The storm was unreasonably severe and uncontrollable that very day. The noise from the increasingly loud, continuous rainfall filled the chaotic night air, blocking off any other sounds coming from the area. Continuous flashes of lightning cracked the sky, followed by violent, destructive roars of thunder.

Along a wooded highway, a lone car swished past the paved roads, undeterred by the heavy rainfall crashing onto its surfaces, the windscreen wipers of the car relentlessly doing their job to repel the violent waves of the downpour.

"Mama. Are we there yet?" asked an eight-year-old boy from the backseat of the car. Staring through the window of the car, all the boy could see was plain darkness. Sometimes, occasional flashes of lightning would light up the sky, frightening him. "I want to be home."

"We're almost there, honey. Why don't you take a quick nap and I'll wake you up when we get there, okay?" The mother coaxed the little boy, turning back from the front seat of the car and giving him a comforting smile.

"Yes. You must be tired, son. Sleep for a while. We'll reach home soon," his father said to him, relaxing his hands on the steering wheel as he drove to their destination.

"Okay, papa," replied the boy, rubbing his droopy eyes.

Travelling at night when the weather was brimming with shocks of terror never boded well, but it didn't stop the family of three. Having a complicated job, the boy's father had to go on multiple business trips, leaving his family behind to earn his living. But this time, however, the boy insisted his father take him and his mother on his business trip, to which his father, after a lot of contemplation, finally agreed and took them.

"Linda?" the boy's father addressed his wife.

"What is it?" she asked, her curious amber eyes looking at him.

"Sorry, the business trip took longer than expected," he said.

"It's fine. I understand your situation, Mr David," Linda teased her husband in a flat-toned voice.

At the unexpected name call, David laughed at his wife's dry sense of humour. She never failed to amuse him. "It must've been tough on you," he apologised nonetheless.

"No, it's not. As long as our son is happy, that's all that matters to me." Linda smiled, tugging a strand of brown hair behind her ears.

"There's something I've been meaning to tell you," David began. "I've managed to secure a stable job in our city, so now I can spend more time with Ley and you."

"Well, isn't that a good thing? Our son always misses you since you're never around. Don't you think it might affect your father-son relationship if things go on like this?"

"I know, Linda. That's why I'm trying hard to get this job and now I've finally made it!" David laughed aloud.

"Papa, you're too noisy. How do you expect me to sleep when you laugh like that?" his half-asleep son accused him, getting up from the backseat.

"Oh. Did I wake my lovely Ley?" Ley was a sweet nickname David gave him, which was taken from his actual birth name, Leyon. "Papa's sorry. Will you forgive me?"

"Hmph!" Leyon pouted, crossing his arms. "Only if you treat me to ice cream when we get home."

"It's a promise then." David grinned at his son.

Linda gently smiled and shook her head. "I don't know what to do with the both of you." The minute those words escaped her mouth, Linda froze, gripped by horror upon seeing something on the road up ahead. "Watch out!" Linda screamed.

Amidst the storm and in the middle of the road, they encountered a wild reindeer. David gasped and jerked the steering wheel hard, trying to evade the wild animal. The car screeched to a halt, but the sudden application of brakes and an unfavourable turn in direction made the car lose control.

Everything that happened afterwards was a complete blur to Leyon, his father, and his mother. The alarming scene played out in slow motion until tragedy struck. In a frightening span of a few seconds, the car flipped over on its sides following a sharp U-turn, and rolled down a narrow slope, rushing through the woods before finally crashing into a big tree. But the heavy downpour continued uninterrupted.

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The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was a hazy, severely contorted image of the plain white ceiling above him. The world around him was spinning in circles, and he had no comprehension of what was happening there. A few minutes ticked by unknowingly as his mind wandered in and out of consciousness. When he partly became able to get a grip on his current state, he found himself in an unfamiliar room, lying on an unfamiliar bed, an oxygen mask covering his nose and mouth. He could also hear the continuous beeping sound of the heart rate monitor that was installed beside his bed.

"Leyon, is that right?" came a voice. Who was calling his name? He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out.

"You're going to be fine. The hospital will take good care of you. Rest now."

Leyon shifted his gaze to the voice above him and saw a man wearing a white coat by his bed. The man smiled warmly at him. But to Leyon, everything felt like a dream.

There were a lot of questions he needed answers to, but they were left unspoken: Why was he all alone there? Where was his mama? Where was his papa? Why weren't they here with him? The accident: it suddenly occurred to him. Were they safe? Would they come for him soon? He didn't like it one bit. He wanted to see his parents. He didn't like this cold atmosphere; he didn't like to be alone. Mama, Papa, come find me. Leyon blinked and felt hot tears roll down the sides of his cheeks. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep again, imagining his parents' footsteps entering the room and hearing the cry of his beloved mother's voice once more.

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Two days passed since the horrible incident. Soon after Leyon was discharged from the hospital, the police station in Riverfield Hills quickly took him into custody for his safety.

