“Do I know you?” He said to me. I shook my head in confusion. After all these years he wants to approach me now? We are standing in an open field. Our field. The same one we are at at this time, everyday.
“Are you positive? I’m sure I’ve seen you around here before.” He pressed on.
“Well that’s because you have.” I said. “You’ve just never approached me before.” His eyes lit up, the curiosity oozing out of the sockets.
“I knew it! I knew it! I knew I’ve seen you before!” He jumped up and down in glee. I wasn’t sure what he was so happy about. I hadn’t confirmed his first question, although it was true. While he jumped around for a little longer I stuck my slender hands into the pockets of my jeans and began to walk around. The leaves had begun to fall and I could hear the crinkle under my feet with every step. Man I love it here. It’s not like the other places I go too. No, this one is completely isolated. Well...except for him. I glance back to see him dancing now. If only I could tell him the truth. The sad, sad truth. He wouldn’t be like that anymore. No he would just join the rest of us. So somber, so lonely, so...gone.
I’m at the edge of the field now, right about to walk into the woods. As I begin to step my foot onto the soil I think better of it and turn to walk away. The distant sound of a
wolf howling sends me walking a little faster back towards him.
“Hey!” I scream at him. He still hasn't stopped dancing. “Hey!” I shout again. I snap my fingers in front of his face and he stops.
“Oh, hello friend!” He says smiling.
“I’m not your friend.” I remind him but he ignores me.
“You know, after all of this time I finally found someone I know and it just feels so great!” He said. I roll my eyes.
“It gets old.” I tell him.
“You know what gets old? Bread. Bread gets all nasty and moldy after a while and then you just can’t eat it anymore!” He says. He’s back to skipping around. I merely shake my head and turn away. What a silly, delusional boy.

I make my way to the other side of the field and sit down. The grass tickles at my feet and I fight the urge to giggle. I haven’t laughed in so long so why start now? And to laugh at such a simple thing. Now that would be a waste of oxygen. We’re running low on fresh air anyways. I lie back, spreading my pale blond hair out around my head. I want to cut it off but I just can’t seem to find any scissors. Maybe it’s the universe’s way of telling me I shouldn't. Before I get lost in thought about hair i’m interrupted. I hear him before I see him. He’s whistling the song. Our song. The song he sings just for me.
“Do you know what I’m whistling?” He asks as he sits down next to me, the grass flattening out under his weight.
“I don’t know, do you?” I ask him out of sheer curiosity.
“No, that’s why I asked you silly.” He says. I crack a small smile at this.
“I guess we’ll never know then.” Only we do, well I do. I remember everything. I always will...forever.
“Look, that cloud looks like a monkey!” He says, pointing to the sky. I look up and sure enough the cloud is in the similar shape of a monkey.
“Oh and there’s a walrus! And a hippo! And a...a...a dinosaur?” He says in question. We sit in silence as he takes in the new shapes of the clouds. After about five minutes he gets bored and looks at me.
“You’re pretty.” He says.
“Why thank you.” I say and despite my protests, blush scarlet.
“What’s wrong with your cheeks?” He asks. And at this I laugh. I really, truthfully laugh. I just used up someone’s oxygen but for some reason I think that it’s worth it.
“How old are you?” He goes on after a moments pause.
“I’m not sure.” I say.
“Well, happy birthday then.”
“Happy Birthday?”
“Yeah, today could be your birthday. Any day really could be your birthday.” He explains.
“What if it’s not?” I say.
“Well, we can still celebrate anyways! Come on.” He pulls me up and drags me along, towards the edge of the field.
“I want to get you a present.” He tells me. “Stand here while I run and find one.” I do as i’m told and stand there. Minutes later he comes back and tells me to open my eyes. The light streams in and I go blind for a second but not before seeing the small object that rests in his hand. It’s the stone. I back away slowly and trip over my own heels. Tears begin to stream down my face quickly.
“What-what-what’s wrong?” He says, dropping the rock. I back away even more. How could it be here? Maybe i’m wrong, maybe it’s not the same one. I’m scaring him. Stop it! I scream in my head as all of the voices shout at once. Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! I scream out in agony. He’s terrified now, shaking me, trying to get me to snap back into reality.
“What’s wrong?!” He cries out. I recover from my break down and melt into his thin arms.
“I’m so sorry.” I whisper, my voice cracking.
“What are you sorry for?” He whispers back.
“Everything.” He looks at me with his confused, baby blue eyes. He knows nothing of the past. He doesn't know the horrors that I know. He’s just a happy, joyful kid running and playing. Why should I mess up his mind and tell him? I’m almost sure he’d forget it. Instead though I just cross my legs and place my head in my hands. How do I tell a seven year old boy how he died. How do I tell him that his older sister killed herself out of sadness? How do I tell him that he was pelted with stones until he died because he was autistic? How do you do that to a kids mind? I can’t look at him straight in the eye anymore. I can’t see that joy that was there just four short years ago when he was alive and healthy. When he was running and playing with the other kids his age on the playground. Before he met the group of bullies who killed him. Before he lost his memory. Before reality struck hard. How does a person do that? Well that’s just it, they don’t.

As I sat there, recovering from my incident, I watch him with careful eyes. He's chasing a butterfly around and giggling, the event fresh out of his mind. Occasionally he'll glance over at me and smile. When he does it a forth time I motion for him to come and sit with me. He gladly runs over and hops down on my lap.We sit in silence, listening to the sound of the woods. Somewhere from deep within a bird sings our song.
"See sissy? Even the birdys know it!" He exclaims. Even if it's just for a short period of time my heart jumps at the sound of him calling me "Sissy."
"I never doubted you for a minute buddy." I tell him and he seems content for a moment. Then his smile vanishes and he leans back into me.
"I love you." He whispers as his eyes close.I tighten my hold on him and lean back.As we both drift off into slumber I look down at him. My home away from home, my life, my baby brother.
"I love you too." I whisper.