He recognized this place, it was his house! Or at least the indoor stairs.
Instantly, his heart dropped. Has this all been a dream? An illusion created by a desperate mind?
He walked to the fridge, no doubt going to view its contents. And once there, he grabbed the tub of vanilla ice cream.
Ew, ice cream?
This may be shocking but he never had much of a sweet tooth. He especially hated the sugar rushes that affected kids his age. It was plainly obvious that he wasn't having a midnight snack.
Who was then?
The sound of crying made itself known. Whoever he was snuck towards its source and what 'he' saw next made his heart rent. His mother sat on the couch, hands hiding her face and shoulders quivering. 'He' walked towards her and touched her arm. "Mya?" Tears marked her face. 'Mya' leaned in and hugged her. "It's gonna be okay. We'll find him." "I hope so." Tears leaked out of her own eyes.
He jolted awake, light filtering through gaps in the barred windows. He realized how wet his cheeks were. And how hungry he was.
Motivated by this feeling, he got out of bed in search of food. As soon as he exited the room, a strong smell tickled his nose.
He followed it outside where a number of people were gathered, Laura and the bearded man among them. As he approached, the bearded man smiled. "Ah, Miko. Come!" He sat down next to the man. "Chow?" He shoved a bowl filled with a goopy substance against Miko's chest. The boy only nodded and took a big spoonful. It was sticky and bitter with pieces of what appeared to be fruit.
He liked it.
"Quite the hungry one," the bearded man chuckled as Miko licked the bowl clean. "What is this?" Miko asked as he set the bowl aside. "Porridge." "What's the chunky pieces?" The man laughed. "You ask a lot of questions." "Didn't ask any last night," Laura remarked. "I'm in a new place so I might as well." "Alright. They're berries, picked not far from here."
"What's your name?" The man frowned. "I never told you?" Miko shook his head. "Where are my manners? The name's Claude and this my daughter Laura," the man said. Miko nodded in acknowledgement. "Want seconds?" Miko held out his bowl eagerly.