Lost And Still Missing

1: Curtain-Raiser

The thumping sound of light footsteps could be heard, making their way quickly down the flight of stairs in a certain household.

The footsteps belonged to a particular young boy, who raced and rushed from one side to the other, fixing his dark brown hair with his hands as he searched hastily on each nook and cranny for his belongings. His dark chocolate-brown eyes darting to and fro, eyeing each item in front of him.

"Mooom!! Have you seen my backpack?" he then called out after seemingly running around for thirty minutes.

Sitting at the dining table, a fairly middle-aged woman holding a coffee mug replied, "Last time I checked, you left it in your room, and I have nothing else to do with it!" She told him with a rueful yet bemused sigh, stirring her drink.

"I already checked my room a hundred times!!" Ted groaned, raising his face to the ceiling.

"Try checking again, sweetie," his mom prompted before taking a sip.

Ted let out a loud, tired sigh before starting off to head back up to his room again.

"Alright fin--aH!?" the young boy exclaimed, jumping back in shock due to the fact that a certain sneaky old lady was now standing right in front of him.

She chuckled and held out a black rucksack with both her hands in front of her, "Looking for this, dearie?"

Ted was rubbing his chest with his hand, trying to calm down his heart, "Oh. Grammy... Shoulda known it was you," he said in a slightly exasperated voice. He never could really get used to his Grammy's sudden pop-ups. He then took the rucksack from her hands, mustering up a small yet questioning smile, "Um, thanks?"

His smile shifted however when he noticed that his bag felt somehow heavier. He opened it up to check what was inside and took out a bag of marshmallows that hadn't been there before. He glanced back at her with the same questioning appearance.

She chuckled again and replied, "Well, you're going to see him again after all this time aren't you, why not bring a housewarming gift while you're at it?"

"Heh. Yeah, thanks Grammy," he said as he returned the pack of marshmallows into his bag, zipping it and slinging it on his back.

"Well, I'll be heading out now, bye Mom, bye Grammy, catch you all later!!" Ted declared as he raced out the door and hopped onto his scooter, driving out into the streets.

His Grammy walked out to the doorway, waving goodbye to her grandson, and she looked on as he sped through the streets, greeting everyone that he met along the way. And when he was no longer in sight, she then retreated back into their house, closing the door with a wistful expression on her face.

Meanwhile, Ted was zipping through town on his scooter, exchanging good morning's with some of the people he saw along the way.

And speaking of the town; one could say that it was getting better. The townspeople had removed all the concrete that was covering the soil, and that gave grass the opportunity to thrive and to grow again. Flowers and plants that people could hardly remember anymore had started to spring up all over the place.

And in the center of the town? There stood the still fairly small and growing truffula tree.

As Ted arrived at the plaza, there was a certain redheaded girl diligently watering the tree and the other plants surrounding it.

"Hey Audrey!" he called out to her as he got off his scooter, his little heart fluttering a tad.

Audrey looked back from where she stood, and she immediately smiled upon seeing the young boy, "Oh, hi Ted!"