The big, bright, bodacious sun had finally peaked and now towered all living things below. The scorching sunlight caressed the little boy as he frolocked about in a nearby forest. The trees stood as tall and strong as sacred pillars. The grass danced merrily as the wind blew ever so softly. The birds sang ever so beautifully, as the leaves on the trees were blossoming. Then at once a loud shriek of joyful laughter could be heard.

 

It was the young boy speeding around without a care in the world. He was enjoying a good game of Pirates, influenced by a television show he used to watch when he was younger. The boy loved this show as he loved the fact Pirates were free and did not abide by the rules of society.

 

Deeper and deeper. Darker and darker. This was no longer the safe, warming and welcoming forest the boy knew. The forest had now transformed into something less safe, more dangerous. Something less warming, more cold. Something less welcoming, more hostile. The further and further the boy went into the forest the more and more terrified and worried he became. Instead of turning back and running, it was if a strange and ominous force was pushing him insisting he should carry on. Until he hit it.

 

A fence. It stretched for miles and miles and it had barbed wires on top. It was a metallic grey and it had a sign on it which meant anyone who dared to touch it would get a nasty surprise. The boy stood and watched it, daring not to take his eyes off it for a second, He was worried that if he wasn’t sharp or alert he might regret it. All life on the other side of the fense was deserted and derelict. Then almost instantaneously there was movement. The little boy darted for cover but never took his eyes off the fence. The boy watched in amazement as he saw figures flood out from a distant, old, aging, worn down building.

 

The boy stayed hidden but now watching the figures in the distance as they got closer. The boy could now see them clearly, in their striped clothing. Then a wave of excitement slid across his face. He had found someone who looked his age. As the idea of making a new friend was the only thought capable at the time,  he stepped out of hiding, got as close as he could to the death trap without touching it and called over to the boy in stripes in the quietest squeak anyone could manage. He did this to make sure he didn’t catch the attention of anyone else. Luckily the little boy in the striped clothing heard him first time.

 

The boy in stripes walked over and they both stared at each other, not letting one intimidate the other. They both looked so different compared to each other.  On one side of the fence you had one boy who had a soft face, neatly groomed hair and big round belly from all the pampering he had received. The other, so skinny that you could see his bones with ease. The silence was strong and no one dared to fill it. Then finally, “What’s your name”, said the little boy bravely. “I’ve forgotten”, whispered the boy in stripes slowly starting to get his courage. “How can you forget your own name, mine is Steve”, chuckled the little boy. “They just call us by our numbers now, i am number 5.6.2.”, proclaimed the boy in stripes. “Ohh…. I like stripes it matches what you are wearing, i shall now call you stripes”, Stevey proclaimed with a wide grin, he was proud of the name he had thought of.” The boy in the stripes quietly repeated, ”Stripes, stripes…. Yeah stripes thank you i really like it.” “By the way, why are you wearing striped pyjamas?”, Stevey questioned. “ I don’t know, all i know is that they came and took me and my family and brought us here where we was made to work and were given numbers”, Stripes sorrowfully said. “That’s unfair!”, Stevey said regretfully. There was a long pause and nobody said a word. The silence grew stronger and stronger enhancing the tension and making it more powerful. “Would you like to play with me? I’m playing pirates”, Stevey asked innocently. “Maybe tomorrow”, Stripes replied. “Why?”, Stevey looking more and more depressed. “it’s going to rain soon”, replied stripes wisely. Almost instantaneously rain started to pitter down from the sky above. within 10 seconds it was now raining heavily. It almost felt like rocks were coming down from the heavens to punish the two boys. “ I have to go now, sorry”, Stripes said sadly. “okay but you have to promise to play with me tomorrow”, the little boy exclaimed happily, glad he had found a friend. “I promise….”. Stripes ran off into the distance and as soon as he was out of sight, lightning hit.


The next day Stevey travelled again through the forest, less scared than he was the first time. He reached the fence which was now familiar to him and he waited. 8 hours passed, yet Stripes never returned…