The sun rose in the sky spreading its light in the surroundings, announcing a new day.
The village residents began waking up one after another, for the men to go out to do their work, and the children to play outside spreading the sounds of their screams and laughs in the surroundings.
While the women watch their children from afar or talk with each other, or prepare food for their families in their houses.
And in the middle of this noise, Ethan woke up from his sleep because of the disturbance. He got up from his bed slowly while still closing his eyes. He remained standing for a few moments trying to wake up to reality, until he began opening his eyes slowly, waking up completely.
He took a look around the place to notice that no one was present in the hut except him.
He went to drink water then exited directly outside, walking in the village while searching for Jesse and the rest.
He continued walking for two hours searching in every place he knows (the stall, the village center, the markets, between the huts), but he did not see them in any of those places. Except that he stopped in front of one of the chairs surprised by their sudden disappearance.
He sat on the chair while wondering where they might have gone.
He remained absent-minded for several minutes, except that a strange object touched his foot. Ethan returned to his consciousness and looked toward his feet with a look of surprise, to find that it was a red ball. He raised his head to see where it came from, to find a group of small children looking toward him with expressions of worry appearing on their faces.
Ethan grabbed the ball while looking at it with surprise and confusion. The children gathered around each other and began muttering some words. And after several seconds, one child from them advanced toward Ethan with features full of tension. And after he reached him, he said to him in a tone of fear and tension: "Um... hello... that ball is our ball. Can you return it to us?".
Ethan looked toward the boy with curious features and pointed toward the ball. The child replied to him: "Yes, this ball". Ethan kept looking toward the ball for several seconds then gave it to the child. Expressions of joy appeared on his face.
He thanked Ethan then headed toward his friends to continue playing.
Ethan kept watching them from his place while they were playing with features of surprise and curiosity.
One of the children passed the ball to his friend. The child grabbed the ball and looked toward his friend to pass it to him, but he saw his friend looking toward him with looks of surprise and tension.
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The child turned behind him to find Ethan looking toward him. For a feeling of fear and tension to fill his body. Ethan pointed toward the ball and on his face features of curiosity. The child said to him in a tone full of tension: "D... d... do you want the ball?" Ethan pointed to him with refusal.
For the feelings of fear in his body to be replaced by surprise. So he said to him with features of surprise: "Do you want to play with us?" A light smile appeared on Ethan's face and he pointed to him with yes.
The child felt some tension but he passed the ball to him. Ethan grabbed the ball with his foot.
The child said to him in a questioning tone: "Do you know how to play the game?" Ethan directed his gazes toward him and pointed to him with no.
So the boy replied to him: "Alright, all you have to do is pass the ball to any one of us but using your foot, do not use your arms. Did you understand?"
Ethan pointed to him with yes and passed the ball to another child.
And the child passed the ball to his friend and so on... Ethan continued playing with the children while feeling feelings of happiness and enjoyment spreading in the parts of his body.
The children did not feel comfortable with him at the beginning but they got used to him and considered him a kind person.
After several hours passed while they were playing different games, the children heard their mothers calling them from afar.
One of the children carried his ball and they bid farewell to Ethan with a big smile on their faces.
But before they went, the owner of the ball looked toward Ethan and said to him with a happy face: "I really enjoyed with you. I hope to see you again tomorrow".
Then everyone went toward their mothers. For Ethan to remain alone in the place.
Ethan noticed that the sun rays had become scorching so he decided to return to his hut.
He turned then headed toward the hut while protecting himself from the sun rays using his hand.
After arriving and before he entered inside, he heard someone calling him from afar. He turned toward the source of the sound to find Jenny calling him while heading toward him.
After she reached him, she said to him with a tired face that has purple circles under her eyes: "Finally I found one of you! I was searching for you for hours, but for a strange reason all of Joseph and the rest have disappeared. Did you see them around?"
Ethan replied to her pointing to her with no.
Expressions of worry appeared on Jenny's features and she replied to him: "Joseph must have a hand in the matter. I saw him talking to one of the monsters last night. Did he do something to them or what?"
Ethan kept looking toward her with surprise wondering what she was talking about.
Then suddenly, Ethan felt something placed on his shoulder. He turned quickly behind to see Nicholas behind him.
Nicholas looked toward Ethan and a sarcastic smile on his face, then said: "Hehehehehe, you must have missed us."
Jenny replied to him with a mix of surprise and shock: "Where were you? I searched for you everywhere, you startled me!"
Nicholas replied to her: "Oh, you really missed us. Alright, I and Jesse and Joseph were sent for a simple mission. Mira told us there was no need to bring you with us, and I agree with her opinion. All we did was examine a strange object nearby."
Jenny replied to him questioningly: "Where are Jesse and Joseph?"
Nicholas replied to her: "Oh right, no need to worry. They are with Mira."
Jenny took a deep breath while thinking: "Alright, Joseph did not do anything to them. But what exactly happened last night? What was he doing with that thing?"
The End