"Hey, kid. Do you have anyone we can contact for you?" A police officer asked Leyon, but he was met with silence. Leyon remained seated on the small work chair, staring off into space, his dark, hollow eyes devoid of emotion.

Crouching on the floor to match Leyon's height, the police officer continued, "Look, kid... I know it's been hard on you, but you need to cooperate, okay? We're trying to help you here. So let me ask you again... Do you have anyone you know? Any relatives or friends?"

"Boss Brad, I think you should stop asking the boy. You won't get anything out of him," yelled another officer from the back. "Look at him, the poor kid's been traumatised."

"Can you be any more direct, Steve?" Brad glared at Steve. Brad was the officer in charge of that police station, and Steve was his underling. "At least, we have to get something out of him," Brad continued. "How are the investigations going? Did you do a full background check on him yet? Does he have any more living relatives or not?" Brad bombarded Steve with a series of questions.

"Uh, I'm still working on it," replied Steve.

"If you can't do a simple background check on a small kid, how will you handle more serious cases, huh? Do you think the police station is a playground? Do your job properly or submit your resignation letter tomorrow!" Brad shouted at the top of his lungs, snapping back all the officers who were slacking off in the station room. Some even jolted wide awake from their short nap and began to dive into their work.

"Sorry Boss," Steve muttered, cowering under Brad's death glare. Steve quickly stared away and sat before his computer. And right when he was about to hit his keyboards, the door to the station room burst open and an old woman who looked to be in her seventies barged inside, her moist, silvery eyes wildly scanning the room.

"Leyon!" she shouted after finally spotting the person she was looking for. "My grandson, I'm here."

Overcome with grief and in tears, the old woman rushed to her grandson and enveloped him in a tight hug. "Granny...," Leyon mumbled.

"I'm sorry I took so long to find you." Her heart sank as she looked at her grandson's poor, dishevelled appearance. His once shiny black hair was all rumpled and untidy; his bright blue eyes looked dull and lifeless, and his body was severely malnourished. Seeing the state her grandson was in made her want to kill herself for not arriving there sooner. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she apologised over and over again, even though she received no reply from her grandson.

Leyon did not cry, not even after seeing the grief and sorrow on his grandmother's crying face. Why should he cry? His mind stopped him. It wouldn't change anything. It wouldn't bring his dead parents back to life.

"It's okay now. Granny's here. I'm so glad you're okay," cried the old woman, kissing him repeatedly on his forehead and hugging him close to her chest. "Are you hurt anywhere?" she asked, hastily moving her hands up and down his body, checking for injuries. Apart from the small band-aid that was plastered on the left side of his forehead, there was nothing else to be concerned about. Her grandson seemed to be fine.

"Granny... Papa, mama..."

"It's okay, baby. Granny knows. It's okay. It's going to be alright," the old woman assured him. "Let's go. Let's go to granny's home. Granny will take care of you from now on."

"Ahem. You are the child's grandmother?" Brad interrupted their short reunion.

"Ah yes," Leyon's grandmother replied, wiping the tears off her face as she got up to look at Brad.

"I was beginning to think he had nobody left in his family to take care of him."

"I'm sorry. You must have had a hard time trying to find me. I live in a small village, you see. The communication resources we have there are very limited. That's why you weren't able to reach me," she explained. "I heard the news about the accident on the radio. I went to the hospital to check, but they told me my grandson had been taken to the police station, so I got here as fast as I could."

"I see. Our sincerest apologies for the ignorance, madam. Come this way." Brad motioned for her to take a seat in front of his desk, pulling the chair out for her. "I'm going to ask you a few questions and please answer them honestly. You'll be allowed to take your grandson home with you after that," Brad finished.

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After the funeral proceedings for his parents were over and done, it took Leyon almost a week to properly settle down with his grandmother. They had come to the countryside where his grandmother resided, in a small cottage located in a tiny village.

The property and house which belonged to his family had been seized by his father's company. It was to pay off the debts which his father owed to the company, they had said. Apparently, a collateral contract had been signed by his father to complete a huge project funded by the company but it crashed and failed following his demise, so they seized the house and property to compensate for their losses, leaving Leyon with absolutely nothing for himself. None of it mattered anyway. Leyon had his grandmother now. And she was going to take care of him. She was his only family now.

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Violent noises could be heard coming from a small house in the village. The sound of glasses shattering on the floor echoed throughout the whole neighbourhood. Pots and pans crashing on the floor could be heard followed by loud, angry shouts.

"Get out! Do you hear me? Get out of here," shouted the man, downing another bottle of alcohol.

"How long are you going to keep being like this? I can't take it anymore, you useless human being," cried the woman.

"Then get lost. I don't ever want to see your face. Get out of my house. Why're you still here?" the man shouted again, throwing delicate plates and glasses from the kitchen counter, and then staggering back into the living room to knock the table over.

"Do you think I'm staying here for you? I'm staying for my daughter. It's dark outside and only God knows where she could be now. Do you have any regard for your daughter who's out there all alone?!" The woman screamed at her husband.

