"Hey! Your mom can't say that to a child!" Yahya protested.

"Well, I thought you weren't a child" Hakeem chimed in.

"I'm not!" he retorted.

"Guy's-" Khalil got cut off again, unheard.

"Mr. Croaky, Yahya is being a meanie." Usama spoke to his toad again.

"I'm not!" he retorted, this time, angrily. "And when did he become a Mr. Croaky?"

"You are a meanie!" Hakeem said nonchalantly.

Khalil's frustration mounted, his voice erupting in a desperate scream, "GUYS!!!" His eyes widened with fear as they all fell silent, lips pursed, fearing that Khalil's darker side had taken control. "Let's go," he pleaded, his voice barely above a whisper.

They exchanged confused glances. "Why?!" Yahya asked, worry etched on his face. Khalil looked around nervously. "Because..." he trailed off, searching for an appropriate lie before choosing to speak the truth instead. "I'm scared."

Yahya scoffed, and the other two shook their heads, exchanging disbelieving glances. "Is there something you're hiding?" Hakeem inquired.

"No!" Khalil yelled, turning to flee from the field. He knew they'd follow, and they did. Relief washed over him as he heard their footsteps chasing after him, but he soon realized that leading them back to the path might not have been the best idea.

As they emerged onto the busy road, they skidded to a halt behind Khalil. Cars, vans, trucks, and motorcycles zoomed past on the dark asphalt, creating artificial winds with their speed and disregarding the posted speed limit. The overpowering smell of exhaust fumes replaced the sweet scent of nature.

Khalil's chest heaved as he struggled to catch his breath in loud gasps, his eyes tracking the relentless stream of vehicles. The road transformed from the serene path they crossed earlier.

The three boys approached Khalil, their steps slow and cautious. Their faces also etched with concern, but Usama's. His hand gripped Khalil's shoulder, spinning him around to face him. As they stood face-to-face, their eyes locked, Khalil couldn't help but notice the anger contorting Usama's features.

Khalil attempted to speak, but Usama's arm shot forward, shoving him in the chest and causing him to stumble backwards. "I lost Croaky! Are you happy now?" Usama's voice trembled with a mix of frustration and sadness.

Khalil was speechless at first, but he realised; 'Hey! I'm here, trying to save your life, but you're worried about some stupid toad?' so he decided to push him back.

"Who cares about your dumb toad!" Khalil spat, his own anger flaring.

Usama growled and pushed Khalil again.

"Hey, stop it, you two!" Yahya and Hakeem yelled in unison, their voices laced with urgency and concern. Yahya's commanding tone momentarily silenced the bickering boys.

"He pushed me first!" Khalil roared, his face flushed with indignation.

"Yes, I pushed an idiot!" Usama retorted, shoving Khalil once more.

Khalil pushed back, their shoves turned to punches, and the argument descending into a fierce battle. Their scuffle drawing the attention of passing onlookers. But in a split second, Khalil's anger consumed him and he shoved Usama into the busy road. In an instant, he realized his grave mistake.

As Usama stumbled onto the asphalt, the screeching of tires and blaring of horns filled the air. The boys' faces paled, their fear palpable as they witnessed the scene unfolding before them. Hakeem gasped, his hand covering his mouth in shock, while Yahya stood frozen in disbelief

Time seemed to slow as the massive truck barreled down the road at breakneck speed, its driver clearly disregarding the speed limit like so many others. The boys were paralyzed with shock, their screams stuck in their throats, their minds racing but their bodies unable to act. Suddenly, Yahya snapped into action like with a surge of adrenaline, he lunged forward to push Usama out of the truck's path. But as he attempted to dart back to safety, it was too late.

The screeching of tires echoed through the air as the truck driver slammed on the brakes, the vehicle skidding to a halt and causing a chaotic traffic jam. The truck merely inches from Usama's trembling body, its front covered in Yahya's blood.

The chaos, causing bystanders to rush to the scene.

A cacophony of angry honking and shouting erupted as frustrated drivers vented their irritation. Amidst the chaos, Hakeem's wails pierced the air, his sobs interspersed with the frantic questions of the gathering crowd.

Khalil, however, was lost in a state of shock and disbelief. The yelling, the honking, the murmuring-all the noise surrounding him was muffled, as if he were trapped in a soundproof bubble. His eyes remained fixed on the horrific scene before him, but his mind conjured a far more gruesome image. In his mind's eye, he saw his two friends lying unconscious on the ground, their bodies limp and drenched in blood. Though Usama had only fainted from fear and miraculously avoided the truck, Khalil's guilt-ridden imagination painted a much darker picture.

His heart hammered against his ribcage, each beat sending a painful jolt through his body as he struggled to process the nightmare unfolding before him. Khalil's breath came in ragged, shallow gasps, his lungs burning with the effort. His knees threatened to buckle beneath him, but he forced himself to stay upright, his terror and regret rooting him to the spot.

Hello (⁠＾⁠ ⁠〰⁠ ⁠＾⁠),

It's me, obviously.

And I have brought another chapter. *Yey!*

A big fat cliché, I know that, but it was worth it.

Right?

Anyways...

Please do vote, comment, and share.

Thanks for reading.

~funraita (U⁠^⁠ｪ⁠^⁠U⁠)