The river.

Chapter Four

"Johnny?" Peter called out, "What did you see that day? What made you scream?"

Peter asked this question as though he was expecting a specific answer from him.

"Come on Peter, let's not bring that up now, should we?" Jenny went on, with a tired facial expression.

"I saw it," Johnny stopped walking and stared at the ground, "I saw it."

"Saw what?" Jenny and Peter asked at once.

"It was purple, and spherical. It looked like it was inside a liquid. Then dad's face appeared, out of the blues, on that spherical pebble." Johnny said, running every detail he describes in his head.

"You know what it is?" Jenny asked.

Peter looked at Johnny so keenly as though he didn't want to miss a single detail.

"I feel like I've seen it before but..." Johnny began tearing up, "I miss my father."

Jenny let out a teardrop as she hugged her son, telling him it will be alright.

An echoed call for help was heard. All three of them stayed still, not moving a muscle. Trees seemed to be noisier as the person moved closer. It was a male.

"Everybody, stay calm," Peter whispered to them as he bent to grab some pebbles as a form of defence.

Johnny sunk his head in his mother's waist. Jenny held Peter's shoulders really tight. Was it a trick from the Lenons? Was it really one of the victims lost in the woods? Like the three of them?

Peter set his arm, ready to throw the pebbles. Right in front of them a shirtless young man who seemed really bruised all over his body appeared. Long black curly hair he had, tied in a pony tail. All he had was a black pair of jeans with some pretty worn out shoes. He covered his face with his hands.

"I mean no harm, I swear," the man said. His face spelt fear. He looked genuinely tortured.

"I heard you guys from afar and since I heard a little boy's voice, I assumed you were victims too. I managed to escape being under hostage."

The man looked down and up again. He looked like he was ready to cry any minute.

"They killed my wife, my only son, Albert. They destroyed everything I owned. All I have is this pair of pants and shoes. They beat me up, threatened me to answer them where he was."

"Who were they looking for?" Jenny asked, squinting her eyes in curiosity.

"That's the thing, I had no idea. They just kept asking in pronoun. Then they asked me amongst other hostages, where some young boy was," he said.

"Young boy? Why would they want a young boy?" Jenny asked in shock.

Peter suddenly walked round randomly as though in thought.

"Peter are you okay?" Jenny asked concerned and suspicious at once.

"What? Yeah yeah. Just stretching my legs," Peter then looked at Johnny with concerned eyes.

"What else did they want?" Peter asked.

"Nothing, just the toddler. Oh! I'm Anam."

"Call me Peter. They are Jenny and Johnny, respectively," Peter introduced them to Anam.

"Mother and son?" Anam asked.

Jenny held her son's hand and nodded, forcing a smile.

Anam removed something from his pocket. A compass.

"You are a blessing," Peter went on.

"Catalon is north of this forest," Jenny said.

Peter looked at her in surprise, "And how did you possibly know that?"

"Jimluis was a Catalon. I married him in Catalon. I conceived Johnny in Catalon. I went back to Eldon during the war in Catalon. When they wanted all Eldons out. Jimluis had to come with me, he wanted to," Jenny repeated Catalon with such emphasis to show she knows the place, "Can't a woman tell directions?"

Anam looked at Johnny and giggled.

Peter looked at Jenny, "Even angry your beautiful," he whispered to himself, staring at Jenny.

"What?" She asked pretending she didn't hear anything.

"Sorry miss, let's head your way. North it is!" Peter sarcastically said.

Johnny tapped Anam on his thighs, "I think mom likes Peter."

"You're too young kid," Anam laughed.

They journeyed on towards North.