"I should just kill you today, you crazy woman." Saying that, the man stomped forward, grabbed the woman by her hair, and pushed her down on the floor.

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"Evelyn. Did you fight with your husband again?"

"Mama Claire, he's too much." Evelyn sniffed, rapidly blinking her eyes to drive away the tears.

"Life is hard, isn't it?" Claire put her hand on top of Evelyn's and gave her a reassuring smile. They both sat down on a thin mat that was laid out on the wooden floor in Claire's small cottage.

"I don't know..."

"Look at your pretty face. All covered with bruises." The woman named Claire reached out her hand and gently touched Evelyn's cheek. "Wait here. Let me go get some cold water for you and a towel." Claire got up to walk, but Evelyn stopped her, shaking her head.

"My daughter, she's out there and I don't know what to do. I can't find her so I came to you." Evelyn cried again.

"I'm sure she's fine." Claire sat down to comfort Evelyn. "This isn't the first time this has happened. Whenever you fight with your husband, she runs away because she's frightened but she has always returned, no? Your daughter may be little, but she is wise. She will eventually come back. So don't fret over it, my dear." Claire patted her back lovingly.

"I hope she gets back soon," said Evelyn. She took a deep breath to dismiss her anxiousness and assure herself that her daughter was safe and would return soon. After all, children in the countryside were brought up differently, unlike those brought up in the cities. They were already way more mature than their age and could properly take care of themselves.

"Let's wait for a few minutes, okay? It's almost eight. My grandson went out on a little errand. He'll be back soon. Then we can go look for your daughter together," Claire said to Evelyn.

"Your grandson? Ah, I've heard the news... So, he went out on an errand?" asked Evelyn. "But it's so late."

"Yes. Well, I never intended to send him out, but my grandson, he's stubborn. I told him he should go tomorrow, but he insists on going alone tonight, saying I'm old and should rest instead." Claire laughed, but her eyes carried a tint of sadness. "I can't stop him. Ever since he came here, all he's been doing is taking care of this small house and me. He's an extremely mature kid. Though I suppose the accident might have something to do with it. He hasn't been the same since then. He rarely even smiles or tells me anything anymore."

"It must be hard for him, coping with all those unfortunate events at such a young age. Isn't he just eight?"

"Yes, he is."

"So young. He's around the same age as my daughter."

Claire sighed loudly. "God is just too cruel, Evelyn. I wonder what I've done in my past life to deserve this. I don't understand why my son had to be taken away from me in such cruel way. Not just him, they took away my kind daughter-in-law too." Claire wiped off a few teardrops and continued, "My poor grandson, he has no one but this old me to take care of him. There is not a day that goes by where I don't worry about his future... It should've been me. If God wanted to take a life, He should've taken mine instead. I am the most useless one here. I should be the one to die, but no, my poor grandson just had to be the one to suffer." She gripped her chest tightly as tears spilled from her eyelids.

Evelyn watched Claire with sympathetic eyes. She couldn't help but feel apologetic for disturbing her like this. She couldn't even solve her own problems, yet she came asking for help from Claire, who was already suffering a lot more than she could ever imagine at the moment.

"We should look on the positive side, mama Claire. I believe everything has a reason. Fortunately, your grandson is alive. He's very lucky," said Evelyn, trying to comfort Claire.

"You're right, my dear. You're very right. This old woman's brain is rotten now. Can't think of anything good. I should be glad. Yes, I should. By the graces of God, my grandson is alive."

Meanwhile...

Walking down the muddy, narrow pathway was Leyon, holding a large bag in his hand. As Leyon discreetly ventured down the road, something peculiar caught his eye. From the corner, he could see a strange yellow figure lurking behind the bushes in the area. Leyon knew he needed to hurry home because his grandmother would be worried sick about him, but his curiosity overcame him and he boldly decided to investigate what might be concealed there among the bushes.

Making his footsteps as light as possible, Leyon approached the bush and saw a little girl crouching behind it as if she was trying to hide herself. Who was she hiding from? Leyon was rather quick at noticing what the girl was wearing — a shiny yellow raincoat and a pair of yellow rain boots. The yellow combination of her clothing could make anyone taking that path see her from miles ahead even through the darkness. If this girl thought she could hide while looking like that, she was either really stupid or trying to be funny.

"Who are you?" Leyon managed to ask, looking down at her crouched form.

Surprised, the little girl stared up at him, and then abruptly stood up. She continued staring at him as if waiting for him to speak again.

Leyon moved his eyes up and down the odd-looking girl. He was a little taller than her, but she seemed to be around his age. A notebook that was attached to a thin string hung from her neck, dangling over her stomach. The more Leyon looked at the girl, the more he was weirded out by her strange appearance.

After a few seconds of continuously staring back and forth at each other without saying a word, Leyon, still maintaining his cool composure, slightly opened his mouth. And with an impassive face, he said to the quiet girl, "You smell like raw fish."