The Misadventure of Alexander Hughes

CROCODILE TEARS: CHAPTER 2

"Why..."

Alexander looked up, a young boy cried across him. He scanned around and everything was just a dark void. "Why did.."

Alexander looked back to the young boy, his eyes widened as he noticed the young boy tears streamed down to his cheeks with his brows furrowed, looking at him.

"Why did you leave me alone!" and Alexander's eyes went blank as he saw a few glimpses of the young boy's eyes lifelessly, looking at him as he was laying on his own blood on the cold road.

Alexander shakes his head, not believing what he saw. "No"

"No!" and he sits up as the alarm clock loudly rings on the tableside. He looked at the time, it's already 5pm. He stood up and grab his jacket from the rack and went outside.

Children laughing as they run, few elder people subtly talking on the porch as they looked at every people who passed by and the cold air that hits Alexander's face riding his bicycle made him forget of the nightmare he had a few minutes ago and enjoyed the scenery as he passed by. A smile tug smiles on his lips as he read the sign, "Pine Ridge".

"Pine Ridge, huh? I miss this kind of peaceful environment" Alexander said to himself. The neighborhood was quiet and peaceful. He slowed down his bike as he went downhill and saw few houses from the distance and a sign that reads, "Welcome to MapleTown"

Alexander takes glances on his side, looking at the few houses that have a few distances away from each other. Few old cars make a turn on the street and few people stroll on the sidewalk.

"More like I'm living in the '80s," Alexander thought to himself, and a smile tugs on his lips, he slowed down and hop off his bike. He scanned the environment as he walked towards the school, a young boy—Tyler was seen, heading out along with a young boy around his age.

'Bye!' Tyler said, waving to the young boy. "Bye!"

"How was school, little buddy?" Alexander said as he rustles Tyler's hair.

Tyler smiled, "It was fun. Claude made an art and he gave it to me" and handed Alexander a paper that he pulled from his pockets. "But it was scary but not that scary."

Alexander's eyes widened as he saw the art that was drawn in the paper. Blood that drips on the forehead, lifeless eyes looking straight at him. It was the young boy he saw in his nightmare.

"Kevin?" Tyler tugs Alexander's shirt. Alexander couldn't move his eyes from the paper, the art was detailed. How does a young boy can draw this? It almost has the same features as Tyler.

"Kevin!" Alexander jolted and looked at Tyler. Alexander gave him a smile, "I s-see.. Anyway, let's go to Mozzarella Pizzeria" and put the paper in his pockets.

"Really? Awesomeeeee!' Tyler exclaimed and drag Alexander, wanting to walk faster.

Tyler looked around and behave, sitting on the chair. The smell of the freshly baked pizza being served to the customers and few people munching their pizza made Tyler grumble his stomach. Alexander let out a small laugh, "Let's wait for him, okay?"

Tyler nodded. The sound of the chime rings, an indication someone entered. A light brown-haired guy with light green eyes around his 20's, wearing a dark brown faux shearling jacket looked around, a smile tugs on his lips as he saw Alexander that raised his hands.

"Heyy, dude Kevin" and gently bump his fist on Alexander.

"Hey, lil man. Give me a fist bump" Leonard said and Tyler gently gives him a fist bump. Leonard looked around and raised one-hand, calling the waiter.

"What do you want, lil man? Choose something. It's my treat"

"Realllly?" Tyler said, his face lit up. Leonard nodded, "Yep"

"Then, I want a large pepperoni pizza and a pineapple pizza" Tyler dictated as the waiter writes it down on his note.

"Oh, you really are hungry, huh?" Leonard said, smiling. Tyler just laughs and smiles as a reply. "And what about yours, sir?"

"Two nachos and a large pepperoni pizza" and the waiter nodded and walked out.

"Thank youuuuu, Leonard" Tyler said as he kicks his feet back and forth. Leonard just gave him a smile, "Don't' mention it, lil man"

"You seemed like to spoil him too much," Alexander said, looking at the happy Tyler. "I really owe you a lot"

Leonard shakes his head, "Nah, just treating him like a little brother."

Alexander just smiled. "Anyway, what do you mean by help?"

Leonard pulled something out from his jacket pockets and hand it to Alexander. "Read it"

Alexander hovered his eyes on the lower side of the newspaper, a white two-storey house with its dried green untrimmed garden with a sign that reads, "House for Rent".

House for Rent—20 dollars a month.

Electricity and Water is free

Two storey-house

Oak Valley

"I just thought that it could help you both. You were both living in that house with 100 dollars Besides, after your family died, you didn't study in college and focus on writing novels to provide needs for Tyler, right?"

Alexander's eyes widened and thought to his mind. "So, that's why.. there was no Mom and Dad in the house. My main character's Mom and Dad.. already died and try to provide needs for his little brother, Tyler"

"How was writing novels by the way? Was it stressful?" Leonard asked, looking at him. Alexander nodded, even though, he isn't a writer himself, he knew that a writer burns out and doesn't have much of the creativity to write words. Meeting the deadlines, thinking and writing for the next chapters is stressful. Especially when the writer doesn't hit with so much creativity that could lead poor written words.

"yeah," Alexander replied.

"Glad you became the best-selling author and able to help your little brother, sending him to school. That's an awesome job a big brother could do." Leonard said and look at the happy Tyler. "Tyler is lucky to have a brother like you that doesn't like to leave his little brother alone"

The word alone played on Alexander's mind. Earlier, he had a nightmare that the young boy said why he was left alone and the weird art that Tyler's friend gave. He shakes his thoughts off as Leonard speaks.

"That's why I like to help you, dude. Tyler needs a brother like you and helping you find a house to be live on is what I could help but.." Leonard glances down. "But.. the house living there has its rumors. Dark ones"

"What do you mean?"

"There was a rumor that a family member died after a week of settling there. Whoever settles there couldn't even stand for a month, the reason would be a family member died or..." Leonard paused, not looking at Alexander. "Or.. the place is haunted"

Before Alexander could reply, Leonard grabbed the newspaper page, "A-Anyway, I guess I have to find another house for yo-"

Alexander cut his sentence off. "No, this is okay already. Thank you and besides.. it's just a rumor"

Leonard gave him a concerned look, "But.."

"I'm a writer. Kinds of stuff like that only happens on fiction"

Leonard's sentence was cut off as Tyler exclaimed, the order they had arrived. Alexander along with Leonard and Tyler happily eats and shakes his thoughts off about the house that they're about to rent.

What matters is he could be able to provide Tyler a great home.