Sunrise

He lost hours of sleep trying to plan everything out. From the clothes he would wear, what he would say, how long he can walk, and how far he can run under a full minute or two.

And yet, the boy found himself mindlessly watching the same video over and over again. Late into the night, when his parents were fast asleep and the computer was just as accessible as the candy jar was on top of the fridge. A Youtube channel only he alone believed could give him the answers he needed.

It was only ten seconds, no more, no less.

No title, no description, no anything.

Recording from what Anthony could presume was a camera no different from the one his older brother owned. The one holding the camera was slightly shaking as they zoomed in on the woods through a window.

The woods were crowded with trees, all still yet moving in their own right. Yet, one figure stood in between them all, its appearance all too familiar.

Pale skin, no face, suit and tie, and as tall as the trees that seemingly blend with it.

It wasn't looking at the camera, it was looking far off into the distance, from its left. It stood still as the camera closed up on it before it turned its head to look. The video ends with the camera moving away from the window and darkness meets Anthony afterward.

He can see his reflection on the dark screen before he went back to see the clip again.

Right on the mark where the entity turn its head was when Anthony paused the video. He looked at the screen for a good long while, his eyes burning as soon as he blinked right after.

He sighed, replaying the video once more before he went over to the Youtube Channel altogether. Scrolling through the many videos uploaded over the past few years, each with its title and thumbnail.

All of them are different yet similar to the journey made between Theodore Weaver and his partner Jasper Galvan.

Only five videos were made before the strange one was posted, all of them capturing moments of love and support. Whether that be singing, playing Just Dance, or messing around in a park. All of it was made by Theodore who wanted to share these moments with the world, even if it catered to a small audience, he wouldn't care.

He loved it, every last minute of it, with no complaint to be made at any party.

Theo just loved to be part of a family.

Anthony wiped the tears that gathered at the corner of his eyes, he closed off the tab and turned off the computer. Cleaning up the mess he made on the desk, he took a moment to look at a pictured frame that sat next to the others. It was of him and Theo, way back when he was a baby, Theo holding him back when he was wrapped like a burrito.

Anthony smiled, taking a moment to relive the memory as best he could. A sense of hope bloomed within his chest as he did so, his smile getting a bit wider.

“Don’t worry, “he whispered, “I’m going to bring you back home, that's a promise.”

He eyed the papers he had gathered in his hands, all detailing what he must have for the next few months. Or however long it’ll take, he’s confident that with the knowledge he's acquired, he’ll be able to do this.

“A promise I’m willing to keep.”