Hopeless Solitude [Skylar]

[Andrue Dimitri]

The twelve year old sighed as he shoved his hands into his pockets, staring down at the cold, hard ground. Kicking it gently, his dark brown eyes watched as it rolled away. Life wasn't exactly going great for the two brothers after they were put into an orphanage when their parents were killed. Fortunately, they both had escaped from the institution before the weekly "beating" given.

Yes, the weekly beating. The employees said that it helped install discipline, respect, and honor. The only thing it made Andrue feel was pure hate.

"Skylar ..?"

Andrue turned around and raised his head to look at his brother, who was sitting by the small fire they had managed to create out in the woods.

[Skylar Dimitri]

"Skylar ..?"

Skylar glanced up from the small fiend of a fire at his brother. The only blood relation he knew of in the universe, Mom was dead and Dad too. They never talked of any family members, which wound the two up in the Orphange.

"Yeah?"

[Andrue Dimitri]

"Do you think that ... That they'll come looking for us?"

His brown eyes widened slightly with a pained expression as he began to trudge towards Skylar, bending down infront of the fire. The orange and yellow flames that cackled together brought little heat, but it was better than nothing.

[Skylar Dimitri]

"Well... I don't know.." Skylar replied, poking at the fire with a broken twig and watching as embers floated up into the sky. "I think we've gone far enough away that by tomorrow we could... I guess... get to a city.. I dunno.."

He shrugged his small shoulders before blowing a stray strand of dark brown hair from his face. Skylar shook his head back and forth before glancing up again at Andrue. "If they do come out this far.. I guess we'll run again.."

[Andrue Dimitri]

"But don't you wish there was something we could do?"

Like what? His mind taunted him.

"Like .. like make them pay for what they did to us!"

Not like there IS anything you can do, silly boy.

Frustrated, Andrue reached up and ran his hand through his hair. Skylar was always the relaxed one, always calm on the surface. He wasn't quite sure about what went on in his brother's mind, though.

".. Just forget it."

[Skylar Dimitri]

"Do I wish there was something we could do? Yeah.. I do.." Skylar shoved the stick into the burning pile of twigs and leaves,

"But there isn't anything we can do against adults with stun-guns, you know?"

[Andrue Dimitri]

It was hopeless.

"Okay, okay ..."

Sighing, Andrue reached up and rubbed his left cheek. As of late, it had been hurting constantly, like something new was forming.

"Hey, do I have a bugbite?"

He lowered his hand to let Skylar look.

[Skylar Dimitri]

Sky frowned and stood to look closer at Andrue's cheek. There was a slight red mark, but not enough light for anything to be discerned.

"Looks like something... kinda like the moon on some nights.."

[Andrue Dimitri]

"Odd..."

Probably some sort of side effect from the shots they had received two weeks ago to help "strengthen" their immune system.

Giving a slight shrug, Andrue looked back at the fire.

"....."

[Skylar Dimitri]

"Seriously.." He replied, adding a few strands of sticks to the fire. A question nagged at his mind, would they come for two lost boys in the woods when the facilty planed to kill them anyway?

"Soo... where do you want to ditch to once we hit a city?"

[Andrue Dimitri]

"I dunno, didn't give it much thought ..."

Giving a wry grin, he continued to stare at the fire.

"You?"

[Skylar Dimitri]

"Maybe Naboo... somewhere were we can get a job or something like that..."

He shrugged, staring into the heart of the fire..

A shadow creaped closer to the two, who knew nothing of the presence...

[Andrue Dimitri]

"Yeah .."

There was a silence that followed only to be broken by the sound of a stick breaking, but Andrue paid no attention to it. He figured it was probably just a wild animal searching for vegetation.

[Skylar Dimitri]

"GOTCHA!"

Skylar whirled around as a orphanage orderly lept from the brush and tackled the boy to the ground. Luckily the two had landed away from the fire!

"Andrue! Help!"

[Andrue Dimitri]

"GOTCHA!"

Whipping his head around, he saw one of the orphanage employees leap onto Skylar.

"Andrue! Help!"

Anger began to course through his veins as he grabbed one of the long, sturdy branches in the fire, standing up. Rushing towards the man, Andrue raised the stick and then slammed it down on his back. Since the end of the stick was on fire, the man yelled out and let go of Skylar, trying to get up.

However, Andrue wouldn't let him.

"You <smallfont color={hovercolor}>-Censored-</smallfont>er!"

He yelled out, continuing to beat the man.

[Skylar Dimitri]

When the adult lept up, Skylar pulled knee to his chest and shot the foot out. Right into the man's groin.

Instantly, the orderly doubled over and feel to the side with a loud yell and groan. Skylar turned over and up to his feet, frantically glancing around as more shouts rose in the woods.

"Damn! They found us!"

[Andrue Dimitri]

"Frell, just what we need!"

Slamming the stick one last time over the man's head, Andrue knocked him unconscious.

"Come on, this way!"

He held onto the stick protectively, knowing damn well they could possibly need it, and leapt over the small fire. Running forward, he strained to pin-point the exact locations of the other men from their shouts.

No luck.

Fear began to rise in his chest and he continued to run blindly until an idea hit him.

"Skylar," he said in a loud whisper, looking up at a tree.

"Up there!"

Grabbing a low branch, he swung himself up and then began to climb up onto the other branches, hiding himself amongst the leaves.

[Skylar Dimitri]

Skylar darted past the tree Andrue scampered up, blocking whips of brush from his face. Coming up to a larger, but lower branched, oak he vaulted up to the closet branch and pulled himself up.

Quickly scanning up, skylar planted his foot on the bark and hoisted himself up with another branch.. on and on, till he was nearly at the top.

Below, the orderlies had spread out and searched...

[Andrue Dimitri]

Skylar had passed Andrue, hiding himself in the very top of the tree. Luckily, his brother was unusually quiet.

He could hear the shouts and yells from the orderlies below, who were searching in vain for the brothers.

"Hey, what about the trees?"

"Go on, look if you want. They couldn't possibly climb that fast in such huge trees."

One of the orderlies looked up at the trees, scanning them with his eyes.

"I don't see anything."

"What did I tell you? Come on, let's get moving!"

A few of them began to move away, but a couple still stayed behind, hoping for a sign.